Search results

AN1-type zinc finger protein 1 isoform a (ZFAND1) is a member of the Zinc-finger proteins. Proteins from this family contain DNA-binding domains and have an extensive variety of functions, most of which encompass some form of transcriptional activation or repression. ZFAND1 is a 268 amino acid protein, which contains two AN1-type zinc fingers that are repeatedly found in proteins which contain an ubiquitin-like domain and for that reason have a role in the ubiquitination pathway ZFAND1 is comprised of 6 conserved cysteines and 2 histidines and have a dimetal (zinc)-bound alpha/beta fold. As a result of alternative splicing events two isoforms of ZFAND1 are produced.

EIF4EBP2 belongs to the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein family. Even though EIF4EBP2 protein binds eIF4E and inhibits translation initiation, growth factors can release this inhibition by a phosphorylation-dependent disruption. EIF4EBP2 mediates the regulation of protein translation by hormones, growth factors and other stimuli that signal through the MAP kinase pathway. Regulation of this protein is associated to cell proliferation, cell differentiation and viral infection.

PRMT3, also known as protein arginine N-methyltransferase 3, is a member of the protein arginine methyltransferase family. PRMT3 catalyzes the methylation of guanidino nitrogens of arginyl residues of proteins. PRMT3 operates on 40S ribosomal protein S2 ,rpS2, which is the major in-vivo substrate, additionally PRMT3 is also involved in the proper maturation of the 80S ribosome.

Clusterin also named Apolipoprotein J (APO-J) is a 75-80 kD disulfide-linked heterodimeric protein containing about 30% of N-linked carbohydrate rich in sialic acid but truncated forms targeted to the nucleus have also been identified.
The precursor polypeptide chain is cleaved proteolytically to remove the 22-mer secretory signal peptide and subsequently between residues 227/228 to generate the a and b chains. These are assembled in anti-parallel to give a heterodimeric molecule in which the cysteine-rich centers are linked by five disulfide bridges and are flanked by two predicted coiled-coil a-helices and three predicted amphipathic a-helices.
Across a broad range of species clusterin shows a high degree of sequence homology ranging from 70% to 80%. It is nearly ubiquitously expressed in most mammalian tissues and can be found in plasma, milk, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and semen.
It is able to bind and form complexes with numerous partners such as immunoglobulins, lipids, heparin, bacteria, complement components, paraoxonase, beta amyloid, leptin and others. Clusterin has been ascribed a plethora of functions such as phagocyte recruitment, aggregation induction, complement attack prevention, apoptosis inhibition, membrane remodeling, lipid transport, hormone transport and/or scavenging, matrix metalloproteinase inhibition.
A genuine function of clusterin has not been defined. One tempting hypothesis says that clusterin is an extracellular chaperone protecting cells from stress induced insults caused by degraded and misfolded protein precipitates.
Clusterin is up- or down regulated on the mRNA or protein level in many pathological and clinically relevant situations including cancer, organ regeneration, infection, Alzheimer disease, retinitis pigmentosa, myocardial infarction, renal tubular damage, autoimmunity and others.

IFN-tau is also known as TP-1 (trophoblast protein-1) is a new class of type I IFN that is secreted by the trophoblast and is the signal for maternal recognition of pregnancy in sheep. IFN- tau has potent immunosuppressive and antiviral activities similar to other type I IFN but is less cytotoxic than IFN-alpha and IFN-beta. The current investigation concerns the effect of recombinant ovine IFN- tau (rOIFN- tau) on the modulation of MHC class I and II expression on cloned mouse cerebrovascular endothelial (CVE) cells.
IFN-tau induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat1 and upregulated the expression of MHC class I on CVE. One proposed action by which type I IFN reduces the relapse rate in MS is via interference with IFN-?-induced MHC class II expression. IFN- tau was shown to downregulate IFN-?-induced MHC class II expression on CVE and, hence, may be of potential therapeutic value in downregulating inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). IFN- tau did not upregulate the expression of MHC class II on CVE. IFN- tau also inhibited the replication of Theiler's virus in CVE.

Recombinant Hirudin is a potent thrombin inhibitor originally derived from the medicinal leech. Hirudin acts directly on thrombin rather than through other clotting factors. The mechanism of Hirudin-thrombin appears to be unique. The conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin by the serine protease enzyme thrombin is a major event in the final stages of blood coagulation. In the final stages of coagulation prothrombinase converts prothrombin into thrombin. Fibrin is subsequently cross linked by factor XIII to form a blood clot. The primary inhibitor of thrombin in normal blood circulation is antithrombin III. The anticoagulatant activity of hirudin is derived from its ability to inhibit the pro-coagulant activity of thrombin (similar to antithrombin III activity). Hirudin is the strongest natural inhibitor of thrombin. Hirudin binds to and inhibits only the activity of thrombin forms with a specific activity on fibrinogen contrasting to antithrombin III activity. Therefore, hirudin has a thrombolytic activity since it prevents or dissolves the formation of clots and thrombi. Hirudin also has therapeutic significance in blood coagulation disorders, in the treatment of skin hematomas and of superficial varicose veins. Hirudin does not hinder with the biological activity of other serum proteins and can also act on complexed thrombin, thus having an advantage over more common anticoagulants and thrombolytics. It is complicated to extract large quantities of hirudin from natural sources; therefore a method for producing and purifying hirudin using recombinant biotechnology has been developed.

HBsAg is the surface antigen of the Hepatitis-B-Virus (HBV). The capsid of a virus has different surface proteins from the rest of the virus. The antigen is a protein that binds specifically on one of these surface proteins. It is commonly referred to as the Australian Antigen.

Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important signaling protein involved in both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. As its name implies, VEGF activity has been mostly studied on cells of the vascular endothelium, although it does have effects on a number of other cell types (e.g. stimulation monocyte/ macrophagemigration, neurons, cancer cells, kidney epithelial cells ).VEGF mediates increased vascular permeability, induces angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth, promotes cell migration, and inhibits apoptosis. In vitro, VEGF has been shown to stimulate endothelial cell mitogenesisand cell migration. VEGF is also a vasodilator and increases microvascular permeability and was originally referred to as vascular permeability factor.
Elevated levels of this protein are linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

GDF8 is a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family and the TGF-beta superfamily. This group of proteins is characterized by a polybasic proteolytic processing site which is cleaved to produce a mature protein containing seven conserved cysteine residues. The members of this family are regulators of cell growth and differentiation in both embryonic and adult tissues. This gene is thought to encode a secreted protein which negatively regulates skeletal muscle growth.

ADP-Ribosylation Factor Interacting Protein 1 (ARFIP1) contains 1 AH domain and is a putative target protein of ADP-ribosylation factor.

P-Selectin also called Platelet Alpha-Granule Membrane Protein, CD62, and Granulocyte Membrane Protein GRMP belongs to a family of divalent cation-dependent carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins or adhesion molecules. Pselectin is expressed transiently on the surface of activated platelets and endothelial cells. P-Selectin is a 140 kDa protein which is stored in the alpha-granules of platelets and Weibel-Palade bodies of endothelial cells. Secreted P-selectin is thought to play a key role in the adhesion of platelets to monocytes and neutrophils during an inflammatory response. P-Selectin is a calcium-dependent receptor that binds to sialylated forms of Lewis blood group carbohydrate antigens on neutrophils and monocytes. Levels of P-Selectin may be elevated in a number of pathological conditions.

P4HB is a multifunctional and highly abundant enzyme that is part of the protein disulfide isomerase family. When present as a tetramer consisting of two alpha and two beta subunits, P4HB has a role in hydroxylation of prolyl residues in preprocollagen. P4HB is a disulfide isomerase containing two thioredoxin domains that catalyze the formation, breakage and rearrangement of disulfide bonds.

CST4 is a member of the cystatin superfamily which contains proteins that hold multiple cystatin-like sequences. Several family members are active cysteine protease inhibitors, whereas others have lost or possibly never attained this inhibitory activity. CST4 strongly inhibits papain (non-competitively) and ficin, partially inhibits stem bromelain and bovine cathepsin C, however does not inhibit porcine cathepsin B or clostripain.

DCTN2 is a 50kDa subunit of dynactin, which is a macromolecular complex consisting of 10-11 subunits ranging in size from 22 to 150 kDa. Dynactin binds to both microtubules and cytoplasmic dynein. Dynactin is involved in a various cellular functions, including ER-to-Golgi transport, the centripetal movement of lysosomes and endosomes, spindle formation, chromosome movement, nuclear positioning, and axonogenesis. The DCTN2 subunit is present in 4-5 copies per dynactin molecule. DCTN2 is comprised of 3 short alpha-helical coiled-coil domains which mediate association with self or other dynactin subunits. DCTN2 interacts directly with the largest subunit (p150) of dynactin and is able to affix p150 in place. DCTN2 modulates cytoplasmic dynein binding to an organelle, and plays a part in prometaphase chromosome alignment and spindle organization during mitosis. DCTN2 is involved in anchoring microtubules to centrosomes. DCTN2 has a role in synapse formation during brain development.

DFF is a heterodimeric protein of 40kDa (DFFB) and 45kDa (DFFA) subunits. DFFA (DNA fragmentation factor subunit alpha) is the substrate for caspase-3 and triggers DNA fragmentation during apoptosis. DFF is activated once DFFA is cleaved by caspase-3. The cleaved fragments of DFFA detach from DFFB (the active component of DFF), which in turn triggers DNA fragmentation as well as chromatin condensation during apoptosis. Apoptosis is accompanied by shrinkage and fragmentation of the cells and nuclei and degradation of the chromosomal DNA into nucleosomal units.
A reduced level of DFFA detected in ovarian endometriosis may be a part of an apoptosis-resistant mechanism enhancing the disease progression.
DFFA at chromosome 1 shows rare allelic variants in neuroblastoma tumors.

TBCB is a member of the Microtubules family. Biosynthesis of functional microtubules include the involvement of a number of chaperones, termed Tubulin folding cofactors A (TBCA), B (TBCB), C (TBCC), D (TBCD) and E (TBCE), which operate on folding intermediates downstream of the cytosolic chaperon, known as TCP. The 244 amino acid cytoplasmic protein TBCB has one CAP-Gly domain and is universally expressed. TBCB takes part in the regulation of tubulin heterodimer dissociation and operates as a negative regulator of axonal growth.

Pyroglutamyl-Peptidase I (PGPEP1) is an omega peptidase which detaches pyroglutamyl residues from the amino termini of peptides and proteins. PGPEP1 is a cytosolic cysteine peptidase which is expressed in most cell types. PGPEP1 enzyme has need of s a thiol-reducing agent for activity. PGPEP1 is possibly involved in the inactivation of biologically active peptides which have an amino terminal pyroglutamyl group, for instance peptides as neurotensin, luteinizing hormone releasing hormone, and thyrotropinreleasing hormone.

FKBP1A is a 12kDa protein initially discovered on an immune cells on the basis of its capability to bind as well as mediate the intracellular effect of the immunosuppressant FK506. FKBP1A is also known to mediate the action of Rapamycin-immunosuppressive agent. FKBP1A is part of the family of immunophilins, which have in common high affinity for immunosuppressant drugs and a peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase). Activity which participates in folding of proline-containing protein. In the absence of immunosuppressive ligands, FKBP1A is involved in intracellular calcium regulation by associating with 3 types of Ca2+ release channel complexes: skeletal ryanodine receptors, cardiac ryanodine receptors and the inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor. FKBP1A also interact with TGF-beta type I receptor exerting an inhibitory effect on the TGF-beta signaling pathway. FKBP12 plays a role in modulation of ryanodine receptor isoform-1 (ryr-1), a component of the calcium release channel of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. FKBP1A increase the folding of proteins and catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides.

FKBP3 is part of a family of immunosuppressant receptors which inhibit T-cell proliferation by arresting two distinct cytoplasmic signal transmission pathways. FKBP3 accelerates the folding of proteins. FKBP3 is part of the immunophilin protein family, which participates in immunoregulation and fundamental cellular processes concerning protein folding and trafficking. FKBP3 is a cis-trans prolyl isomerase enzyme that binds the immunosuppressants FK506 and rapamycin, as well as histone deacetylases, the transcription factor YY1, casein kinase II, and nucleolin. It has a greater affinity for rapamycin than for FK506 and therefore is a significant protein for immunosuppression by rapamycin.

cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor beta (PKIB) belongs to the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor family. PKIB may interact with the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase and function as a competitive inhibitor.

Tubby-related protein 1 (TULP1) belongs to the TULP family of 4 proteins (TUB and TULP1, -2, and -3), categorized structurally by the highly conserved C-terminal half of the protein. Tubby-like gene family (TULPs) members are found in plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates and encode proteins of unknown function. TULP proteins share a conserved C-terminal region of roughly 200 amino acid residues. In the retina, TULP1 is observed exclusively in the photoreceptor cells, localizing predominantly in the inner segments and connecting cilium and to a lesser degree in the perinuclear cytoplasm and synaptic termini. TULP1 gene mutations are linked with retinitis pigmentosa.

Proline Synthetase Co-Transcribed (PROSC) is a member of the UPF0001 family.

UFC1 is a member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family. UFC1 is an E2-like conjugating enzyme for ubiquitin-fold modifier-1. UFM1 is activated by UBA5 (a novel E1-like enzyme) by forming a high-energy thioester bond. Activated UFM1 is subsequently transferred to its cognate E2-like enzyme, UFC1, in a similar thioester linkage.