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.