Background
Ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1), also known as allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF-1), is an evolutionarily conserved cytoplasmic calcium binding protein containing a central pair of EF-hand calcium binding motifs.Iba1 was originally cloned from activated macrophages in human atherosclerotic allogenic heart grafts undergoing chronic transplant rejection as well as from rat monocytes. Its function is not very well understood, but Iba1 expression is upregulated in response to interferon-gamma and, therefore, could modulate macrophage-dependent immune response. As an F-actin-binding protein, Iba1 may function to remodel the actin cytoskeleton and contribute to morphological changes that correlate with various microglial/macrophage states. Iba1 is also uniquely expressed in cells of monocytic lineage and is, therefore, widely used as a marker for microglia/macrophages in the brain and other tissue.
Cellular location
Cytoplasm, Cytoskeleton
