High Mobility Group (HMG) proteins are a family of non-histone DNA-binding chromosomal proteins that play essential roles in chromatin structure and gene regulation. They have a distinctive structure characterized by one or more HMG boxes, which are the DNA-binding domains responsible for their interaction with DNA. The HMG box is a conserved DNA-binding motif consisting of approximately 80 amino acids which adopts a three-helix bundle structure. The HMG box binds to DNA in a sequence-independent manner, interacting with a variety of DNA structures, including bent or distorted DNA. Many HMG proteins contain multiple HMG boxes, which can be arranged in tandem or separated by flexible linker regions. The presence of multiple HMG boxes increases their overall DNA-binding affinity and specificity, enabling them to recognize and stabilize specific DNA structures within chromatin. HMG proteins often have unstructured regions outside of their HMG boxes which can mediate interactions with other proteins, chromatin components, or transcription factors. Structurally, HMG proteins can induce DNA bending, looping, or twisting, which can be essential for the organization of nucleosomes, chromatin compaction, and the formation of higher-order chromatin structures. HMG proteins therefore assist in maintaining chromatin flexibility and accessibility. Functionally, HMG proteins participate in transcriptional regulation by modulating the accessibility of DNA to transcription factors and the transcriptional machinery. They can bind to promoters and enhancers, facilitating the assembly of transcriptional complexes and promoting or repressing gene expression. HMG proteins are also implicated in DNA repair and recombination processes. Their ability to recognize and stabilize specific DNA structures can assist in the recognition and repair of DNA lesions or promote DNA recombination events. HMG proteins can also themselves interact with repair factors and chromatin modifiers to facilitate these processes. For example, in the immune system, HMG proteins like HMGB1 are involved in the rearrangement of immunoglobulin genes. They assist in creating DNA loops and structures that enable V(D)J recombination, the process that generates diversity in antibody production. Some HMG proteins, particularly HMGB1, have a dual function as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and play a role in the innate immune response. When released from cells under stress or injury, HMGB1 can activate immune responses and contribute to inflammation and tissue repair. Aberrant expression or localization of HMG proteins has been associated with cancer development. For example, overexpression of HMGA proteins is observed in lung, pancreatic, and thyroid cancer. Their aberrant expression is thought to promote tumorigenesis by enhancing the expression of genes involved in proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Additionally, HMGB1 is known to promote tumour progression by facilitating the inflammation and immune evasion characteristic of some cancers. Some HMG proteins (e.g., HMGA1 and HMGA2) are also involved in embryonic development by regulating gene expression patterns critical for differentiation and tissue formation. They can modulate the expression of developmental genes and influence cell fate decisions during embryogenesis. Finally, HMG proteins are implicated in the maintenance and differentiation of stem cells. They can affect gene expression patterns that govern self-renewal and differentiation processes in various stem cell populations. We offer a wide product catalogue of research tools for studying HMG proteins, including HMGB1 antibodies, HMGB2 antibodies, HMG14 antibodies, and HMGA2 antibodies. Explore our full HMG proteins product range below and discover more, for less.