Hematopoietic Protein 1 (HEM1)

HEM1 encodes a member of the HEM family of tissue-specific transmembrane proteins which are highly conserved from invertebrates through mammals. This gene is only expressed in hematopoietic cells. The encoded protein is a part of the Scar/WAVE complex which plays an important role in regulating cell shape in both metazoans and plants. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found.Mice lacking Hem1 had defective F-actin polymerization and actin capping in lymphocytes and neutrophils due to loss of the Rac-controlled actin regulatory WAVE (WASF1) protein complex.Hem1-deficient neutrophils failed to migrate in response to chemotactic signals and were deficient in phagocytosing bacteria.