Search results

Chromosome 19 Open Reading Frame 80 (C19ORF80) is a significant new regulator of lipid metabolism which regulates serum triglyceride levels, possibly by promoting ANGPTL3 cleavage. C19ORF80 belongs to the ANGPTL protein family. C19ORF80 is a hormone which specifically promotes pancreatic beta cell proliferation and beta cell mass expansion, thus improving glucose tolerance. C19ORF80 is mainly expressed in the liver; it is also expressed in adipose tissues. C19ORF80 is expressed in response to food intake and stimulated by insulin.

Cytohesin 1 also known as CYTH1 belongs to the PSCD family. CYTH1 is responsible for promoting guanine-nucleotide exchange on ARF1 and ARF5 and also promotes the activation of ARF factors by the replacement of GDP with GTP.

Homeodomain-only protein (HOPX) functions via its interaction with SRF, thus modulating the expression of SRF-dependent cardiac-specific genes and cardiac development. HOPX inhibits SRF-dependent transcription either by hindering SRF binding to DNA or by engaging histone deacetylase (HDAC) proteins which prevent transcription by SRF. HOPX is a homeodomain protein which lacks certain conserved residues required for DNA binding. HOPX overexpression causes cardiac hypertrophy.

VAMP8 also called endobrevin, is the main component of a SNARE complex involved in the docking and fusion of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. VAMP8 protein is involved in the regulatation of enzyme secretion in pancreatic acinar cells and plays a part in the abscission of the midbody during cell division, which leads to completely separate daughter cells. VAMP8 is essential for dense-granule secretion in platelets. VAMP8 is related with the perinuclear vesicular structures of the early endocytic compartment. VAMP8 interacts particularly with the soluble NSF-attachment protein (alpha-SNAP), through an VAMP8-containing SNARE complex.

Transferrin is the iron-transport protein of vertebrate serum and donates iron to cells through interaction with a specific membrane receptor, CD71. Transferrin appears to be indispensable for most cells growing in tissue culture.
It is referred to frequently as a growth factor because, in analogy to other growth factor-receptor interactions, proliferating cells express high numbers of transferrin receptors, and the binding of transferrin to their receptors is needed for cells to initiate and maintain their DNA synthesis. Apart from its role as an iron transport protein transferrin acts as a cytokine and has functions that may not be related to its iron-carrying capacity.

Lactoferrin is a glycoprotein that belongs to the transferrin family of iron binding proteins. It is found in human breast milk as well as most epithelial surface secretions including tears, nasogastric, saliva, and bronchial. Lactoferrin binds 2 molecules of iron with very high affinity. Lactoferrin inhibits bacterial growth by withholding iron, its N-terminal region is an antimicrobial peptide. Lactotransferrin acts synergistically with lysozyme to potentiate the activity of both proteins. The multifunctional protein lactoferrin has many physiological possible roles. It is often referred to as an innate defense protein and frequently serves as the first line of defense in protection against pathogens. It has been shown to have the ability to bind iron, it is a natural anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral, it is an antioxidant and it also has immunomodulatory properties. It has many beneficial properties, which make it a good candidate for a number of product applications. Considerable research is currently going on to explain the various suggested biological functions of lactoferrin.

Paraoxonase-1 or PON1 is part of the paraoxonase group of proteins. PON1 is an enzyme, responsible to the toxic metabolites of a different of organophosphorus insecticides hydrolyzation. Furthermore, PON1 is a dominant anti-atherosclerotic part of HDL. The enzyme needs PPAR-gamma for activation, leading to synthesis and release of paraoxonase 1 from the liver tissue, resulting in atherosclerosis reduction. PON1 has many qualities for atheroprotective through inflammatory lipid peroxides metabolism. This enzyme can hydrolyze a large number of substrates, for example cyclic carbonates, lactones, nerve gases etc.

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.

Plasma fibronectin level is elevated in severe coronary artery disease. Increased plasma fibronectin levels are related with venous thromboembolism (VTE) particularly in males, and extend the probable association between biomarkers and risk factors for arterial atherothrombosis and VTE. Fibronectin plays a role in several cellular processes, including tissue repair, embryogenesis, blood clotting, and cell migration/adhesion. Fibronectin consists in two main forms: 1) as an insoluble glycoprotein dimer that serves as a linker in the extracellular matrix and 2) as a soluble disulphide linked dimer found in the plasma. The plasma form is produced by hepatocytes, and the ECM form is synthesized by fibroblasts, chondrocytes, endothelial cells, macrophages, as well as certain epithelial cells. Fibronectin also takes part as a general cell adhesion molecule by anchoring cells to collagen or proteoglycan substrates. Fibronectin organizes cellular interaction with the ECM by binding to different components of the extracellular matrix and to membrane-bound Fibronectin receptors on cell surfaces.

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL7) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family. It is a protein that is released in large amounts from platelets following their activation. It stimulates various processes including mitogenesis, synthesis of extracellular matrix, glucose metabolism and synthesis of plasminogen activator.

DLX3 belongs to the Distal-less (Dlx) family of genes which includes at least 6 different members. DLX3 plays a regulatory role in the development of the ventral forebrain and also in craniofacial patterning and morphogenesis. Mutation in DLX3 is correlated with Trichodentoosseous syndrome which is an autosomal dominant condition. DLX3 is located in a tail-to-tail configuration with another member of the gene family on the long arm of chromosome 17.

F-Box Protein 6, also known as FBXO6, is a part of the F-box protein family which is characterized by a roughly forty amino acid motif, the F-box. The F-box proteins are one of the 4 subunits of the ubiquitin protein ligase complex called SCFs (SKP1-cullin-F-box) that operates in phosphorylation-dependent ubiquitination. The F-box proteins are divided into three categories: Fbws containing WD-40 domains, Fbls containing leucine-rich repeats, and Fbxs containing different protein-protein interaction modules or no recognizable motifs. FBXO6 is a part of the Fbxs category, and its C-terminal area is very similar to that of rat NFB42 (neural F Box 42 kDa) which is involved in the control of the cell cycle.

CBX3 takes part in transcriptional silencing in heterochromatin-like complexes. CBX3 identifies and binds histone H3 tails methylated at 'Lys-9', thereby create an epigenetic repression. Additionally, CBX3 takes part in the formation of functional kinetochore by interacting with MIS12 complex proteins.

Inhibitor of Growth Family Member 1, also known as ING1 is a tumor suppressor protein which is able to induce cell growth arrest and apoptosis. ING1 is a nuclear protein which physically act together with the tumor suppressor protein TP53 and is a component of the p53 signaling pathway. In addition, Reduced expression and rearrangement of ING1 have been identified in various cancers. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding distinct isoforms have been described for ING1.

Furin is a member of the peptidase S8 family. Furin signifies the ubiquitous endoprotease activity within constitutive secretory pathwaysas well as capable of cleavage at the RX (K/R) R consensus motif.Furin is considered to be one of the proteases responsible for the activation of HIV envelope glycoproteins gp160 as well as gp140 and might take part in tumor progression. Among the diseases associated with FURIN are dementia, familial british and plague.

Lipocalin-1 (LCN1) belongs to the lipocalin family of small secretory proteins. Lipocalins are extracellular transport proteins, which bind to various hydrophobic ligands. LCN1 protein is the principal lipid binding protein in tears and is overproduced in response to numerous stimuli including infection and stress. LCN1 is a marker for chromosome aneuploidy as well as an autoantigen in Sjogren's syndrome.

Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR/NTR), an enzyme belonging to the flavoprotein family of pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductases. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a component of the thioredoxin system, including thioredoxin (Trx) and NADPH, catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADPH to Trx, acts as a reductant of disulfide-containing proteins and participates in the defense system against oxidative stresses.

Resistin, a product of the RSTN gene, is a peptide hormone belonging to the class of cysteine-rich secreted proteins which is termed the RELM family, and is also described as ADSF (Adipose Tissue- Specific Secretory Factor) and FIZZ3 (Found in Inflammatory Zone). Human resistin contains 108 amino acids as a prepeptide, and its hydrofobic signal peptide is cleaved before its secretion. Resistin circulates in human blood as a dimeric protein consisting of two 92 amino acid polypeptides, which are disulfide-linked via Cys26.
Resistin may be an important link between obesity and insulin resistance. Mouse resistin, specifically produced and secreted by adipocyte, acts on skeletal muscle myocytes, hepatocytes and adipocytes themselves so that it reduces their sensitivity to insulin. Steppan et al. have suggested that resistin suppresses the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake. They have also suggested that resistin is present at elevated levels in blood of obese mice, and is down regulated by fasting and antidiabetic drugs. Way et al., on the other hand, have found that resistin expression is severly suppressed in obesity and is stimulated by several antidiabetic drugs.
Other studies have shown that mouse resistin increases during the differentiation of adipocytes, but it also seems to inhibit adipogenesis. In contrast, the human adipogenic differentiation is likely to be associated with a down regulation of resistin gene expression.

The adipose tissue exclusively expresses and secretes Adiponectin (Acrp30). Acrp30 is involved in various physiological processes such as energy homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, hormonal processes, fatty acid metabolism and obesity.
Adiponectin circulates in the plasma. Decreased levels of Adiponectin are associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, as seen in people with obesity insulin resistance, and diabetes type 2, whose plasma levels of adiponectin are reduced.
The modular structure of Acrp30 is comprised of N-terminal collagenous domain followed by a C-terminal globular domain.
Acrp30 also acts as a significant negative regulator in hematopoiesis and immune systems; it may be involved in ending inflammatory responses through its inhibitory functions. Adiponectin inhibits endothelial NF-kappa-b signaling through a cAMP-dependent pathway, it also inhibits TNF-alpha- induced expression of endothelial adhesion molecules.

Alpha 1 ACT is an early-stage acute-phase plasma protein and a serpin that preferentially inactivates chymotrypsin, cathepsin G, and chymase. Alpha-1- ACT, a serine protease inhibitor, is tightly associated with amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and in normal aged human and monkey brain.
Regulation of the serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors plays an important role in neuromuscular differentiation. Prostate specific antigen (PSA), a chymotrypsin-like serine protease, is predominantly complexed to Alpha-1-ACT.

ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 are angiopoietin-like proteins secreted and expressed mainly by the liver, their role being the regulation of triglyceride metabolism by inhibiting the lipolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins. During different nutritional states (feeding/fasting) the levels of the circulating triglycerides are regulated by Angptl3 and Angptl4 through differential inhibition of Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) as shown by the experimental data. The molecular structure of ANGPTL3 is similar to that of the angiopoietins (vascular endothelial growth factors). Deletion mutants of human Angiopoietin 5 were used in order to demonstrate that the N-terminal domain (fragment 17-207) and not the C-terminal fibrinogen-like domain (fragment 207-460) increased the plasma triglyceride levels in mice.

Cathepsin D is synthesized as a 54kDa precursor, which is proteolytically processed to an intermediate 48kDa single chain, which matures into more stable 34kDa and 14kDa two chain form. It is an estrogen-regulated lysosomal protease that has been suggested to facilitate cancer cell migration and invasion by digesting the basement membrane, extracellular matrix, and xonnective tissue. Because of its mitogenic and proteolytic activities, it has been implicated as a prognostic marker in many tumor types. Cathepsin D is expressed in epithelial cells as well as in macrophages.

AMRC10 is a protein which contains an armadillo repeat and transmembrane domain. Upregulation of the AMRC10 gene has a role in hepatocellular carcinoma. AMRC10 decreases the transcriptional activity of the tumor suppressor protein p53 through direct interaction with the DNA-binding domain of p53, moreover it might play a role in cell growth and survival.

Midkine (MK) is the product of a retinoic acid responsive gene, MK, and is a member of a family of heparin binding factors. It contains 121 amino acid residues including 10 conserved cysteine residues, all of which appear to be disulphide linked.
Midkine is expressed during embryogenesis, showing an expression pattern that suggests functions in neurogenesis, cell migration, secondary organogenetic induction, and mesoderm-epithelial interaction.
The widespread downregulation of MK in the adult human is reverted in a number of cancers, in which polypeptides are able to act as both transforming growth factors and promoters of angiogenesis.
Midkine (MK), induces chemotaxis of human neutrophils and was found to trigger mobilization of intracellular calcium of these cells.
Midkine induces histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells with a rapid response in a dose dependent manner.
Midkine is also a potent stimulator of collagen and glycosaminoglycan synthesis.