Suprabasin (SBSN) is involved in epidermal differentiation and may play a role in skin barrier formation. It has been proposed to be a component of the cornified envelope, an essential structure for skin protection [1,2]. Its exact function is not yet clear; it has been associated with multiple diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders [1,2,3]. It is a secreted molecule that may induce cellular signalling (AKT, WNT/beta-catenin, and/or p38MAPK signalling) and processes (migration, proliferation, neovascularization apoptosis- and immune-resistance). It contains a repeated sequence GxHH, with no other similar sequence in the human proteome, which suggests an evolutionarily unique and conserved role [2]. It has also been described a FG (Phe-Gly) motif, which is common in scaffold proteins (keratin 1/2/10 and fillagrin-2 in addition to SBSN) [1].

1: New Family Members of FG Repeat Proteins and Their Unexplored Roles During Phase Separation. Shinkai Y, Kuramochi M, Miyafusa T; Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021;9:708702. PMID:34322491

2: Suprabasin-A Review. Pribyl M, Hodny Z, Kubikova I; Genes (Basel). 2021; [Epub ahead of print] PMID:33477529

3: Role of Suprabasin in the Dedifferentiation of Follicular Epithelial Cell-Derived Thyroid Cancer and Identification of Related Immune Markers. Tan H, Wang L, Liu Z; Front Genet. 2022;13:810681. PMID:35222534