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Fructosamine 3 Kinase (FN3K) catalyzes the phosphorylation of fructosamines which may result in deglycation, the non-enzymatic reaction of glucose with primary amines followed by Amadori re-arrangement. Phosphorylation of fructosamines instigates metabolism of the modified amine and brings about the de-glycation of fructoselysine and of glycated proteins. A high concentration of glucose may affect non-enzymatic oxidation of proteins by reaction of glucose and lysine residues (glycation). Fructosamines, the proteins altered in this way, are less active or functional.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative bacillus-shaped bacterium, which is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Y.Enterocolitica is motile at temperatures between 22-29°C, however becomes non-motile at normal human body temperature. Y. Enterocolitica infection causes the yersiniosis disease, which is an animal-borne disease occurring in humans, as well as in a various groups of animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, and birds. Yersinia enterocolitica is a heterogeneous group of strains, which are conventionally classified by bio-typing into six bio-groups on the basis of phenotypic characteristics, and by serotyping into more than 57 “O” serogroups, on the basis of their O (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) surface antigen. Five of the six biogroups (1B and 2–5) are considered as pathogens. Nevertheless, only a few of these serogroups have been linked with disease in either humans or animals. Strains which belong to serogroups O:3 (biogroup 4), O:5,27 (biogroups 2 and 3), O:8 (biogroup 1B), and O:9 (biogroup 2) are most frequently isolated worldwide from human samples. Still, the main Y. enterocolitica serogroup in many European countries is serogroup O:3 followed by O:9, whereas the serogroup O:8 is mostly detected in the United States.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor also called LIF is a lymphoid factor that promotes long-term maintenance of embryonic stem cells by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. Leukemia Inhibitory Factor has several functions such as cholinergic neuron differentiation, control of stem cell pluripotency, bone & fat metabolism, mitogenesis of factor dependent cell lines & promotion of megakaryocyte production in vivo. Human and mouse LIF exhibit a 78% identity in its amino acid sequence.

Myeloid-derived growth factor (Mydgf) is a paracrine-acting protein and a bone marrow-derived monocyte which stimulates cardiac myocyte survival and adaptive angiogenesis for cardiac protection and repair after myocardial infarction. Mydgf induces endothelial cell proliferation through a MAPK1/3-, STAT3- and CCND1-mediated signaling lane. When comparing wild-type mice to mice with a Mydgf-deficiency, the later develop larger infarct scars and more acute contractile dysfunction.

Syntaxin-binding protein 6 (STXBP6) binds components of the SNARE complex and takes part in regulating SNARE complex configuration. STXBP6 forms non-fusogenic complexes with SNAP25 and STX1A and modulates the formation of SNARE complexes and exocytosis.

Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) is a proteoglycan secreted by endothelial cells (mostly in the human lung and kidney tissues) and its mRNA expression is regulated by inflammatory cytokines. ESM1 has potent implications in lung endothelial cell-leukocyte interactions. In addition, ESM1 expression is detected in various epithelia and in adipocytes. ESM1 is involved in angiogenesis and it also promotes angiogenic sprouting. ESM1 expression is upregulated by TNF alpha, IL1 beta, or lipopolysaccharide and downregulated by IFN gamma. Genetically engineered cells overexpressing ESM1 induce tumor formation, implying that ESM1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of tumor growth in vivo.

SERTA domain containing 2 (SERTAD2) takes part at E2F-responsive promoters to integrate signals which are given by PHD- and bromodomain-containing transcription factors. The SERTAD2 protein is taking part in modulating fat storage by down-regulating the expression of key genes which take part in thermogenesis, adipocyte lipolysis and oxidative metabolism.

Proteasome assembly chaperone 2 (PSMG2) stimulates assembly of the 20S proteasome as part of a heterodimer with PSMG1. The PSMG1-PSMG2 heterodimer binds to the PSMA5 and PSMA7 proteasome subunits and promotes compilation of the proteasome alpha subunits into the heteroheptameric alpha ring and prevents alpha ring dimerization. PSMG2 is widely expressed with highest levels in the lung, brain and colon. It is moderately expressed in the muscle, stomach, spleen and heart, and weakly expressed in the small intestine, pancreas and liver. It is also highly expressed in hepatocellular carcinomas with low levels in surrounding liver tissue.

Zinc Finger, AN1-Type Domain 5, also known as ZFAND5 is implicated in protein degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome system. ZFAND5 performs by anchoring ubiquitinated proteins to the proteasome and takes part in ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation during muscle atrophy. Furthemore, ZFAND5 plays a role in the regulation of NF-kappa-B activation as well as apoptosis. ZFAND5 inhibits NF-kappa-B activation as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-1 and TLR4-induced NF-kappa-B activation.

Protein Kinase IFN Double Stranded RNA Activator, also known as PRKRA, mediates the effects of interferon when a viral infection takes place. PRKRA activates EIF2AK2/PKR in the absence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and leads to phosphorylation of EIF2S1/EFI2-alpha and inhibition of translation and induction of apoptosis. Mutations in PRKRA are associated with dystonia.

IL-7 is a cytokine important for B and T cell development. This cytokine and the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) form a heterodimer that functions as a pre-pro-B cell growth-stimulating factor. This cytokine is found to be a cofactor for V(D)J rearrangement of the T cell receptor beta (TCRB) during early T cell development. This cytokine can be produced locally by intestinal epithelial and epithelial goblet cells, and may serve as a regulatory factor for intestinal mucosal lymphocytes. Knockout studies in mice suggested that this cytokine plays an essential role in lymphoid cell survival.

SH2 domain-containing protein 1B, also known as SH2D1B activates NK cells. SH2D1B participates in controlling signal transduction through at least 4 receptors, CD84, SLAMF1, LY9 and CD244, expressed on the surface of professional antigen-presenting cells. Two isoforms of the human SH2D1B are produced by alternative splicing. Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome is one of the diseases which is associated with SH2D1B.

Proteins of the TFF family are characterized by obtaining a minimum of 1 copy of the trefoil motif, a 40-amino acid domain that contains 3 conserved disulfides. Trefoil Factors are stable secretory proteins expressed in gastrointestinal mucosa which protect the mucosa from insults, stabilize the mucus layer and affect healing of the epithelium.TFF2 inhibits gastric acid motility & secretion. TFF2 stabilizes glycoproteins in the mucus gel through interactions with carbohydrate side chains. TFF3 induces ciliogenesis and promotes airway epithelial ciliated cell differentiation, relatively through an epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pathway. TFF3 overexpression is crucial for progression in mouse and human hepatocellular carcinogenesis. TFF-3 is normally expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma and its expression associates with tumor grade.

Glypican-3 (GPC3) belongs to the glypican family, and is highly expressed in the lung, liver, and the kidney. In some tissues, GPC3 functionss as a tumor suppressor gene and an oncofetal protein. The Glypican-3 protein is currently considered as a tumor marker and potential target for immunotherapy. Glypican-3 binds to and inhibits the dipeptidyl peptidase activity of CD26, and it can also induce apoptosis in certain cell types. Deletion mutations in the GPC3 gene are linked with Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, aka Simpson dysmorphia syndrome.

Nucleolin (NCL) which is a eukaryotic nucleolar phosphoprotein, involved in the synthesis and maturation of ribosomes. Nucleolin is the key nucleolar protein of growing eukaryotic cells. NCL is found linked with intranucleolar chromatin and pre-ribosomal particles. NCL induces chromatin decondensation by binding to histone H1. Nucleolin is assumed to have a role in pre-rRNA transcription and ribosome compilation. Nucleolin may also have a role in the process of transcriptional elongation. Nucleolin is located primarily in the dense fibrillar regions of the nucleolus. The Human NCL gene consists of 14 exons with 13 introns and spans approximately 11kb.

Ras-related protein Rab-2A (RAB2A)is a member of the small GTPase superfamily. RAB protein family members are nontransforming monomeric GTP-binding proteins of the Ras superfamily, which contain four highly conserved regions involved in GTP binding and hydrolysis. In addition, RAB proteins are a fundamental part of endocytic pathways. RAB2A and RAB2B are essential for protein transport from the ER to the Golgi; RAB2A is lipid-anchored to the ER-Golgi intermediate compartment membrane whereas RAB2B is lipid anchored to the cytoplasmic side of the cell membrane. RAB2A also interacts with GOLGA2.

ARF1 is a small guanine nucleotide-binding protein that increases the enzymatic activities of cholera toxin. ARF1 is necessary and ubiquitous in eukaryotes. ARF1 takes part in vesicular transport and functioning via phospholipase D activation. ARF1 is involved in membrane traffic and organelle integrity which are closely tied to their reversible association with membranes and distinct interactions with membrane phospholipids.

ADP-ribosylation factor-like 14 (ARL14) is a developmentally regulated member of the ADP-ribosylation factor/ARF-like protein (ARF/ARL) family of Ras-related GTPases. ARL14 is GTPase which recruits MYO1E to MHC class II-containing vesicles via the effector protein C11orf46/ARF7EP and thus controls the movement of these vesicles along the actin cytoskeleton in dendritic cells. MHC-II transport was controlled by the GTPase ARL14/ARF7, which recruits the motor myosin 1E via an effector protein ARF7EP.

SUMO1 is a protein that belongs to the SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) protein family. SUMO1 functions in a manner similar to ubiquitin in that it is bound to target proteins as part of a post-translational modification system. Still, unlike ubiquitin which targets proteins for degradation, SUMO1 is involved in a variety of cellular processes, for example nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and protein stability. SUMO1 is not active until the last four amino acids of the carboxy-terminus are cleaved off.

RELM-beta (Resistin-Like Molecule-beta) is a member of a recently identified family of secreted proteins containing a conserved cystein-rich C-terminus. The RELM family consists of resistin (also called FIZZ3), RELM-alfa (FIZZ1), RELM-beta (FIZZ2) and RELM-gamma. Only resisistin and RELM-beta were found in humans whereas all four RELM family members were identified in rodents.
RELM-beta appears to be produced as a homodimer exclusively by intestinal goblet cells and can be found in high quantities in stool. Remarkably, stool of germ-free mice displaying sterile intestinal tract does not contain RELM-beta until bacterial colonization takes place after pathogen-free mice entered natural environment. Some, but not all, colon carcinoma cell lines secrete RELM-beta into the cell culture supernatant.
The physiological function of RELM-beta is not known. High doses of recombinant RELM-beta showed hyperglycemic effects including lowered glucose disposal and increased hepatic glucose production in mice.

VCAM1 is a member of the Ig superfamily. It is a cell surface sialoglycoprotein expressed by cytokine activated endothelium. VCAM-1 contains 6 or 7 immunoglobulin domains, and is expressed on both large and small vessels only after the endothelial cells are stimulated by cytokines. The protein has a number of functions including the regulation of leukocyte migration, leukocyte endothelial cell adhesion and signal transduction and may play a role in a number of inflammatory diseases (artherosclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis).

Synaptonemal complex central element protein 3 (SYCE3) is key component of the transverse central element of synaptonemal complexes (SCS). The synaptonemal complex is a protein structure which forms between homologous chromosomes (2 pairs of sister chromatids) during meiosis and is assumed to mediate chromosome pairing, synapsis, and recombination (crossing-over). The SYCE3 protein is essential for chromosome loading of the central element-specific SCS proteins, as well as for initiating synapsis between homologous chromosomes. SYCE3 is also vital for fertility.

Interleukin-6 is a potent pro-inflammatory cytokine primarily produced by activated T cells and an assortment of other cells including endothelial cells and macrophages. IL-6 affects B and T lymphocytes and has been shown to have a role in host defense, acute phase reactions, immune responses and hematopoiesis.