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Activins are homodimers or heterodimers of the different β subunit isoforms, part of the TGFβ family. Mature Activin A has two 116 amino acids residues βA subunits (βA-βA). Activin displays an extensive variety of biological activities, including mesoderm induction, neural cell differentiation, bone remodelling, haematopoiesis, and reproductive physiology. Activins takes part in the production and regulation of hormones such as FSH, LH, GnRH and ACTH. Cells that are identified to express Activin A include fibroblasts, endothelial cells, hepatocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, macrophages, keratinocytes, osteoclasts, bone marrow monocytes, prostatic epithelium, neurons, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, Leydig cells, Sertoli cells, and ovarian granulosa cells.

Bcl-2-like protein 11 (BCL2L11) is a member of the Bcl-2 family and contains a Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3). BCL2L11 expression can be stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF), in addition to the forkhead transcription factor (FKHR-L1) which proposes a role of the BCL2L11 gene in neuronal and lymphocyte apoptosis. BCL2L11 interacts with other members of the BCL-2 protein family, including BCL2, BCL2L1/BCL-X(L), and MCL1, and acts as an apoptotic activator. BimEL, BimL and BimS are the main isoforms which are ubiquitously expressed with a tissue-specific variation. The Isoform Bim-gamma, on the other hand, is most abundantly expressed in the small intestine and colon, and in lower levels in spleen, prostate, testis, heart, liver and kidney.

IL20 is a cytokine structurally related to interleukin 10 (IL10). IL20 cytokine has been shown to transduce its signal through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in keratinocytes. A specific receptor for this cytokine is found to be expressed in skin and upregulated dramatically in psoriatic skin, suggesting a role for this protein in epidermal function and psoriasis.

The protein encoded by LAMP2 belongs to a family of membrane glycoproteins. This glycoprotein provides selectins with carbohydrate ligands LAMP2 takes part in tumor cell metastasis and in addition has a role in the protection, maintenance, and adhesion of the lysosome. The effect of alternative splicing of this gene is multiple transcript variants encoding distinct proteins.

TSLP protein is a hemopoietic cytokine which signals throughout a heterodimeric receptor complex composed of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor & the Interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain. TSLP impacts myeloid cells thus induces the discharge of T cell-attracting chemokines from monocytes & increases the growth of CD11c(+) dendritic cells. TSLP is mainly expressed in the heart, liver and prostate. TSLP is related in its biological activities with IL-7 and binds with the heterodimeric receptor complex consisting of the Interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain & the TSLPR. Similar to IL-7, TSLP enhances phosphorylation of STAT3 and STAT5, though uses kinases excluding JAKs for its activation. TSLP induces the release of T cell-attracting chemokines such asTARC & MDC from monocytes & triggers CD11c(+) dendritic cells. TSLP activated dendritic cells primes naive T cells to manufacture pro-allergic cytokines such as Iinterleukin-4, Interleukin-5, Interleukin-13 and TNF-alpha whereas down-regulating Interleukin-10 and IFN-gamma play a role in the initiation of allergic inflammation.

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.

SARS Coronavirus is an enveloped virus containing three outer structural proteins, namely the membrane (M), envelope (E), and spike (S) proteins. Spike (S)-glycoprotein of the virus interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into susceptible target cells. Accordingly, S-protein plays an important role in virus infection cycle and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies.It has recently been shown that SARS is caused by a human coronavirus. Human coronaviruses are the major cause of upper respiratory tract illness in humans, such as the common cold. Coronaviruses are positive-stranded RNA viruses, featuring the largest viral RNA genomes known to date (27-31 kb). The first step in coronavirus infection is binding of the viral spike protein, a 139-kDa protein, to certain receptors on host cells. The spike protein is the main surface antigen of the coronavirus. The most prominent protein in the culture supernatants infected with SARS virus is a 46 kDa nucleocapsid protein. This suggests that the nucleocapsid protein is a major immunogen that may be useful for early diagnostics.

The Defensin family are highly similar in their protein sequence and are microbicidal & cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Beta Defensin-1 is an antimicrobial peptide having the resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbial colonization. Beta Defensin-1 has close proximity to Defensin Alpha-1 and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis.
Skin of patients having atopic dermatitis patients and mycosis fungoides (non-lesional and lesional) show lower human Beta Defensin-1 mRNA expression and higher human Beta Defensin-2 and human Beta Defensin-3 mRNA expression.
Beta Defensin is highly expressed by epithelial cells.
Beta-defensin 1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis.

Enteropeptidase or enterokinase is an enzymeinvolved in human digestion. It is produced by cells in the duodenum wall, and is secreted from duodenum's glands, the crypts of Lieberk?hn, whenever ingested food enters the duodenum from the stomach. Enteropeptidase has the critical job of turning trypsinogen(a zymogen) to trypsin, indirectly activating a number of pancreaticdigestive enzymes.
Enteropeptidase is a serine proteaseenzyme(EC3.4.21.9). Enteropeptidase is a part of the Chymotrypsin-clan of serine proteases, and is structurally similar to these proteins.

Borrelia belongs to a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. Borrelia causes borreliosis, which is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted mainly by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. Of the 36 known species of Borrelia, 12 are distinguished to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The main Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. The Borrelia genus members have a linear chromosome which is about 900 kbp in length as well as an excess of both linear and circular plasmids in the 5-220 kbp size range. The plasmids are atypical, as compared to most bacterial plasmids, since they contain many paralogous sequences, a large number of pseudogenes and, in some cases, essential genes. Moreover, a number of the plasmids have features suggesting that they are prophages.

CTACK is a chemotactic factor that attracts skin-associated memory T-lymphocytes. CTACK is involved in mediating homing of lymphocytes to cutaneous sites. CTACK Binds to CCR10.

Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins (MIP) belong to the family of chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. In humans, there are two major forms, MIP-1a and MIP-1b that are now officially named CCL3 and CCL4 respectively. Both are major factors produced by macrophages after they are stimulated with bacterial endotoxins. They activate human granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) which can lead to acute neutrophilic inflammation. They also induce the synthesis and release of other pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6 and TNF-a from fibroblasts and macrophages. The genes for CCL3 and CCL4 are both located on human chromosome 17.

PPIases catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides and accelerate the folding of proteins. Cyclophilin-A is a cyclosporin binding-protein and may play a role in cyclosporin A-mediated immunosuppression. Cyclophilin-A can also interact with several HIV proteins, including p55 gag, Vpr, and capsid protein, and has been shown to be necessary for the formation of infectious HIV virions. Multiple pseudogenes that map to different chromosomes have been reported.

Eotaxin-3 (CCL26) is a small cytokine that belongs to the CC chemokine family also known as TARC (thymus and activation regulated chemokine). CCL26 is major eotaxin produced and released by alveolar epithelial cells which is involved in autoregulation of CCR3 receptors and other eotaxins. Eotaxin-3 is involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatory processes. Eotaxin-3 specifically binds and stimulates chemotaxis in T cells and elicits its effects by interacting with the chemokine receptor CCR4. CCL26 exhibits chemotactic activity for normal peripheral blood eosinophils and basophils. Eotaxin-3 may play a part in the eosinophil accumulation in atopic diseases. Eotaxin-3 is overexpressed in eosinophilic esophagitis, and the expression level correlates with disease severity. Eotaxin-3 is expressed constitutively in thymus, but only briefly in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. CCL26 is one of two Cys-Cys (CC) cytokine genes clustered on the q arm of chromosome 7.

CCL3L1 is a small cytokine that belongs to the CC chemokines. The CCL3L1 gene is one of several cytokine genes clustered on the q-arm of chromosome 17. CCL3L1 is involved in immunoregulatory and inflammatory processes. CCL3L1 binds to several chemokine receptors including CCBP2 and CCR5. CCR5 is a co-receptor for HIV, and binding of the CCL3L1 protein to CCR5 inhibits HIV entry.

Fractalkine soluble form is chemotactic for t-cells and monocytes, but not for neutrophils. Fractalkine membrane-bound form promotes adhesion of those leukocytes to endothelial cells. Fractalkine regulates leukocyte adhesion and migration processes at the endothelium and binds to CX3CR1. Natural Human Fractalkine is produced as a long protein (373-amino acid) with an extended mucin-like stalk and a chemokine domain on top. The mucin-like stalk permits it to bind to the cell surface. Fractalkine gene is located on human chromosome 16 along with some CC chemokines known as CCL17 and CCL22.

CD226 belongs to the Ig-superfamily containing 2 Ig-like domains of the V-set. CD226 is a 65kDa glycoprotein expressed on the surface NK cells, platelets, monocytes and a subset of T cells. CD226 facilitates cellular adhesion of platelets and megakaryocytic cells to vascular endothelial cells. CD226 also plays a role in megakaryocytic cell maturation.

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), are a family of cell surface glycoproteins found on Natural Killer (NK) Cells, which are important cells of the immune system. They control the killing function of these cells by interacting with MHC class I molecules, which are expressed on all cell types. This interaction allows them to identify virally infected cells or tumor cells that have a distinctive low level of Class I MHC on their surface. The majority of KIRs are inhibitory, which means that their recognition of MHC suppresses the cytotoxic activity of their NK cell. Only a limited number of KIRs have the capacity to activate cells.
The KIR genes are found in a cluster on chromosome 19q13.4 within the 1 Mb leukocyte receptor complex (LRC). KIR molecules are extremely polymorphic, meaning their gene sequences differ significantly between individuals, so that different individuals have different arrays/repertoires of KIR genes.
The KIR proteins are categorized by the number of extracellular immunoglobulin domains (2D or 3D) and by whether they have a long (L) or short (S) cytoplasmic domain. KIR proteins with the long cytoplasmic domain transduce inhibitory signals upon ligand binding via an immune tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM). Whereas KIR proteins with the short cytoplasmic domain lack the ITIM motif and instead associate with the TYRO protein tyrosine kinase binding protein to transduce activating signals.
KIR2DL1 is an inhibitory Killer Cell Ig-like Receptor (KIR, previously called p58 KIR, p58.1, cl-42, NKAT1, or KIR-K6), which recognizes class I MHC molecules (HLA-Cw2, -Cw4, -Cw5, and Cw6). The extracellular domain of KIR2DL1 was over expressed as insoluble protein aggregates (inclusion bodies).

Leukocyte Cell Derived Chemotaxin 1, also known as LECT1, is a glycosylated transmembrane protein which is cleaved to form a mature, secreted protein. The mature protein encourages chondrocyte growth and inhibits angiogenesis. The mature protein takes part in endochondral bone development by permitting cartilaginous anlagen to be vascularized and replaced by bone. LECT1 is expressed in the avascular area of prehypertrophic cartilage and its expression reduces during vascular invasion and chondrocyte hypertrophy.

Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 3 (CXCL3) is a small cytokine belonging to the CXC chemokine family that is also known as GRO3 oncogene (GRO3), GRO protein gamma (GROg) and macrophage inflammatory protein-2-beta (MIP2b). CXCL3 controls migration and adhesion of monocytes and mediates it effects on its target cell by interacting with a cell surface chemokine receptor called CXCR2. The gene for CXCL3 is located on chromosome 4 in a cluster of other CXC chemokines.

Clathrin light chain B (CLTB) is a member of the clathrin light chain family. Clathrin is a protein that has a key role in the formation of coated vesicles. CLTB functions as the key structural component of the lattice-type cytoplasmic face of coated pits and vesicles which capture certain macromolecules during receptor-mediated endocytosis. CLTB forms a triskelion form comprised of 3 clathrin heavy chains and 3 light chains. When the triskelia interact they form a polyhedral pattern which encircles the vesicle. CME (Clathrin-mediated endocytosis) controls numerous cellular physiological processes such as the internalization of growth factors and receptors, entry of pathogens, and synaptic transmission.

MAP1LC3B is a member of the MAP1 LC3 family. MAP1LC3B is a subunit of neuronal microtubule-associated MAP1A and MAP1B proteins, that are involved in microtubule assembly and important for neurogenesis. In addition, MAP1LC3B takes part in formation of autophagosomal vacuoles and is expressed mainly in heart, testis, brain and skeletal muscle.

VCPKMT is a member of the methyltransferase superfamily. VCPKMT is a protein-lysine N-methyltransferase which specifically trimethylates 'Lys-315' of VCP/p97; this alteration reduces VCP ATPase activity.