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Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important signaling protein involved in both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. As its name implies, VEGF activity has been mostly studied on cells of the vascular endothelium, although it does have effects on a number of other cell types (e.g. stimulation monocyte/ macrophagemigration, neurons, cancer cells, kidney epithelial cells ).VEGF mediates increased vascular permeability, induces angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth, promotes cell migration, and inhibits apoptosis. In vitro, VEGF has been shown to stimulate endothelial cell mitogenesisand cell migration. VEGF is also a vasodilator and increases microvascular permeability and was originally referred to as vascular permeability factor.
Elevated levels of this protein are linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Biglycan (BGN) is a small cellular or pericellular matrix proteoglycan which takes part in assembly of collagen fibrils and muscle regeneration. BGN is closely correlated in structure to two other small proteoglycans, decorin and fibromodulin. BGN interacts with several proteins involved in muscular dystrophy, including alpha-dystroglycan, alpha- and gamma-sarcoglycan and collagen VI. BGN is also critical for the assembly of the dystrophin-associated protein complex.

Periostin is a disulfide linked 90 kDa, 811 amino acid protein originally isolated as a osteoblast-specific factor that functions as a cell adhesion molecule for preosteoblasts and is thought to be involved in osteoblast recruitment, attachment and spreading. Additionally, periostin expression has previously been shown to be significantly increased by both transforming growth factor beta-1(TGFbeta1) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP-2). OSF-2 has a typical signal sequence, followed by a cysteine-rich domain, a fourfold repeated domain and a C-terminal domain. The fourfold repeated domain of OSF-2 shows homology with the insect protein fasciclin
Periostin mRNA is expressed in the developing mouse embryonic and fetal heart, and that it is localized to the endocardial cushions that ultimately divide the primitive heart tube into a four-chambered heart.

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 insulin desensitization and to improve insulin, 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.

Endothelial cells express three different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, belonging to the family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). They are named VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flk-1), VEGFR-3 (Flt-4). Their expression is almost exclusively restricted to endothelial cells, but VEGFR-1 can also be found on monocytes, dendritic cells and on trophoblast cells. The flt-1 gene was first described in 1990. The receptor contains seven immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains, a single transmembrane region and an intracellular splited tyrosine kinase domain. Compared to VEGFR-2 the Flt-1 receptor has a higher affinity for VEGF but a weaker signaling activity. VEGFR-1 thus leads not to proliferation of endothelial cells, but mediates signals for differentiation. Interestingly a naturally occuring soluble variant of VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) was found in HUVE supernatants in 1996, which is generated by alternative splicing of the flt-1 mRNA. The biological functions of sVEGFR-1 still are not clear, but it seems to be an endogenous regulator of angiogenesis, binding VEGF with the same affinity as the full-length receptor.

Recombinant Human Sonic Hedgehog is part of a small group of secreted proteins that are vital for development in both vertebrates and invertebrates. 3 mammalian hedgehog genes (sonic, desert, Indian) share about 60% homology. The Human Sonic Hedgehog is 99% homologous to the mouse gene. Sonic HedgeHog is a protein that is vital in guding the early embryo. It has been associated as the major inductive signal in patterning of the ventral neural tube, the anterior-posterior limb axis, and the ventral somites. Sonic HedgeHog binds to the patched receptor, which functions in association with smoothened, to activate the transcription of target genes. In the absence of sonic HedgeHog, patched receptor represses the constitutive signaling activity of smoothened. Sonic HedgeHog also regulates another factor, the gli oncogene. Sonic HedgeHog intercellular signal is essential for a various patterning events during development: signal produced by the notochord that induces ventral cell fate in the neural tube and somites, and the polarizing signal for patterning of the anterior-posterior axis of the developing limb bud. Sonic HedgeHog exhibits both floor plate- and motor neuron-inducing activity. Mutations in a long-range Sonic HedgeHog enhancer located in an intron of the limb region 1 gene result in preaxial polydactyly.

Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important signaling protein involved in both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. As its name implies, VEGF activity has been mostly studied on cells of the vascular endothelium, although it does have effects on a number of other cell types (e.g. stimulation monocyte/ macrophagemigration, neurons, cancer cells, kidney epithelial cells ).VEGF mediates increased vascular permeability, induces angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth, promotes cell migration, and inhibits apoptosis. In vitro, VEGF has been shown to stimulate endothelial cell mitogenesisand cell migration. VEGF is also a vasodilator and increases microvascular permeability and was originally referred to as vascular permeability factor.
Elevated levels of this protein are linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) comprise a family of at least 18 structurally related proteins that are involved in a multitude of physiological and pathological cellular processes, including cell growth, differentiation, angiogenesis, wound healing and tumorigenesis. The biological activities of the FGFs are mediated by a family of type I transmembrane tyrosine kinases which undergo dimerization and autophosphorylation after ligand binding. Multiple forms of FGFR-1 to -3 are generated by alternative splicing of the mRNAs. A frequent splicing event involving FGFR-1 and -2 results in receptors containing all three Ig domains, referred to as the alpha isoform, or only IgII and IgIII, referred to as the ? isoform. Only the alpha isoform has been identified for FGFR-3 and FGFR-4. Additional splicing events for FGFR-1 to -3, involving the C-terminal half of the IgIII domain encoded by two mutually exclusive alternative exons, generate FGF receptors with alternative IgIII domains (IIIb and IIIc). An IIIa isoform which is a secreted FGF binding protein containing only the N-terminal half of the IgIII domain plus some intron sequences has also been reported for FGFR-1. Mutations in FGFR-1 to -3 have been found in patients with birth defects involving craniosynostosis.

IGF-2 is a member of the INS family of polypeptide growth factors that is involved in development and growth. It is an imprinted gene and is expressed only from the paternally inherited allele. It is a candidate gene for eating disorders. There is a read-through, INS-IGF2, which aligns to this gene at the 3' region and to the upstream INS gene at the 5' region. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene.

Gamma-glutamylaminecyclotransferase (A2LD1) is an enzyme which converts gamma-glutamylamines to free amines and 5-oxoproline. A2LD1 demonstrates high activity toward gamma-glutamyl-epsilon-lysine, derived from the breakdown of fibrin and other proteins cross-linked by transglutaminases. A2LD1 assists in the proteolytic degradation of crosslinked fibrin by breaking down isodipeptide L-gamma-glutamyl-L-epsilon-lysine, which is a byproduct of fibrin degradation. The reaction catalyzed by the A2LD1 produces 5-oxo-L-proline and a free alkylamine.

DCUN1D4 holds 1 DCUN1 domain.

Neuroglobin, 151 amino acid residue protein, mainly expressed in vertebrate brain and retina, is a recently identified member of the globin superfamily. Augmenting O (2) supply, neuroglobin promotes survival of neurons upon hypoxic injury, potentially limiting brain damage. Moreover, neuroglobin may be a novel oxidative stress-responsive sensor for signal transduction in the brain. Neuroglobin expression is increased by neuronal hypoxia in vitro and focal cerebral ischemia in vivo, and neuronal survival after hypoxia is reduced by inhibiting neuroglobin expression with an antisense oligodeoxynucleotide and enhanced by neuroglobin overexpression.

Grancalcin is calcium-binding protein which is particularly abundant in human neutrophils. GCA is a member of the penta EF-hand (PEF) subfamily of EF-hand proteins, who also comprises calpain, sorcin, peflin, and ALG-2. GCA undergoes essential conformational changes upon binding of calcium, which subsequently exposes hydrophobic amino acid residues, that direct the protein to hydrophobic surfaces. GCA cooperates with L-plastin, a protein known to have actin bundling activity, which suggests that GCA has a part in the regulation of neutrophils adhesion.

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. The rat VEGFC 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 rat 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 rat VEGF-C is also a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells, it is much less potent than VEGF-A.

DLD is an L protein of the mitochondrial glycine cleavage system which is also a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex, and the branched-chain alpha-keto acide dehydrogenase complex. DLD mutations were found in patients with E3-deficient maple syrup urine disease and lipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency.

DnaK, originally identified for its DNA replication by bacteriophage l in E. coli is the bacterial HSP-70 chaperone. This protein is involved in the folding and assembly of newly synthesized polypeptide chains and in preventing the aggregation of stress-denatured proteins.
DnaK(amino acids1-384) is N-terminal ATPase domain and ATP bound to the ATPase domain induces a conformational change in the substrate binding domain (residues 385-638). The protein coding region of the ATPase domain of DNAK (amino acids 1-384) was amplified by PCR and cloned into an E. coli expression vector. The ATPase domain of DNAK was purified to apparent homogeneity by using conventional column chromatography techniques.

NDRG1 is a cytoplasmic protein that is involved in stress responses, hormone responses, cell growth, and differentiation. NDRG1 is one of 4 members of the NDRG ?/?-hydrolase family. NDRG1 is classified in databases as a tumor suppressor and heavy metal-response protein. NDRG1’s functions include cell-cycle regulation, cellular differentiation, apoptosis, hypoxia response and metal-ion sensing. NDRG1 is also essential for p53-mediated caspase activation and apoptosis. The NDRG1 is a Rab4a effector that is involved in vesicular recycling of E-cadherin. NDRG1 is ubiquitous; it is expressed most notably in placental membranes and prostate, kidney, small intestine, and ovary tissues. NDRG1 has reduced expression in adenocarcinomas compared to normal tissues.
NDRG1 gene mutations are reported to be the cause for hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy-Lom (HMSNL), which is a severe autosomal recessive form of Charcot- Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. In addition, decreased NDRG1 expression in glioma is linked to tumor progression. On the other hand, overexpression of NDRG1 is connected to malignant status of esophageal cancer. NDRG1 may also have a role in portal vein invasion and intrahepatic metastasis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Dynein Axonemal Light Chain 1 (DNAL1) functions as a component of the outer dynein arms complex. DNAL1 acts as the molecular motor which supplies the force to move cilia in an ATP-dependent manner. DNAL1 is expressed in tissues with motile cilia or flagella and takes part in the movement of sperm flagella. Alternate splicing results in numerous transcript variants.

NDUFS4 is a subunit of the mitochondrial membrane respiratory chain NADH dehydrogenase (Complex I), the primary multi-subunit enzyme complex of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Complex I is involved in cellular ATP production, the main source of energy for numerous vital processes in living cells. NDUFS4 removes electrons from NADH and passes them by a series of diverse protein-coupled redox centers to the electron acceptor ubiquinone. NDUFS4 presents a hotspot of mutations in the genetic apparatus of oxidative phosphorylation and the correct assembly of the subunit it encodes is essential for completion of the assembly of complex I.

PDCD5 is expressed in tumor cells during apoptosis independent of the apoptosis-inducing stimuli. Prior to apoptosis induction, PDCD5 is distributed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Once apoptosis is induced, the amount of PDCD5 increases and by relocation from the cytoplasm, it accumulates in the nucleus.PDCD5 protein has a stable helical core conformation consisting of a triple-helix bundle and two dissociated terminal regions. PDCD5 is an important novel protein that regulates both apoptotic and non-apoptotic programmed cell death. PDCD5 functions in the process of apoptosis.
PDCD5 plays an important role in regulation of apoptotic processes in gastric cancer cells and gastric tumors.
PDCD5 plays a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
-27G/-11A SNP is associated with reduced PDCD5 promoter activity and increased susceptibility to chronic myelogenous leukemia.
PDCD5 gene may be a target gene under the control of some important apoptosis-related transcriptional factors during the cell apoptosis.

GMDS is a member of the GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase family. GMDS uses NADP as a cofactor to catalyze the conversion of GDP-mannose to GDP-4-keto-6-deoxymannose. Defects in the gene encoding GMDS cause TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand)-induced apoptosis.