Affiliation:
1. Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology II, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
2. Research on Children with Special Needs Department, Institute of Medical Research and Clinical Studies, National Research Centre, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Abstract
Nucleophosmin (NPM1) is a key nucleolar protein released from the nucleolus in response to stress stimuli. NPM1 functions as a stress regulator with nucleic acid and protein chaperone activities, rapidly shuttling between the nucleus and cytoplasm. NPM1 is ubiquitously expressed in tissues and can be found in the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, cytoplasm, and extracellular environment. It plays a central role in various biological processes such as ribosome biogenesis, cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis. In addition, it is highly expressed in cancer cells and solid tumors, and its mutation is a major cause of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This review focuses on NPM1’s structural features, functional diversity, subcellular distribution, and role in stress modulation.
Funder
the Foundation for Ageing Research of Heinrich Heine University