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Cystatins are a superfamily of cysteine proteinase inhibitors found in both plants and animals. They comprise a group of proteinase inhibitors, widely distributed in tissues and body fluids, and form tight complexes with cysteine proteases such as cathepsin B, H, L and S. Cystatin C, a secreted molecule of this family, is of interest from biochemical, medicine and evolutionary points of view. Cystatin C, with molecular weight of 13260 Da, is composed of 120 amino acids, lacks carbohydrate and has two disulfide bridges located near the carboxyl terminus. Cystatin C is increased in patients with malignant diseases, and is related to the insufficiency of renal function and appears to be a better marker than creatinine. On the other hand, low levels of cystatin C involve cause the breakdown of the elastic laminae and, subsequently, the atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Collagen triple helix repeat-containing protein 1 (CTHRC1) functions as a negative regulator of collagen matrix deposition. CTHRC1 is a secreted 28kDa protein which is glycosylated and highly conserved from lower chordates to mammals. CTHRC1 is highly connected with calcified tissues and cartilaginous matrix, but not with endothelial cells. CTHRC1 is detected qualitatively in plasma of healthy human subjects. CTHRC1 plasma levels are also significantly elevated during pregnancy, in diabetes, in inflammatory and infectious conditions, in subjects with acute myeloid leukemia but not in subjects with solid cancers. The hormonal functions of CTHRC1 include regulation of lipid storage and cellular glycogen levels with potentially far-reaching implications for cell metabolism and physiology. CTHRC1 gene deletion leads to fatty liver (steatosis) formation in mice while others exhibited inactivation of the CTHRC1 gene also results in low bone mass.

Myozenin 1 (MYOZ1) is a member of the myozenin family. MYOZ1 is mostly expressed in the skeletal muscle. Members of the myozenin family act as calcineurin-interacting proteins which helps tether calcineurin to the sarcomere of cardiac and skeletal muscle. The myozenin family plays a significant role in modulation of calcineurin signaling.

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.

Platelet factor-4 is a 70-amino acid protein that is released from the alpha-granules of activated platelets. Its major physiologic role appears to be neutralization of molecules on the endothelial surface of blood vessels, thereby inhibiting local activity and promoting coagulation. As a strong chemoattractant for neutrophils and fibroblasts, PF4 probably has a role in inflammation and wound repair. Oncostatin-A is a member of the CXC chemocinfamily.

Fibroblast growth factor 16 (FGF16) is a member of the large FGF family, whose members are heparin-binding growth factors with a core 120 amino acid (a.a.) FGF domain which allows for a common tertiary structure. Human FGF16 cDNA is a 207 aa precursor protein with one N-linked glycosylation site. FGF16 though lacking a typical signal peptide, is efficiently produced by mechanisms other than the classical protein secretion pathway. FGF16 is expressed in cardiac cells and is required for proper heart development. FGF16 gene mutation was also observed in individuals with metacarpal 4-5 fusion. FGF16 has an imperative role in the regulation of embryonic development, cell proliferation and cell differentiation, and is required for normal cardiomyocyte proliferation and heart development.

KLRC3 belongs to the NKG2 group that can be found mostly in natural killer (NK) cells and encodes a family of transmembrane proteins known for their C-type lectin domain and their type II membrane orientation (extracellular C terminus). The NKG2 gene family is situated inside the NK complex, a region which has quite a few C-type lectin genes mostly expressed on NK cells.

PRDX5 belongs to the peroxiredoxin family of antioxidant enzymes, which reduce hydrogen peroxide and alkyl hydroperoxides with reducing equivalents supplied through the thioredoxin system. PRDX5 has an antioxidant protective function in different tissues under normal conditions and during inflammatory processes. Peroxiredoxin-5 interacts with peroxisome receptor 1 and is involved in intracellular redox signaling. PRDX5 is involved in intracellular redox signaling. Peroxiredoxin-5 is a significant antioxidant protein of lung epithelial cells for its expression in the human lung increases during inflammation. PRDX5 expression is upregulated in osteoarthritis. PRDX5 may be significant in mitochondrial genome stability. Peroxiredoxin-5 has a protective role in human tendon cells against oxidative stress by reducing apoptosis and upholding collagen synthesis.

Prolactin is a pituitary hormone involved in the stimulation of milk production, salt and water regulation, growth, development and reproduction. The initial step in its action is the binding to a specific membrane receptor (prolactin receptor) which belongs to the superfamily of class 1 cytokine receptors. The function of the prolactin receptor is mediated, at least in part, by two families of signaling molecules: Janus kinases and signal transducers and activators of transcription. Prolactin (PRL) is a hormone involved in a variety of important functions including ion transport and osmoregulation, stimulation of milk, protein synthesis as well as the regulation of numerous reproductive functions. PRL exerts its influence on different cell types through a signal transduction pathway which begins with the binding of the hormone to a transmembrane PRL receptor. Immunoreactive PRL receptor, a member of the cytokine receptor family, varies in size (short and long forms) with tissue source and species, from ~40 kDa to 100 kDa. The PRL receptor consists of at least three separate domains: an extracellular region with 5 cysteines which contains the prolactin binding site, a single transmembrane domain and a cytoplasmic region, the length of which appears to influence ligand binding and regulate cellular function.

GDF15 is part of the TGF-Beta superfamily which is involved in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways in injured tissues and throughout disease processes. GDF15 is most abundant in the liver. Its expression in liver can be considerably up-regulated in during injury of organs such as liver, kidney, heart and lung. GDF-15 promotes proliferation or growth arrest and differentiation due to differences in cellular differentiation. GDF15 prevents apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons by activating Akt and inhibiting endogenously active ERK. GDF15 is a novel autocrine/endocrine factor that antagonizes the hypertrophic response and loss of ventricular performance.

Transforming growth factor betas (TGFBetas) mediate many cell-cell interactions that occur during embryonic development. Three TGFBetas have been identified in mammals. TGFBeta1, TGFBeta2 and TGFBeta3 are each synthesized as precursor proteins that are very similar in that each is cleaved to yield a 112 amino acid polypeptide that remains associated with the latent portion of the molecule.

NELFE is a vital component of NELF complex which represses RNA polymerase II transcript elongation. NELFE is similar to nuclear RNA-binding proteins but does not bind RNA. NELFE contains a tract of alternating basic and acidic residues, mainly arginine and aspartic acid.

Ostreolysin is extracted from Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom). It is a pore forming protein, which contains a lytic part to both cholesterol and sphingomyelin containing membranes. Because of their cholesterol content and the appearance of ostreolysin in the detergent resistant membranes, ostreolysin is cytotoxic towards the ovary cells of Chinese hamster. It seems that Ostreolysin spots a rich lipid cholesterol phase, presumably the liquid ordered phase.

Parathymosin, also known as PTMS is a member of the pro/parathymosin family. PTMS may mediate immune function by blocking the effect of prothymosin alpha which confers resistance to particular opportunistic infections. Among the diseases associated with PTMS are hepatitis b, and alzheimer's disease.

The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the bone morphogenetic protein family which is part of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily.

The superfamily includes large families of growth and differentiation factors.

Bone morphogenetic proteins were originally identified by an ability of demineralized bone extract to induce endochondral osteogenesis in vivo in an extraskeletal site.

This particular family member plays an important role in the onset of endochondral bone formation in humans, and a reduction in expression has been associated with a variety of bone diseases, including the heritable disorder Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.

Alternative splicing in the 5' untranslated region of this gene has been described and three variants are described, all encoding an identical protein.

SNTA1 is a member of the syntrophin gene family. SNTA1 is a peripheral membrane protein found linked with dystrophin and dystrophin-related proteins. Dystrophin is a large, rod-like cytoskeletal protein located at the inner surface of muscle fibers. Dystrophin is absent in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients, however it is present in reduced amounts in Becker Muscular Dystrophy patients. Syntrophins are cytoplasmic peripheral membrane scaffold proteins and components of the dystrophin-associated protein complex. The N-terminal PDZ domain of SNTA1 interacts with the C-terminus of the pore-forming alpha subunit (SCN5A) of the cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5. In addition, SNTA1 associates cardiac sodium channels with the nitric oxide synthase-PMCA4b (plasma membrane Ca-ATPase subtype 4b) complex in cardiomyocytes. The SNTA1 gene is a predisposition locus for Long-QT syndrome (LQT) - an inherited disorder associated with sudden cardiac death from arrhythmia - and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). SNTA1 also associates with dystrophin and dystrophin-related proteins at the neuromuscular junction and modifies intracellular calcium ion levels in muscle tissue.

EPO is a member of the EPO/TPO family and encodes a secreted, glycosylated cytokine composed of 4 alpha helical bundles. EPO is found in the plasma and regulates red cell production by promoting erythroid differentiation and initiating hemoglobin synthesis. EPO also has neuroprotective activity against a variety of potential brain injuries and antiapoptotic functions in several tissue types.

Transforming growth factor betas (TGF Betas) mediate many cell-cell interactions that occur during embryonic development. Three TGF Betas have been identified in mammals. TGF Beta 1, TGF Beta 2 and TGF Beta 3 are each synthesized as precursor proteins that are very similar in that each is cleaved to yield a 112 amino acid polypeptide that remains associated with the latent portion of the molecule.

Human Oxytocin stimulates uterine smooth muscle contractions indirectly and stimulates the mammary glands to increase lactation without increasing the production of milk.

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.

C9orf103 is a member of the gluconokinase gntK/gntV family. C9orf103 takes part in carbohydrate acid metabolism and D-gluconate degradation.

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.