pp52 (human) or LSP1 (murine) is a hematopoietic-expressed gene that encodes an F-actin-binding, leukocyte-specific (including B and T lymphocytes, granulocytes and macrophages), phosphoprotein. However, mRNA splice variants that do not encode the lympho-specific protein are expressed from this gene in nonlymphoid cell lines as well (myocytes, stromal cells and fibroblasts), suggesting pp52 has a divergent role in signal transduction. The pp52 (LSP1) locus maps to human chromosome 11p15.5, which is implicated in tumor-related chromosomal translocations found in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The pp52 promoter contains key elements that control transcriptional activity including an initiator specifying the unique 5' terminus of pp52 mRNA, tandem pairs of Ets and SP1 motifs, and a single C/EBP motif. LSP1 binds the cytoskeleton and has been implicated in affecting cytoskeletal remodeling in a variety of leukocyte functions, including cell motility and chemotaxis.
