Search results

TAGLN3 holds a putative Actin-binding domain, two potential phosphorylation sites, two EF-hand motifs and a calponin-homology (CH) domain. TAGLN3 is homologic to transgelin and calponin, two cytoskeleton-interacting proteins. TAGLN3 is a member of the calponin family, and is co-localized with Actin and tubulin, which indicates that TAGLN3 has a part in neuronal plasticity or as a signaling protein. As a result of a wide-ranging expression pattern, TAGLN3 is able to take different roles in the developing and adult brain.

Fc fragment of IgE, high affinity I, receptor for; alpha polypeptide (FCER1A) binds to the Fc region of immunoglobulins epsilon. FCER1A is a high affinity receptor. In addition FCER1A is responsible for starting the allergic response. Binding of allergen to receptor-bound IgE leads to cell activation and the release of mediators such as histamine which is responsible for the manifestations of allergy. This receptor is contains of an alpha subunit, a beta subunit, and two gamma subunits. FCER1A stands for the alpha subunit. Among the diseases associated with FCER1A are mast-cell leukemia, and allergic asthma.

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.

TCEA1 is a member of the TFS-II family. TCEA1 binds to Pol II and operates to cleave the emerging transcript, thus unlocking the complex and permitting transcription to continue. TCEA1 is localized to the nucleus and holds three independently-folding domains that are essential for accurate binding to Pol II. The arresting sites in are able to trap a certain segment of elongating RNA polymerases that goes through, causing in a locked ternary complex. Cleavage of the emerging transcript by S-II enables the renewal of elongation from the new 3'-terminus.

TIE-1 (tyrosine kinase with Ig and EGF homology domains 1) and TIE-2/Tek comprise a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) subfamily with unique structural characteristics: two immunoglobulin-like domains flanking three epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and followed by three fibronectin type III-like repeats in the extracellular region and a split tyrosine kinase domain in the cytoplasmic region. These receptors are expressed primarily on endothelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells and play critical roles in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis. Human TIE-1 cDNA encodes a 1122 amino acid (aa) residue precursor protein with an 18 residue putative signal peptide, a 726 residue extracellular domain and a 353 residue cytoplasmic domain. Two ligands, angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), which bind TIE-2 with high-affinity have been identified. Ang2 has been reported to act as an antagonist for Ang1. Mice engineered to overexpress Ang2 or to lack Ang1 or Tie-1 display similar angiogenic defects.

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.

Glucagon is an important hormone involved in carbohydrate metabolism. The hormone is synthesized and secreted from alpha cells (a-cells) of the islets of Langerhans, which are located in the endocrine portion of the pancreas. Glucagon is released when the glucose level in the blood is low (hypoglycemia), causing the liver to convert stored glycogen into glucose and release it into the bloodstream. The action of glucagon is thus opposite to that of insulin, which instructs the body's cells to take in glucose from the blood in times of satiation.
Glucagon is beneficial for the culture of some cell types. It has been used in some biochemical regulation studies of glycogenolysis in hepatocytes. It has been also been found to induce DNA replication in primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes when used in combinations with EGF and Insulin. Glucagon increases the blood glucose concentration by promoting rapid breakdown of liver glycogen, and also acts to relax smooth muscle such as the gastrointestinal tract.

Synaptobrevin 1(Vehicle-associated membrane, VAMP1) is one of the key proteins in the SNARE complex which is involved in regulated exocytosis. Synaptobrevin1 binds to t-SNAREs, syntaxin (STX) and SNAP25, after the fusion of synaptic vesicles to plasma membrane.

Synaptobrevin 2 which is an 18 kDa integral membrane protein localized to the cytoplasmic surface of synaptic vesicle, consists of a proline-rich N-terminal region, a highly conserved hydrophilic domain, followed by a transmembrane anchor and a C-terminal. Synaptobrevin 2 is predominantly expressed in Langerhans islets and glomerular cells. The N-terminal domain of the protein (residues 1-89) forms a specific SNARE complex with the target membrane-associated t- or Q-SNAREs syntaxin 1 and SNAP-25.

VAMP3 is present in recycling endosomes and endosome-derived vesicles. VAMP3 has been implicated in recycling of transferrin receptors to the plasma membrane, secretion of alpha-granules in platelets, recycling of T-cell receptors to the immunological synapses, and membrane trafficking during cell migration. VAMP-3 is present in human platelets and necessary for granule secretion. Synaptobrevins are the main components of a protein complex involved in the docking and/or fusion of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. VAMP3 high homology to other VAMPs in its broad tissue distribution and subcellular localization is shown to be the human equivalent of the rodent cellubrevin. In platelets the protein resides on a compartment that is not mobilized to the plasma membrane on calcium or thrombin stimulation.

WARS is part of the class I tRNA synthetase family. 2 types of tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase exist, a cytoplasmic form, called WARS, and a mitochondrial form, called WARS2. WARS catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA(trp) with tryptophan and is induced by INF. WARS controls ERK, Akt, and eNOS activation pathways that are related with angiogenesis, cytoskeletal reorganization and shear stress-responsive gene expression.

Hemoglobin subunit gamma-2 (HBG2), is a member of the globin family. HBG2 belongs to the fetal hemoglobin subunit, which comprised of two alpha chains organized with 2 gamma chains. HBG2 Amplified fetal hemoglobin production in adults and improve the clinical severity of sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia major.

Pancreatitis-associated protein (PAP) is a secretory protein not normally expressed in healthy pancreas but highly induced during acute pancreatitis. While PAP has been shown to be anti-bacterial and antiapoptotic in vitro, its definitive biological function in vivo is not clear. Using antisepse oligonucleotides, inhibition of PAP expression significantly worsened pancreatitis in a rat model. During pancreatitis, PAP released by the pancreas could mediate lung inflammation through induction of hepatic TNF- alpha expression and subsequent increase in circulating TNF-alpha.
PAP is activated in primary liver cancers. In normal liver, the protein is undetectable in normal mature hepatocytes and found only in some ductular cells, representing potential hepatic progenitor cells. PAP can be considered hepatic cytokine that combines mitogenic and anti-apoptotic functions regarding hepatocytes, and consequently acts as a growth factor in vivo to enhance liver regeneration. In pancreatic cancor, PAP was overexpressed in 79% (30 of 38) of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, 19% (7 of 36) of chronic pancreatitis, and 29% (2 of 7) of mucinous cystadenoma. PAP was found in malignant ductular structures in pancreatic carcinomas as well as in benign proliferating ductules and acinar cells in chronic pancreatitis. Elevation of PAP in patients with pancreatic cancer is not merely explainable by concomitant pancreatitis, but seems to be due to increased PAP production by the cancer cells and is also correlated to tumour load as expressed by the UICC stages.
Epithelial expression of PAP was induced under intestinal mucosal inflammation initiated by exposure to commensal bacteria or DSS as well as inflamed IBD colon. Increased serum level of PAP diagnosed ileal location in active Crohn disease with a sensitivity of 60%, a specificity of 94%, a positive predictive value of 84% and a negative predictive value of 81%. Elevated serum PAP (> 50 ng/mL) is significantly associated with disease activity and ileal location of Crohn disease.

REG protein was shown to be stimulated during the regeneration of pancreatic islets. Since then, many Reg-related proteins have been identified in humans and other animals. In human, the four REG family genes, i.e., REG 1 alpha, REG 1 beta, REG-related sequence (RS) and HIP/PAP, have so far been isolated. These Reg-related proteins are classified into four subfamilies according to their amino-acid sequences, but they share a similar structure and physiological function. Reg protein is a growth factor for pancreatic beta cells and also suggests that the administration of Reg protein could be used as another therapeutic approach for diabetes mellitus. Human REG cDNA which encodes a 166-amino acid protein with a 22-amino acid signal peptide. The amino acid sequence of human REG protein has 68% homology to that of rat Reg protein.
Reg I was found to be expressed mainly in pancreatic beta and acinoductular cells as well as gastric fundic enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells. Reg I production in ECL cells is stimulated by gastrin, as well as by the proinflammatory cytokine, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant (CINC)-2Beta. In patients with chronic hypergastrinemia, Reg production is stimulated, with the increased proliferation of gastric mucosal cells. Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection also showed increased Reg production in the gastric mucosa, partly via increased plasma gastrin concentration and partly via increased proinflammatory cytokine production. The serum concentration of the reg-protein was significantly higher in patients with various pancreatic diseases than in normal controls, and was also significantly higher in patients with acute pancreatitis or chronic relapsing pancreatitis than in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Furthermore, the serum PSP/reg-protein concentration was also significantly increased in liver cirrhosis, choledocholithiasis, and various cancers of the digestive system.

Cystatins are a superfamily of cysteine proteinase inhibitors found in both plants and animals. They comprise a group of proteinase inhibitors, widely distributed in tissues and body fluids, and form tight complexes with cysteine proteases such as cathepsin B, H, L and S. Cystatin C, a secreted molecule of this family, is of interest from biochemical, medicine and evolutionary points of view. Cystatin C is increased in patients with malignant diseases, and is related to the insufficiency of renal function and appears to be a better marker than creatinine. On the other hand, low levels of cystatin C involve cause the breakdown of the elastic laminae and subsequently, the atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Terlipressin is similar to a naturally occurring hormone present in the body, known as antidiuretic hormone (ADH) or vasopressin. ADH has two main effects in the body. Firstly, it causes narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction), thereby limiting blood flow to a particular area of the body. It also acts on receptors in the kidney to retain water in the body, which helps to prevent excessive loss of water in the urine. Terlipressin is commonly used to stop bleeding of varices in the food pipe (oesophagus). Varices are fragile distended veins that can occur in various parts of the body such as the oesophagus. This is caused by an increase in blood pressure in certain diseases such as severe liver disease. These fragile varices can rupture and lead to life threatening bleeding. Terlipressin is therefore given to narrow blood vessels, and so restricting blood flow to the varices and stopping the bleeding.

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.

Signaling threshold-regulating transmembrane adapter 1 (SIT1) negatively regulates T-cell antigen receptor (TCR)-mediated signaling in T-cells. SIT1 is involved in positive selection of T-cells. SIT1 is specifically expressed in T- and B-cells. SIT1 is also present in plasma cells but not in germinal center B-cells (at protein level). SIT1 is expressed in T- and B-cell lymphoma.

SORBS3 is an SH3 domain-containing adaptor protein. The existence of SH3 domains in the SORBS3 protein have a role in its capability to attach to other cytoplasmic molecules and contribute to cystoskeletal organization, cell adhesion and migration, signaling, and gene expression. Various transcript variants encoding different isoforms are known for this gene.

CD36 is an integral membrane protein found in a variety cell types of mammals, it is part of the class B scavenger receptor family. In humans it is encoded by the CD36 gene. The protein binds to ligands such as native lipoproteins, collagen, long-chain fatty acids, thrombospondin etc. CD36 plays a crucial role in transporting fatty acids into the cell.

Troponin I, fast skeletal muscle (TNNI2), belongs to the troponin I gene family, and a part of the troponin complex including troponin T, troponin C and troponin I subunits. The troponin complex, along with tropomyosin, is responsible for the calcium-dependent regulation of striated muscle contraction. TNNI2 is also suppresses tumor growth in human ovarian carcinoma. Mutations in TNNI2 cause myopathy and distal arthrogryposis type 2B.

Trafficking protein particle complex 4 (TRAPPC4) is part of the multisubunit TRAPP (transport protein particle) complex and interacts with SDC2. TRAPPC4 has a role in vesicular transport from endoplasmic reticulum to Golgi.

Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Receptor Type C, also known as PTPRC, which is a vital regulator of T- and B-cell antigen receptor signaling, is also a part of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family. PTPs are signaling molecules which regulate a variety of cellular processes including differentiation, cell growth, mitosis, and oncogenic transformation. PTPRC contains an extracellular domain, a single transmembrane segment and 2 tandem intracytoplasmic catalytic domains, and therefore is classified as a receptor type PTP.