Description
Kininogen is a 644 amino acid precursor protein that is expressed by the KNG1 gene and is secreted into blood plasma. Due to alternative splicing events, several Kininogen protein derivatives exist, including Kininogen LC and Kininogen HC, both of which are produced from the Kininogen precursor and exhibit different functions throughout the cell. Kininogen HC plays an important role in blood coagulation by helping to ensure that prekallikrein and Factor XI (both of which are involved in blood coagulation) are properly situated for interaction with Factor XII. Kininogen HC releases a smaller, active protein known as bradykinin, which plays a role in smooth muscle contraction, induction of hypotension, regulation of blood glucose levels, stimulation of nociceptors and overall mediation of inflammatory responses throughout the cell. In contrast to Kininogen HC, which is involved in blood clotting, Kininogen LC is primarily associated with inhibition of thrombocyte aggregation and also functions as a strong inhibitor of cysteine proteinases