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Decorin (DCN) is a small cellular or pericellular matrix proteoglycan which is closely related in structure to biglycan protein. Decorin is a secreted protein which binds to collagen and fibronectin in extracellular matrix. Decorin appears in different glycoforms, substituted with chondroitin sulfate or dermatan sulfate consistent with the original tissue. DCN contains one attached glycosaminoglycan chain. Decorin influences the rate of fibril formation. Decorin is capable of suppressing the growth of various tumor cell lines. DCN gene defects cause corneal dystrophy. The DCN gene is a candidate gene for Marfan syndrome.

Methionine sulfoxide reductase B1 (SEPX1 or MSRB1), is a selenoprotein that contains a selenocysteine (Sec) residue at its active site. The selenocysteine is encoded by the UGA codon that usually signals translation termination. SEPX1 is a member of the methionine sulfoxide reductase B (MsrB) family, and is expressed in an assortment of adult and fetal tissues. MSRs (Methionine sulfoxide reductases) catalyze the reduction of free and protein-bound methionine sulfoxides to corresponding methionines. The oxidation of methionine by ROS creates a diastereomeric mixture of methionine-S-sulfoxide (Met-S-SO) and methionine-R-sulfoxide (Met-R-SO). Two separate enzyme families evolved for reduction of these sulfoxides, with methionine-S-sulfoxide reductase (MsrA) being stereospecific for Met-S-SO and methionine-R-sulfoxide reductase (MsrB) for Met-R-SO.

NEDD8-activating enzyme E1 regulatory subunit (NAE1) is a member of the ubiquitin-activating E1 family. NAE1 binds to the beta-amyloid precursor protein. Beta-amyloid precursor protein is a cell surface protein with signal-transducing properties, and it is believed to have a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. NAE1 participates in a unique ubiquitinylation-related pathway involving the ubiquitin-like molecule NEDD8. Furthermore, the NAE1 protein is essential for cell cycle progression through the S/M checkpoint.

DYNLT3 belongs to a subclass of dynein light chains. The DYNLT3 protein homodimerizes and forms the light chain component of the cytoplasmic dynein motor protein complex. DYNLT3 functions as one of several non-catalytic accessory components of the cytoplasmic dynein 1 complex which are believed to be involved in linking dynein to cargos and to adapter proteins that regulate dynein function. DYNLT3 may also work independently of dynein as a transcriptional modulator. DYNLT3 is required for the effective progression through mitosis.

Sorting nexin-5 (SNX5) belongs to the sorting nexin family, whose members contains a phox (PX) domain, (which is a phosphoinositide binding domain) and are involved in intracellular trafficking. SNX5 protein is a component of the mammalian retromer complex, which facilitates cargo recovery from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network. SNX5 binds to the Fanconi anemia, complementation group A protein.

EPGN is an EGF-related polypeptide growth factor that signals through the ErbB receptor-1. EPGN is produced in numerous tissues, including the testis, liver, heart and in certain tumor cells. EPGN is mitogenic for fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Human EPGN is originally synthesized as a glycosylated 14.7 kDa transmembrane precursor protein, which is processed by proteolytic cleavage to produce a mature soluble sequence.

SUMO3 belongs to the SUMO protein family and operates like ubiquitin. Nevertheless, unlike ubiquitin that targets proteins for degradation, SUMO3 protein takes part in several cellular processes, like nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and protein stability. SUMO3 regulates amyloid beta generation and is crucial in the onset or progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

PET117 is nuclear gene essential for the assembly of active cytochrome c oxidase in S. cerevisiae. Nevertheless the gene products are not subunits of the final assembled cytochrome c oxidase complex. PET117 is found in chromosome V proximate the HIS1 gene.

Prefoldin subunit 2 (PFDN2) belongs to the prefoldin beta subunit family. The PFDN2 protein is one of 6 subunits of prefoldin, which is a molecular chaperone complex that binds and stabilizes newly synthesized polypeptides, thus allowing them to fold correctly. PFDN2 binds specifically to cytosolic chaperonin (c-CPN) and transfers target proteins to it. PFDN2 also binds to a nascent polypeptide chain and promotes folding in an setting in which there are many competing pathways for nonnative proteins.

Caspase 3 Apoptosis-Related Cysteine Peptidase (CASP3) belongs to the cysteine-aspartic acid protease (caspase) family. Sequential activation of caspases plays a key role in the execution-phase of cell apoptosis. Caspases exist as inactive proenzymes which undergo proteolytic processing at conserved aspartic residues to generate 2 subunits, large and small, that dimerize to create the active enzyme. CASP3 protein cleaves and activates caspases 6, 7 and 9, and the protein itself is processed by caspases 8, 9 and 10. CASP3 is the leading caspase involved in the cleavage of amyloid-beta 4A precursor protein, which is linked with neuronal death in Alzheimer's disease. In addition, CASP3 is involved in the cleavage of huntingtin. CASP3 also cleaves and activates sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) between the basic helix-loop-helix leucine zipper domain and the membrane attachment domain. CASP3 initiates cell adhesion in sympathetic neurons through RET cleavage.

CCNB2 is a member of the cyclin family. CCNB2 is vital for regulation of the cell cycle at the G2/M (mitosis) transition. CCNB2 cooperates with the CDK1 protein kinase to create a serine/threonine kinase holoenzyme complex recognized as maturation promoting factor (MPF).

Ketosamine-3-kinase (FN3KRP) catalyzes the phosphorylation of psicosamines and ribulosamines compared to the adjacent gene which encodes a highly analogous enzyme, fructosamine-3-kinase that has different substrate specificity. The activity of both enzymes may cause deglycation of proteins to reinstate their function. A high concentration of glucose can result in non-enzymatic oxidation of proteins by reaction of glucose and lysine residues (glycation). The proteins altered in this way, are less active or functional.

KGF-2 is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. FGF family members possess broad mitogenic and cell survival activities, and are involved in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. FGF-10 exhibits mitogenic activity for keratinizing epidermal cells, but essentially no activity for fibroblasts, which is similar to the biological activity of FGF7. Studies of the mouse homolog of suggested that this gene is required for embryonic epidermal morphogenesis including brain development, lung morphogenesis, and initiation of lim bud formation. This gene is also implicated to be a primary factor in the process of wound healing.

PMP2 is a small protein found in peripheral nerve myelin and spinal cord myelin, belongs to a family of fatty acid binding proteins. PMP2 partly decreases the inhibitory effect of T suppressors in the culture of immune lymph node cells. PMP2 protein is a lipid transport protein in schwann cells.

GH 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.

Tribbles Pseudokinase 3, also known as TRIB3, is a putative protein kinase which is induced by the transcription factor NF-kappaB. In addition, TRIB3 is a negative regulator of NF-kappaB, and can as well sensitize cells to TNF- and TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TRIB3 is able to negatively regulate the cell survival serine-threonine kinase AKT1. One of the diseases which are associated with TRIB3 is anoxia.

PRKCI, AKAPKC iota, is part of serine/threonine protein kinases family. It takes a key regulatory role in a number of cellular functions including hormone secretion,cell growth differentiation, and gene expression. It is involved in cell polarization processes and the formation of epithelial tight junctions.This protein kinase is calcium-independent and phospholipid-dependent. It is also implicated in the activation of several signal-pathways such as Ras, and NF-kappa-B, c-Src pathways.

Centromere proteins are a group of proteins which form and/or mediate the function of centromeres, the central structures of chromosomes to which spindle fibers/microtubuli attach and pull the chromosomes apart in cell division. Currently, 9 centromere proteins are known and designated CENPA to CENP-I. Most of the centromere proteins are targets of autoantibodies, the anti-centromere antibodies.
CENPB is the most important of the centromeric autoantigens: it has a molecular weight of approx. 66 kDa and plays an important role in the formation of the centromeric chromatin. CENPB antibodies are present in the sera of up to 80% of patients with CREST syndrome.

Tubby-related protein 1 (TULP1) belongs to the TULP family of 4 proteins (TUB and TULP1, -2, and -3), categorized structurally by the highly conserved C-terminal half of the protein. Tubby-like gene family (TULPs) members are found in plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates and encode proteins of unknown function. TULP proteins share a conserved C-terminal region of roughly 200 amino acid residues. In the retina, TULP1 is observed exclusively in the photoreceptor cells, localizing predominantly in the inner segments and connecting cilium and to a lesser degree in the perinuclear cytoplasm and synaptic termini. TULP1 gene mutations are linked with retinitis pigmentosa.

Chitinase 3-Like 2 (CHI3L2) is similar to bacterial chitinases but lacks chitinase activity. CHI3L2 protein is secreted and is involved in cartilage biogenesis. CHI3L2 is a lectin, which binds chitooligosaccharides and other glycans with high affinity, but not heparin.

MAFK is a member of the bZIP family and Maf subfamily. Members from Maf family of basic region/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors influence transcription in a positive or negative way, depending on their protein associate and the context of the target promoter. Small Mafs act as transcriptional repressors when they dimerize among themselves. Yet, they seem to function as transcriptional activators by dimerizing with other basic-zipper proteins and employing them to specific DNA-binding sites.

Ro 60 kDa autoantigen is an RNA-binding protein that binds to several small cytoplasmic RNA molecules known as Y RNAs. SSA2 may stabilize these RNAs from degradation. Sera taken from patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) often contains antibodies that react with the normal cellular SSA2 protein as if this antigen was foreign.

Adenylate kinases plays a role in regulating the adenine nucleotide composition within a cell by catalyzing the reversible transfer of phosphate groups among adenine nucleotides. There are 3 types of adenylate kinase isozymes, AK1, AK2, and AK3 in vertebrates. Expression of these isozymes are tissue-specific and developmentally regulated. AK2 is localized in the mitochondrial intermembrane space and is involved in apoptosis. AK2 is mutated in individuals with reticular dysgenesis.

IL2 is a secreted cytokine that is important for the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The receptor of this cytokine is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose gamma chain is also shared by interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 7 (IL7). The expression of this gene in mature thymocytes is monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for controlling the precise expression of a single gene. The targeted disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role of this gene in the immune response to antigenic stimuli.