Albumin, Rat Serum (ALB) Protein

Albumin is a soluble, monomeric protein which comprises about one-half of the blood serum protein. Albumin functions primarily as a carrier protein for steroids, fatty acids, and thyroid hormones and plays a role in stabilizing extracellular fluid volume. Albumin is a globular unglycosylated serum protein of molecular weight 65,000. Albumin is synthesized in the liver as preproalbumin which has an N-terminal peptide that is removed before the nascent protein is released from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The product, proalbumin, is in turn cleaved in the Golgi vesicles to produce the secreted albumin. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

albumin: Serum albumin, the main protein of plasma, has a good binding capacity for water, Ca(2+), Na(+), K(+), fatty acids, hormones, bilirubin and drugs. Its main function is the regulation of the colloidal osmotic pressure of blood. Major zinc transporter in plasma, typically binds about 80% of all plasma zinc. Plasma. Belongs to the ALB/AFP/VDB family. 2 isoforms of the human protein are produced by alternative splicing.

Protein type: Secreted; Secreted, signal peptide; Carrier

Chromosomal Location of Human Ortholog: 4q13.3

Cellular Component: extracellular space; protein complex; extracellular region; basement membrane; nucleus

Molecular Function: antioxidant activity; toxin binding; protein binding; enzyme binding; copper ion binding; DNA binding; zinc ion binding; chaperone binding; drug binding; oxygen binding; fatty acid binding; pyridoxal phosphate binding

Biological Process: platelet activation; receptor-mediated endocytosis; sodium-independent organic anion transport; bile acid metabolic process; maintenance of mitochondrion localization; hemolysis by symbiont of host red blood cells; lipoprotein metabolic process; cellular response to starvation; bile acid and bile salt transport; response to organic substance; response to mercury ion; retinal homeostasis; platelet degranulation; transport; negative regulation of programmed cell death; blood coagulation; positive regulation of circadian sleep/wake cycle, non-REM sleep; transmembrane transport; response to nutrient; negative regulation of apoptosis

Disease: Analbuminemia; Hyperthyroxinemia, Familial Dysalbuminemic