Background of the antigen
Kindlin-3 is a 667 amino acid protein that localizes to both the cell membrane and the cytoplasm and contains one PH domain and one FERM domain. Expressed at high levels in lymph node tissue and at lower levels in spleen, thymus, stomach, placenta, lung, testis and small intestine, Kindlin-3 is thought to be involved in cell adhesion events and may play a role in apoptosis. Kindlin-3 is overexpressed in B-cell malignancies, suggesting that, via its ability to affect cell adhesion, Kindlin-3 may participate in tumor transformation and metastasis. Two isforms of Kindlin-3, designated short and long, exist due to alternative splicing events.