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Based on sequence similarity to VEGF-A, a gene encoding a VEGF homologue has recently been discovered in the genome of Orf virus (OV) (Lyttle et al., 1994). Different isolates of Orf virus show significant amino acid sequence similarity to VEGF-A and described as a viral virulence factor that appears to be derived from captured host genes. All eight cysteine residues of the central cysteine knot motif characteristic of members of the VEGF family are conserved among other residues in the VEGF-E proteins (Dehio et al., 1999; Wise et al., 1999). Alignment of all mammalian VEGF sequences indicated that VEGF-E is distinct from the previously described VEGFs but most closely related to VEGF-A. Like VEGF-A, VEGF-E was found to bind with high affinity to VEGF receptor-2 (KDR) resulting in receptor autophosphorylation, whilst in contrast to VEGF-A, VEGF-E can not bind to VEGF receptor-1 (Flt-1). Furthermore VEGF-E can also not bind to VEGF receptor-3 (FLT-4). Therefore VEGF-E is a potent angiog

Persephin is a member of the GDNF ligand subfamily of the TGF-beta superfamily. PSPN encourages the existence and growth of key dopaminergic and motor neurons, as well as taking part in kidney development. Nonetheless, persephin does not support existence of peripheral neurons.

Galanin Prepropeptide (GAL) which is localized in brain pathways is involved in both cognition and affect, and also inhibits learning and memory by inhibiting neurotransmitter release and neuronal firing rate. GAL is a part of the galanin family and modulates a variety of physiological processed including cognition/memory, sensory/pain processing, neurotransmitter/hormone secretion, and feeding behavior. Galanin Prepropeptide is upregulated in primary afferent and sympathetic neurones and is required for the development of sympathetic perineuronal baskets subsequent to nerve injury.

Prolactin is a lactogenic hormone secreted by the adenohypophysis .Besides its major action on lactation, in some species prolactin exerts effects on reproduction, maternal behavior, fat metabolism, immunomodulation and osmoregulation.Prolactin has been shown also to have cytokine-like activities and to have important immunoregulatory activities. It contributes to the development of lymphoid tissues and the maintenance of physiological immune function and also modulates a variety of T-cell immune responses. Prolactin has been reported to activate cellular proliferation in nonreproductive tissue, such as liver, spleen, and thymus. It induces significant proliferation in aortic smooth muscle cells and also enhances proliferation of these cells induced by PDGF . Prolactin also appears to be directly mitogenic for pancreatic beta cells. Prolactin is also mitogenic for cultured astrocytes.

SPARC-like protein 1 or SPARC1 is an anti-adhesive protein with a similarity to the SPARC protein’s structure. SPARC1 is highly expressed in several tissues such as brain, lungs, kidney, heart, although it is not found in the liver tissue. The protein inhibits spreading or adhesion of many substrates and is considered to lead to antiadhesive signaling that stops neuronal migration, that occurs during development or as a trauma response, consistent with production by glial and neuronal cells.

LIN28 plays an important role as a 'translational enhancer', leading specific mRNAs to polysomes and therefore increasing the competence of protein synthesis. LIN28 is a marker of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells and it enhances the efficiency of the formation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from human fibroblasts. LIN28 binds to the let-7 pre-miRNA and blocks production of the mature let-7 microRNA in mouse embryonic stem cells. Overexpression of LIN28 is associated with human germ-cell tumors.

Alpha and Beta Defensins are cationic peptides with antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi and enveloped viruses. These 2-6kDa proteins have vital roles in innate immune system. Mammalian Defensins are classified into alpha, beta and theta categories, based on their size and pattern of disulfide bonding. Beta-Defensins contain a six-cysteine motif which forms 3 intra-molecular disulfide bonds. Since beta-defensins are cationic peptides, they can therefore interact with the membrane of invading microbes, which are negative due to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and lipoteichoic acid (LTA) found in the cell membrane. In addition, they can affect the stability of the membrane.

S100A9 is part of the S100 family of proteins containing 2 EF-hand calcium-binding motifs. S100A9 protein is localized in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus of a wide range of cells, and participates in the regulation of several cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and differentiation. S100 genes include no less than 13 proteins which are localized as a cluster on chromosome 1q21. S100A9 is involved in the inhibition of casein kinase and altered expression of this protein is associated with the disease cystic fibrosis.

ATF1, a cyclic-AMP dependent transcription factor, is expressed in a large selection of cell types and can dimerize with CREB. MSK1 and MSK2 protein kinases are essential for the stress-induced phosphorylation of transcription factors CREB and ATF1 in primary embryonic fibroblasts. Epidermal growth factor induction of c-jun expression needs ATF1 and MEF2 sites in the c-jun promoter.

IL19 is a cytokine that belongs to the IL10 cytokine subfamily. IL-19 is found to be preferentially expressed in monocytes. It can bind the IL20 receptor complex and lead to the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). A similar cytokine in mouse is reported to up-regulate the expression of IL6 and TNF-alpha and induce apoptosis, which suggests a role of this cytokine in inflammatory responses. Alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the distinct isoforms have been described.

Borrelia belongs to a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. Borrelia causes borreliosis, which is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted mainly by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. Of the 36 known species of Borrelia, 12 are distinguished to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The main Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. The Borrelia genus members have a linear chromosome which is about 900 kbp in length as well as an excess of both linear and circular plasmids in the 5-220 kbp size range. The plasmids are atypical, as compared to most bacterial plasmids, since they contain many paralogous sequences, a large number of pseudogenes and, in some cases, essential genes. Moreover, a number of the plasmids have features suggesting that they are prophages.

Resistin, a product of the RSTN gene, is a peptide hormone belonging to the class of cysteine-rich secreted proteins which is termed the RELM family, and is also described as ADSF (Adipose Tissue- Specific Secretory Factor) and FIZZ3 (Found in Inflammatory Zone). Human resistin contains 108 amino acids as a prepeptide, and its hydrofobic signal peptide is cleaved before its secretion. Resistin circulates in human blood as a dimeric protein consisting of two 92 amino acid polypeptides, which are disulfide-linked via Cys26.
Resistin may be an important link between obesity and insulin resistance. Mouse resistin, specifically produced and secreted by adipocyte, acts on skeletal muscle myocytes, hepatocytes and adipocytes themselves so that it reduces their sensitivity to insulin. Steppan et al. have suggested that resistin suppresses the ability of insulin to stimulate glucose uptake. They have also suggested that resistin is present at elevated levels in blood of obese mice, and is down regulated by fasting and antidiabetic drugs. Way et al., on the other hand, have found that resistin expression is severly suppressed in obesity and is stimulated by several antidiabetic drugs.
Other studies have shown that mouse resistin increases during the differentiation of adipocytes, but it also seems to inhibit adipogenesis. In contrast, the human adipogenic differentiation is likely to be associated with a down regulation of resistin gene expression.

Resistin, a product of the RSTN gene, is a peptide hormone belongs to the class of cysteine-rich secreted proteins (monomeric peptide contains 11 cysteine residues) referred to as the RELM family, and is also described as ADSF (Adipose Tissue-Specific Secretory Factor) or FIZZ3 (Found in Inflammatory Zone 3). Resistin may be an important link between obesity. Mouse resistin, specifically produced and secreted by adipocyte, acts on skeletal muscle myocytes, hepatocytes and adipocytes themselves so that it reduces their sensitivity. Steppan et al. have suggested that resistin suppressed the ability to stimulate glucose uptake. They have also suggested that resistin was present at elevated levels in blood of obese mice, and was down regulated by fasting and by antidiabetic drugs. Way et al., on the other hand, have found that resistin expression is severely suppressed in obesity.
Other studies have shown that mouse resistin increases during the differentiation of adipocytes, but it also seems to inhibit adipogenesis. In contrast, the human adipogenic differentiation is likely to be associated with a down regulation of resistin gene expression.

Crystallins are the main structural proteins of the vertebrate eye lens, where they maintain the transparency and refractive index of the lens. Crystallins are divided into 3 fprotein families, α, β, & γ families. Because lens central fiber cells lose their nuclei during development, these crystallins are prepared and then retained throughout life, making them extremely stable proteins. CRYBB1 is a beta basic group member and undergoes extensive cleavage at its N-terminal extension during lens maturation.

nterleukin 33 (IL-33) is a 32kDa proinflammatory cytokine that may also regulate gene transcription in producer cells. IL-33 is structurally related to IL-1, which induces helper T cells to produce type 2 cytokines and acts through the receptor IL1RL-1 (IL1 receptor-like-1), which is known also as ST2. Binding of IL-33 to this receptor activates NF-kappa-B and MAP kinases and induces in vitro Th2 cells to produce cytokines. In vivo, IL-33 induces expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and leads to severe pathological changes in mucosal organs and in vitro, it can be divided to N-terminal fragment of 12kDa and C-terminal fragment of 18kDa by cleavage of caspase-1.

PPIF is a part of the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) family. PPIF accelerates the folding of proteins. It catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides. PPIF is key component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Activation of this pore is thought to be involved in the induction of apoptotic and necrotic cell death.

Signal-Regulatory Protein Alpha, SIRPA belongs to the signal-regulatory-protein (SIRP) family, as well as theimmunoglobulin super family. The members of the SIRP family are receptor-type transmembrane glycoproteins which areinvolved in the negative regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase-coupled signaling processes. SIRPA can bephosphorylated by tyrosine kinases. The phospho-tyrosine residues of this PTP have been shown to recruit SH2domain containing tyrosine phosphatases (PTP), and perform as substrates of PTPs. SIRPA take part insignal transduction mediated by a variety of growth factor receptors. CD47 has been shown to be a ligand for SIRPA.

Cathepsin-L also known as CTSL is a member of the peptidase C1 family. CTSL, is a dimer composed of disulfide-linked heavy and light chains, both formed from a single protein precursor. Furthermore, CTSL is a lysosomal cysteine proteinase which takes a main part in intracellular protein catabolism. CTSL substrates include collagen and elastin, as well as alpha-1 protease inhibitor, which is the most important controlling element of neutrophil elastase activity. CTSL has been implicated in a number of pathologic processes, including myofibril necrosis in myopathies and in myocardial ischemia, and in the renal tubular response to proteinuria. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants have been found for CTSL.

Uteroglobin (SCGB1A1) which belongs to the Secretoglobin (SCGBs) superfamily, is a multifunctional protein that exerts anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effects by binding small hydrophobic molecules such as phospholipids and prostaglandins. Uteroglobin is involved in numerous functions including anti-inflammation, inhibition of phospholipase A2 and the sequestering of hydrophobic ligands. SCGB1A1 is expressed by Clara cells, the non-ciliated, non-mucous secretory cells predominant in lung bronchioles, and by other epithelia which communicate with the external environment. On top of sequestering pro-inflammatory mediators and carcinogens, Uteroglobin is implicated in the inhibition of cell migration and invasion, platelet aggregation, and T cell differentiation. SCGB1A1 gene defects are associated with a susceptibility to asthma.

Interleukin-22 (IL-22), also known as IL-10-related T cell-derived inducible factor (IL-TIF) was initially identified as a gene induced by IL-9 in mouse T cells and mast cells. Mouse IL-22 cDNA encodes a 179 amino acid residue protein with a putative 33 amino acids signal peptide that is cleaved to generate a 147 aa mature protein that shares approximately 79% and 22% aa sequence identity with human IL-22 and IL-10, respectively. IL-22 has been shown to activate STAT-1 and STAT-3 in several hepatoma cell lines and upregulate the production of acute phase proteins. IL-22 is produced by normal mouse T cells upon Con A activation. Mouse IL-22 expression is also induced in various organs upon lipopolysaccharide injection, suggesting that IL-22 may be involved in inflammatory responses. The functional IL-22 receptor complex consists of two receptor subunits, IL-22R (previously an orphan receptor named CRF2-9) and IL-10Rβ (previously known as CRF2-4), belonging to the class II cytokine recep