Search results

BDNF promotes the survival of neuronal populations that are all located either in the central nervous system or directly connected to it. BDNF is a major regulator of synaptic transmission and plasticity at adult synapses in many regions of the cns. The versatility of BDNF is emphasized by its contribution to a range of adaptive neuronal responses including long-term potentiation (ltp), long-term depression (ltd), certain forms of short-term synaptic plasticity, as well as homeostatic regulation of intrinsic neuronal excitability.

Coagulation factor VII is a vitamin K-dependent factor which is essential for hemostasis. It circulates in the blood as a zymogen which is later converted to an active form by factor IXa, factor Xa, factor XIIa, or thrombin by minor proteolysis. Upon activation of factor VII, a heavy chain with a catalytic domain and a light chain with 2 EGF-like domains are generated, and the two chains are held together by a disulfide bond. The presence of factor III and calcium ions further activates the coagulation cascade by converting factor IX to factor IXa and/or factor X to factor Xa. Alternative splicing of factor VII results in 2 transcripts. Defects in coagulation factor VII can cause coagulopathy. Coagulation factor VII initiates the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. Minor proteolysis converts factor VII to factor VIIa by factors Xa, XIIa, IXa, or thrombin. Factor VIIa also converts factor IX to factor IXa in the presence of tissue factor and calcium.

Interleukin-3 is a pleiotropic cytokine produced primarily by activated T cells. IL-3 is thought to function via specific cell surface receptors to stimulate the proliferation, differentiation and survival of haematopoietic cell lines. IL-3 has also been shown to affect the functional activity of a variety of other cell types including mast cells, eosinophils, megakaryocytes and basophils.

Activin A Receptor Type 1 (ACVR1) is a member of TGF-beta serine/threonine kinase receptor family. ACVR1 forms a receptor complex contains2 type II and 2 type I transmembrane serine/threonine kinases. Type II receptors phosphorylate and activate type I receptors which autophosphorylate,bind and activate SMAD transcriptional regulators. ACVR1 takes part in left-right pattern formation during embryogenesis and is also essential in the BMP pathway which is responsible for the development and repair of the skeletal system.ACVR1 is linked to Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva which isknown for the formation of heterotopic bone throughout the body.

NT3 a member of the neurotrophin family, that controls survival and differentiation of mammalian neurons. This protein is closely related to both nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. It may be involved in the maintenance of the adult nervous system, and may affect development of neurons in the embryo when it is expressed in human placenta. NTF3-deficient mice generated by gene targeting display severe movement defects of the limbs. The mature peptide of this protein is identical in all mammals examined including human, pig, rat and mouse.

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.

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.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF R) subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases comprises four members: EGF R (also known as HER1, ErbB1 or ErbB), ErbB2 (Neu, HER-2), ErbB3 (HER-3), and ErbB4 (HER-4). All family members are type I transmembrane glycoprotein that has an extracellular domain which contains two cysteine-rich domains separated by a spacer region that is involved in ligand-binding, and a cytoplasmic domain which has a membrane-proximal tyrosine kinase domain and a C-terminal tail with multiple tyrosine autophosphorylation sites. The human EGF R gene encodes a 1210 amino acid (aa) residue precursor with a 24 aa putative signal peptide, a 621 aa extracellular domain, a 23 aa transmembrane domain, and a 542 aa cytoplasmic domain. EGF R has been shown to bind a subset of the EGF family ligands, including EGF, amphiregulin, TGF-a , betacellulin, epiregulin, HBEGF and neuregulin-2 in the absence of a co-receptor. Ligand binding induces EGF R homodimerization as well as heterdimerization with ErbB2, resulting in kinase activation, tyrosine phosphorylation and cell signaling. EGF R can also be recruited to form heterodimers with the ligand-activated ErbB3 or ErbB4. EGF R signaling has been shown to regulate multiple biological functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and apoptosis. In addition, EGF R signaling has also been shown to play a role in carcinogenesis.

The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

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.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 16 (NGFR) BELONGS TO the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily with an extensive pattern of expression in tissues such as the brain, liver, lung, and muscle. NGFR has a role in the regulation of the translocation of GLUT4 to the cell surface in adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells in response to insulin, possibly by regulating RAB31 activity, and thus contributes to the regulation of insulin-dependent glucose uptake. NGFRs are low affinity receptors which can bind to NGF, BDNF, NT-3, and NT-4. NGFR mediates cell survival as well as cell death of neural cells.

CD70 also known as TNFSF7 is a cytokine which binds to CD27. TNFSF7 takes part in T-cell activation as well as induces the proliferation of costimulated T-cells. Moreover, TNFSF7 enhances the generation of cytolytic T-cells. Among the diseases which are associated with TNFSF7: Include acute myocarditis & Myocarditis.

The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

GDNF promotes the survival and differentiation of neurons in culture, and is able to prevent apoptosis of motor neurons induced by axotomy. The encoded protein is processed to a mature secreted form that exists as a homodimer. The mature form of the protein is a ligand for the product of the RET (rearranged during transfection) protooncogene. In addition to the transcript encoding GDNF, two additional alternative transcripts encoding distinct proteins, referred to as astrocyte-derived trophic factors, have also been described. Mutations in this gene may be associated with Hirschsprung disease.
GDNF enhances survival and morphological differentiation of neurons and increases their high-affinity uptake.

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.

Growth-Hormone is a member of the somatotropin/prolactin family of hormones which play an important role in growth control. The gene, along with four other related genes, is located at the growth hormone locus on chromosome 17 where they are interspersed in the same transcriptional orientation; an arrangement which is thought to have evolved by a series of gene duplications. The five genes share a remarkably high degree of sequence identity. Alternative splicing generates additional isoforms of each of the five growth hormones, leading to further diversity and potential for specialization. This particular family member is expressed in the pituitary but not in placental tissue as is the case for the other four genes in the growth hormone locus. Mutations in or deletions of the gene lead to growth hormone deficiency and short stature.

A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from white adipocytes and implicated in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Leptin provides the key afferent signal from fat cells in the feedback system that controls body fat stores.

GDF-5 is a member of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) family and the TGF-beta superfamily. This group of proteins is characterized by a polybasic proteolytic processing site which is cleaved to produce a mature protein containing seven conserved cysteine residues. The members of this family are regulators of cell growth and differentiation in both embryonic and adult tissues. Mutations in this gene are associated with acromesomelic dysplasia, Hunter-Thompson type; brachydactyly, type C; and chondrodysplasia, Grebe type. These associations confirm that the gene product plays a role in skeletal development.

PSG5 belongs to the PSG family, which are a highly connected group of secreted glycoproteins, vastly expressed in fetal placental syncytiotrophoblast cells. PSGs are can be found in serum from the first 2-3 weeks of pregnancy and at higher levels as the pregnancy progresses, up to e point where they are the highest fetal protein found in maternal blood at term. PSG5’s role is inducing secretion of TH2-type cytokines from monocytes and modulating the maternal immune system throughout the pregnancy, thus defending the semi-allotypic fetus from rejection.

Oncostatin M is a member of a cytokine family that includes leukemia-inhibitory factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin 6. This gene encodes a growth regulator which inhibits the proliferation of a number of tumor cell lines. It regulates cytokine production, including IL-6, G-CSF and GM-CSF from endothelial cells.

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.

GM-CSF Receptor Alpha (CSF2RA) is the alpha subunit of the heterodimeric receptor for colony stimulating factor 2, a cytokine which controls the production, differentiation, and function of granulocytes and macrophages. CSFR2 is also a member of the cytokine family of receptors. In addition, this gene is found in the pseudoautosomal region (PAR) of the X and Y chromosomes. Multiple transcript variants encoding various isoforms have been found for this gene, while some of the isoforms being membrane-bound and others being soluble. Diseases associated with CSF2RA include surfactant metabolism dysfunction, pulmonary 4, and csf2ra-related pulmonary surfactant metabolism dysfunction.

This gene is a member of the EPO/TPO family and encodes a secreted, glycosylated cytokine composed of four alpha helical bundles. The protein is found in the plasma and regulates red cell production by promoting erythroid differentiation and initiating hemoglobin synthesis. This protein also has neuroprotective activity against a variety of potential brain injuries and antiapoptotic functions in several tissue types.