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CXADR is a component of the epithelial apical junction complex which operates as an homophilic cell adhesion molecule and is crucial for tight junction integrity. CXADR also takes part in transepithelial relocation of leukocytes through adhesive interactions with AMICA1/JAML a transmembrane protein of the plasma membrane of leukocytes. A number of transcript variants encoding different isoforms were identified for this gene. Pseudogenes of this gene were located on chromosomes 15, 18, and 21.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

Secreted Frizzled-Related Protein 5, also known as SFRP5, belongs to the SFRP family which includes a cysteine-rich domain homologous to the putative Wnt-binding site of Frizzled proteins. SFRPs perform like soluble modulators of Wnt signaling. SFRP5 & SFRP1 are implicated in determining the polarity of photoreceptor cells in the retina. SFRP5 is highly expressed in the retinal pigment epithelium, as well as moderately expressed in the pancreas.

Surfactant pulmonary-associated protein D (SFTPD) belongs to the collectin family of C-type lectins, which is synthesized in many tissues including respiratory epithelial cells in the lung, and contains one C-type lectin domain and one collagen-like domain. SFTPD has humoral molecules of the innate immune system, and is deemed a functional candidate in chronic periodontitis. Moreover, SFTPD is involved in the development of acute and chronic inflammation of the lung. A number of human lung diseases are characterized by decreased levels of bronchoalveolar SFTPD. SFTPD contributes to the lungs defense against inhaled microorganisms, organic antigens and toxins. SFTPD interacts with complexes such as bacterial lipopolysaccharides, oligosaccharides and fatty acids and modulates leukocyte action in immune response. In addition, SFTPD participates in the extracellular reorganization or turnover of pulmonary surfactant. SFTPD binds strongly maltose residues and to a lesser extent other alpha-glucosyl moieties.

a-Synuclein (amino acids 1-140), an acidic neuronal protein of 140 amino acids, is extremely heat-resistant and is natively unfolded with an extended structure primarily composed of random coils. a-synuclein has been suggested to be implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, and more recently, to be an important regulatory component of vesicular transport in neuronal cells. Moreover, recent studies have shown that a-synuclein has chaperone activity and that this activity is lost upon removing its C-terminal acidic tail (amino acids 96-140).

Ferritin is a fairly large, iron-storage heteropolymeric protein composed of 2 subunit types, light Ferritin & heavy Ferritin polypeptides, which is expressed in most kinds of cells and co-assemble in different proportion in a tissue-specific manner. Ferritin is composed of 24 self-assembled polypeptide subunits of the heavy and light ferritin chains and is characterized by the capacity to remove Fe from solution in the presence of oxygen.
Ferritin light polypeptide protein is the main intracellular iron storage protein in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Variation in ferritin subunit composition influence the rates of iron uptake and release in various tissues. A key function of ferritin is the storage of iron in a soluble and nontoxic state. Defects in this light chain ferritin gene are associated with several neurodegenerative diseases and hyper ferrit anemia-cataract syndrome.
Ferritin stores iron in a soluble, nontoxic, readily accessible form. Ferritin is needed for iron homeostasis. Iron is taken up in the ferrous form and deposited as ferric hydroxides after it has been oxidized.

The Trefoil Factor peptides (TFF1, TFF2 and TFF3) are stable secretory proteins expressed in the gastrointestinal tract (gastric mucosa), and are involved in intestinal mucosal defense and repair. TFF1 is an essential protein for normal differentiation of the antral and pyloric gastric mucosa and functions as a gastric-specific tumor suppressor gene. TFF1 is a stabilizer of the mucous gel overlying the gastrointestinal mucosa that provides a physical barrier against various noxious agents. TFF1 protects the mucosa from isults, stabilizes the mucus layer, & affects healing of the epithelium. TFF1 is commonly expressed in tumors. TFF1 is related with the cell membrane of MCF-7 cells. High levels of TFF1 and TFF2 are found in serum from inflammatory bowel disease.

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.

FIS1 is part of the mitochondrial complex that promotes mitochondrial fission. FIS1 induces cytochrome C discharge from the mitochondrion to the cytosol, eventually leading to apoptosis. FIS1 participates in peroxisomal growth and division. The C terminus is required for mitochondrial localisation, while the N teminus is necessary for mitochondrial fission.

FLT3 ligand is a receptor for the fl cytokine has a tyrosine-protein kinase activity & a growth factor that regulates proliferation of early hematopoietic cells. Flt3-Ligand synergizes with other CSFs and interleukins to induce growth and differentiation.

FSCN1 is an actin-bundling protein that is responsible for rigidity to filopodial bundles to efficiently push the membrane forward during cytoskeleton remodeling and cell migration. FSCN1 takes part in the gathering of actin filament bundles present in microspikes, membrane ruffles, and stress fibers. FSCN1 is absent from most normal epithelia though is upregulated in multiple forms of human carcinoma, where its expression associates clinically with a poor prognosis. FSCN1 expression is abundantly found in neurons, glial cells, and endothelial cells.

PTX3 is part of the pentraxin family sharing the C-terminal domain with short pentraxins and containing a unique N-terminal domain. PTX3 is produced and released at inflammatory sites by various cell types including monocytes/macrophages, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and adipocytes. PTX3 is involved in the regulation of innate resistance to pathogens, inflammatory reactions, possibly clearance of self-components and female fertility. PTX3 is used as a marker for disease activity of psoriasis. High serum PTX3 levels are associated with the disease severity of systemic sclerosis. Elevated serum PTX3 is associated with pulmonary fungal infections.

WFDC12 belongs to the WFDC (WAP-type four-disulfide core) domain family. The WAP signature motif or WFDC domain has four disulfide bonds created by eight cysteines at the core of the protein, which operates as a protease inhibitor.

SAA1 protein is an acute phase apolipoprotein reactant which is produced mostly by hepatocytes and under regulation of inflammatory cytokines. SAA1 (Serum amyloid A1) protein is produced mainly in the liver and circulates in low levels in the blood. The SAA1 seems to have a role in the immune system. SAA1 protein levels increase in the blood and other tissues under conditions of inflammation. SAA1 may facilitate the repair of injured tissues; it also acts as an antibacterial agent, and signals the migration of germ-fighting cells to sites of infection. SAA1 also functions as an apolipoprotein of the HDL complex.
Elevated levels of SAA1 ultimately affect secondary amyloidosis, extracellular amassing of amyloid fibrils, resulting from a circulating precursor, in a variety of tissues and organs. The most widespread type of amyloidosis appears secondary to chronic inflammatory disease, mainly rheumatoid arthritis. The SAA1 cleavage product a designated amyloid protein A is deposited systemically as amyloid in vital organs such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys in chronic inflammatory diseases patients. These deposits are extremely insoluble and resistant to proteolysis; they disrupt tissue structure and compromise performance.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

SF20 plays a role in proliferation of lymphoid cells and is considered an interleukin. SF20 was initially identified as a product of bone marrow-derived stromal cells.

The heat-shock response is elicited by exposure of cells to thermal and chemical stress and through the activation of HSFs (heat shock factors) results in the elevated expression of heat-shock induced genes. Heat shock factor binding protein-1 (HSBP1), is a 76-amino-acid protein that binds to heat shock factor 1(HSF1), which is a transcription factor involved in the HS response. During HS response, HSF1 undergoes conformational transition from an inert non-DNA-binding monomer to active functional trimers. HSBP1 is nuclear-localized and interacts with the active trimeric state of HSF1 to negatively regulate HSF1 DNA-binding activity. Overexpression of HSBP1 in mammalian cells represses the transactivation activity of HSF1. When overexpressed in C.elegans HSBP1 has severe effects on survival of the animals after thermal and chemical stress consistent with a role of HSBP1 as a negative regulator of heat shock response.

The type II transmembrane protein FASLG is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily. A fas ligand/receptor interaction has a significant part in the regulation of the immune system and the advancement of cancer. FASLG is expressed on the activated T cell surface as a nondisulfidelinked homotrimer. FASLG binding to Fas/CD95/TNFRSF6 on a nearby cell prompts apoptosis in the Fas expressing cell. FASLG is released from the cell surface by metalloproteinases as a soluble molecule that stays trimeric and is able to bind with Fas, but its capability to activate apoptosis is radically reduced. In addition, FASLG binds to DcR3 - a soluble trap receptor with no signal transduction capabilities. Flawed Fas-mediated apoptosis causes oncogenesis in addition to drug resistance in existing tumors. Constitutive expression of FASLG in a variety of tumors enables their immune evasion. Both mouse and human FASLG are active on mouse and human cells.

The FGFs are a family of more than 20 small (~17–26 kDa) secreted peptides. The initial characterization of these proteins focused on their ability to stimulate fibroblast proliferation. This mitogenic activity was mediated through FGF receptors (FGFRs) 1, 2, or 3. A fourth closely related tyrosine kinase receptor (FGFR4) was able to bind the FGFs but did not lead to a mitogenic response.
FGFs modulate cellular activity via at least 5 distinct subfamilies of high-affinity FGF receptors (FGFRs): FGFR-1, -2, -3, and -4, all with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity and, except for FGFR-4, multiple splice isoforms, and FGFR-5, which lacks an intracellular kinase domain. There is growing evidence that FGFRs can be important for regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis. The overexpression of a dominant negative form of FGFR-1 in cells leads to diabetes in mice, which thus implies that proper FGF signaling is required for normal ? cell function and glycemia maintenance. FGFR-2 appears to be a key molecule during pancreatic development. Moreover, FGFR-4 has been implicated in cholesterol metabolism and bile acid synthesis.
FGF-19, has been shown to cause resistance to diet-induced obesity and desensitization and to improve glucose, and lipid profiles in diabetic rodents. Since these effects, at least in part, are mediated through the observed changes in metabolic rates, FGF-19 can be considered as a regulator of energy expenditure.
FGF-21 is preferentially expressed in liver, but an exact knowledge of FGF-21 bioactivity and its mode of action have been lacking to date. FGF-21 is a potent activator of glucose uptake on adipocytes, protects animals from diet-induced obesity when overexpressed in transgenic mice, and lowers blood glucose and triglyceride levels when therapeutically administered to diabetic rodents.

FGF8 is part of the fibroblast growth factor family. FGF family members have wide mitogenic and cell survival activities, and participate in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. FGF8 supports androgen and anchorage independent growth of mammary tumor cells. FGF8 over expression increases tumor growth and angiogensis. The adult expression of FGF-8 gene is restricted to testes and ovaries. FGF8 functions as an embryonic epithelial factor. FGF8 takes part in midbrain and limb development, organogenesis, embryo gastrulation and left-right axis determination.

PLGF is a growth factor active in angiogenesis, and endothelial cell growth, stimulating their proliferation and migration. It binds to receptor vegfr-1/flt1.
PLGF-2 binds neuropilin-1 and 2 in a dependent manner.

TNFRSF14, a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is a type I transmembrane protein. TNFRSF14 is expressed in peripheral blood T cells, B cells, monocytes and in various tissues enriched in lymphoid cells. TNFRSF14 operates as a co-stimulatory factor for the activation of lymphoid cells and as a deterrent to infection by herpesvirus. Additionally, TNFRSF14 encourages the proliferation of T cells, and triggers apoptosis of various tumor cells.

GDNF Family Receptor Alpha 3 (GFRA3) belongs to the GDNF receptor family. GFRA3 creates a signaling receptor complex with RET tyrosine kinase receptor and binds the ligand, artemin (ARTN).

VEGF-C, also known as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Related Protein (VRP), is a recently discovered VEGF growth factor family member that is most closely related to VEGF-D. Human VEGF-C cDNA encodes a pre-pro-protein of 416 amino acids residues. It is almost identical to the mouse VEGF-C protein. Similar to VEGF-D, VEGF-C has a VEGF homology domain spanning the middle third of the precursor molecule and long N- and C-terminal extensions. In adults, VEGF-C is highly expressed in heart, placenta, ovary and small intestine. Recombinant human VEGF-C, lacking the N- and C-terminal extensions and containing only the middle VEGF homology domain, forms primarily non-covalently linked dimers. This protein is a ligand for both VEGFR-2/KDR and VEGFR-3/FLT-4. Since VEGFR-3 is strongly expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells, it has been postulated that VEGF-C is involved in the regulation of the growth and/or differentiation of lymphatic endothelium. Although recombinant human VEGF-C is also a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells, it is much less potent than VEGF-A.