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HTATIP2 is part of the short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR) family which acts as a tumor suppressor in metabolic suppression, inhibition of angiogenesis and induces the expression of apoptosis related genes Bad and Siva. HTATIP2 cooperates with the activation domain of HIV-1 TAT and enhances its transcription by phosphorylating RNA polymerase II (Pol II). Defects in HTATIP2 are related with hepatocellular carcinomas and apoptotic resistant tumor cells, implicating a probable use for HTATIP2 in antitumor therapy.

Nectin Cell Adhesion Molecule 2, also known as NECTIN2, is a Ca(2+)-independent cell-cell adhesion molecule which is one of the plasma membrane components of adherens junctions. NECTIN2 takes a vital part in the establishment of homotypic as well as heterotypic cell to cell contacts. NECTIN2 is essential for resisting herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in transfected cells. NECTIN2 is also a possible target for antibody therapy of breast & ovarian cancers. NECTIN2 might be related with human longevity. Two diseases which have been associated with NECTIN2 are Herpes Simplex and Ovarian Cystic Teratoma.

Polcalcin Aln g 4 (Aln G 4.0101) causes an allergic reaction in humans.

Procollagen C-endopeptidase enhancer 1, also known as PCOLCE binds to the C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen and enhances procollagen C-proteinase activity. In addition, C-terminal processed part of PCPE (CT-PCPE) has a metalloproteinase inhibitory activity. Among the diseases which are associated with PCOLCE: bone fracture & oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy.

Connective Tissue Growth Factor belongs to the CCN family of proteins. The CCN family presently consists of six members in human also known as: Cyr61 (Cystein rich 61), CTGF (Connective Tissue Growth Factor), Nov (Nephroblastoma Overexpressed gene), WISP-1, 2 and 3 (Wnt-1 Induced Secreted Proteins). The CCN genes encode secreted proteins associated with the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) and cell membrane. CCN proteins are matricellular proteins which are involved in the regulation of various cellular functions including: proliferation, differentiation, survival, adhesion and migration. They are expressed in derivatives of the three embryonic sheets and are implicated in the development of kidney, nervous system, muscle, bone marrow, cartilage and bone. During adulthood, they are implicated in wound healing, bone fracture repair, and pathologies such as: fibrosis, vascular ailments and tumorigenesis.
Full length secreted CCN proteins can show an antiproliferative activity, whereas truncated isoforms are likely to stimulate proliferation and behave as oncogenes. The full length protein consists of four modulesModule I shares partial identity with the N-terminal part of the Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Proteins (IGFBPs).
Module II includes a stretch of 70amino acid residues – which shares sequence identity with the Von Willebrand Factor Type C repeat (VWC).
Module III contains sequences sharing identity with the Thrombospondin type 1 repeat (TSP1) (WSXCSXXCG), which is thought to be implicated in the binding of sulfated glycoconjugates and to be important for cell adhesion. Module IV, also designated CT, is encoded by exon5. It is the leasts conserved one of the four domains at the level of nucleotide sequence, but it appears to be critical for several of the biological functions attributed to the CCN proteins. Module IV resembles the CT domain of several extracellular protein including, Von Willebrand's factor and mucins. Sequence similarities to heparin-binding motifs are also found within this domain.
Proteolysis of the secreted full-length CCN proteins that has been reported in the case of CCN2 and CCN3 might result in the production of CCN-derived peptides with high affinity for ligands that full-length CNN proteins bind only poorly. Amino-truncated CCN2 isoforms were biologically active whereas no specific biological activity has been attributed to the truncated CCN3. Although the molecular processes underlying the production of these secreted isoforms is presently unknown, it is important to note that proteolysis occur at the same amino acid residues in both CCN2 and CCN3. An elevated expression of CCN2 has also been detected by Northern blotting in human invasive mammary ductal carcinomas, dermatofibromas, pyogenic granuloma, endothelial cells of angiolipomas and angioleiomyomas, and in pancreatic tumors. A study performed with chondrosarcomas representative of various histological grades established that CCN2 expression was closely correlated with increasing levels of malignancy. In agreement with CCN2 playing a role in brain tumor angiogenesis, immunocytochemistry studies indicated that both glioblastoma tumor cells and proliferating endothelial cells stained positive for CCN2. In astrocytomas, CCN2 expression was particularly elevated in high grade tumors, with a marked effect of CCN2 on cell proliferation. Downregulation of CCN2 expression in these cells was associated with a growth arrest at the G1/S transition while over-expression of CCN2 induced a two-fold increase of the number of cells in the G1 phase. Gene profiling analysis allowed to identify a set of about 50 genes whose expression might account for the proliferative activity of CCN2 in these cells. CCN2 was seen in a higher proportion of mononuclear cells of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The Defensin family are highly similar in their protein sequence and are microbicidal & cytotoxic peptides made by neutrophils. Beta Defensin-1 is an antimicrobial peptide having the resistance of epithelial surfaces to microbial colonization. Beta Defensin-1 has close proximity to Defensin Alpha-1 and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis.
Skin of patients having atopic dermatitis patients and mycosis fungoides (non-lesional and lesional) show lower human Beta Defensin-1 mRNA expression and higher human Beta Defensin-2 and human Beta Defensin-3 mRNA expression.
Beta Defensin is highly expressed by epithelial cells.
Beta-defensin 1 may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe sepsis.

Defensins are cationic peptides with a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity that comprise an important arm of the innate immune system. The Alpha defensins are differentiated from the Beta-defensins by the pairing of their 3 disulfide bonds.
4 human Beta-defensins have been identified to date; BD-1, BD-2, BD-3 and BD-4.
Beta-defensins are expressed on some leukocytes and at epithelial surfaces.
In addition to their direct antimicrobial activities, they are chemoattractant towards immature dendritic cells and memory T cells. The beta-defensin proteins are expressed as the C-terminal portion of precursors and are released by proteolytic cleavage of a signal sequence and, in the case of BD-1 (36 a.a.), a propeptide region. Beta-defensins contain a six-cysteine motif that forms three intra-molecular disulfide bonds. Beta-Defensins are 3-5 kDa peptides ranging in size from 33-47 amino acid residues.

Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factors are cytokines that act in hematopoiesis by controlling the production, differentiation, and function of 2 related white cell populations of the blood, the granulocytes and the monocytes-macrophages. CSF-1 induces cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. It plays a role in immunological defenses, bone metabolism, lipoproteins clearance, fertility and pregnancy.

IL11 is a member of the gp130 family of cytokines. These cytokines drive the assembly of multisubunit receptor complexes, all of which contain at least one molecule of the transmembrane signaling receptor IL6ST (gp130). IL-11 is shown to stimulate the T-cell-dependent development of immunoglobulin-producing B cells. It is also found to support the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and megakaryocyte progenitor cells.

Procalcitonin is a peptide hormone mainly produced by the C cells of the thyroid and certain endocrine cells of the lung. Under normal expression conditions, procalcitonin is immediately cleaved into three specific fragments, an N terminal residue, calcitonin and katacalcin. Levels of unprocessed procalcitonin rise significantly after bacterial infection, trauma or shock.

Granulocyte Chemotactic Protein 2 (CXCL6), also known as GCP-2, is a Chemotactic for neutrophil granulocytes. GCP-2 signals through binding and activation of its receptors (CXCR1 and CXCR2). GCP-2 has strong antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in addition to its chemotactic and angiogenic property.

Natriuretic Peptide A (NPPA) is a part of the natriuretic peptide family and is involved in cardiovascular homeostasis through regulation of natriuresis, diuresis, and vasodilation. NPPA is synthesized as a great precursor which releases a peptide from the N-terminus with similarity to vasoactive peptide, cardiodilatin, and another peptide from the C-terminus with natriuretic-diuretic activity. In female pregnancy, NPPA is promoting trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling in uterus.

The HIV1 p24 His Tag protein performs complex orchestrated tasks during the assembly, budding maturation and infection stages of the viral replication cycle. Throughout viral assembly, the proteins form membrane associations and self-associations that ultimately result in budding of an immature virion from the infected cell. HIV-1 P24 gag, the key capsid protein of the HIV-1 virion, is used in clinical trials as one of the components of the HIV-1 vaccine because of the great extent of sequence homology between different isolates.

Beta-crystallin A4 (CRYBA4) is a member of the beta/gamma-crystallin family which are the dominant structural components of the vertebrate eye lens. Beta-crystallins construct aggregates of various sizes and are able to self-associate to form dimers or to form heterodimers with other beta-crystallins. The CRYBA4 gene being a beta acidic group member is part of a gene cluster with beta-B1, beta-B2, and beta-B3.

FHIT is a member of the histidine triad gene family. FHIT gene encodes a diadenosine 5',5'''-P1,P3-triphosphate hydrolase involved in purine metabolism. FHIT gene includes the common fragile site FRA3B on chromosome 3, where carcinogen-induced damage can lead to translocations and abnormal transcripts of this gene. The FHIT protein is a tumor suppressor with reduced or no expression in numerous types of cancer. FHIT may also act as a tumor suppressor in normal cells. Alterations and deletions of the FHIT (Fragile Histidine Triad) gene are strongly linked to the genesis and establishment of human tumors of the lung, cervix, breast, colon, stomach, and pancreas. The expression of FHIT is more often lost in cancers of individuals with familial mutations causing deficiency in DNA repair genes such as BRCA1, BRCA2 and MSH2. In vitro FHIT functions as a hydrolase that cleaves diadenosine triphosphate (Ap3A) to ADP and AMP. The FHIT -Ap3A enzyme-substrate complex seems to be the tumor suppressor signal. The restoration of FHIT expression in FHIT -deficient cancer cells leads to apoptosis, involving the intrinsic caspase pathway, in cancer-derived cells and in tumor xenografts.

CSRP2 belongs to the CSRP family. CSRP2 holds 2 LIM zinc-binding domains that take part in regulatory processes essential for development and cellular differentiation. Additionally, CSRP2 is involved in the development of the embryonic vascular system.

SPINT2 is a transmembrane protein acts as an inhibitor of HGF activator. SPINT2 inhibits plasmin, plasma and tissue kallikrein, and factor XIa. SPINT2 has two extracellular Kunitz domains that inhibit few serine proteases. SPINT2 is assumed tumor suppressor, mutations in SPINT2 leads to a congenital sodium diarrhea.

STX17 is a member of to the syntaxin family and contains 1 t-SNARE coiled-coil homology domain. STX17 is involved in vesicle trafficking to lysosomes and takes part in procedures associated with cell division.

Clusterin also known as Apolipoprotein J (APO-J) is a 75-80 kD disulfide-linked heterodimeric protein containing about 30% of N-linked carbohydrate rich in sialic acid but truncated forms targeted to the nucleus have also been identified.
The precursor polypeptide chain is cleaved proteolytically to remove the 22-mer secretory signal peptide and subsequently between residues 227/228 to generate the a and b chains. These are assembled in anti-parallel to give a heterodimeric molecule in which the cysteine-rich centers are linked by 5 disulfide bridges and are flanked by 2 predicted coiled-coil a-helices and 3 predicted amphipathic a-helices.
Across a broad range of species clusterin shows a high degree of sequence homology ranging from 70% -80%. It is nearly ubiquitously expressed in most mammalian tissues and can be found in plasma, milk, urine, cerebrospinal fluid and semen.
It is able to bind and form complexes with numerous partners such as immunoglobulins, lipids, heparin, bacteria, complement components, paraoxonase, beta amyloid, leptin and others. Clusterin has been ascribed a plethora of functions such as phagocyte recruitment, aggregation induction, complement attack prevention, apoptosis inhibition, membrane remodeling, lipid transport, hormone transport and/or scavenging, matrix metalloproteinase inhibition.
Clusterin is up/down regulated on the mRNA or protein level in many pathological and clinically relevant situations including cancer, organ regeneration, infection, Alzheimer disease, retinitis pigmentosa, myocardial infarction, renal tubular damage, autoimmunity and others.

Cardiotrophin 1 (CT-1) is a 201 amino acid member of the interleukin-6 superfamily. It was identified by its ability to induce hypertrophic response in cardiac myocytes. CT-1 mRNA levels were found both in cardiac myocytes and in cardiac nonmyocytes. CT 1 was also detected in abundance in normal adult human lung and was expressed in both fetal and adult airway smooth muscle cells. CT 1 activates gp130 dependent signaling and stimulates the Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway to transduce hypertrophic and cytoprotective signals in cardiac myocytes.
CT 1 has also a neurotrophic function. CTF1 deficiency causes increased motoneuron cell death in spinal cord and brainstem nuclei of mice during a period between embryonic day 14 and the first postnatal week. Moreover, CT-1 is a hepatocyte survival factor that efficiently reduces hepatocellular damage in animal models of acute liver injury. Cardiotrophin 1 expression is augmented after hypoxic stimulation and it can protect cardiac cells when added either prior to simulated ischaemia or at the time of reoxygenation following simulated ischaemia. Cardiotrophin 1 can induce expression of the protective heat shock proteins (hsps) in cardiac cells.
Cardiotrophin-1 increased ventricular expression of ANP, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and angiotensinogen mRNA.
Cardiophin 1 levels were significantly elevated in patients with heart failure, patients with dilatative cardiomyopathy, moderate/severe mitral regurgitation, stable and unstable angina and after acute myocardial infarction.

CASQ2 belongs to the calsequestrin family and is localized to the sarcoplasmic reticulum in cardiac and slow skeletal muscle cells. CASQ2 is a calcium binding protein that stores calcium for muscle function. The discharge of calcium bound to CASQ2 through a calcium release channel activates muscle contraction. CASQ2 binds 40 to 50 moles of calcium. CASQ2 mutations result in stress-induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, also called catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia 2 which is known fir its bidirectional ventricular tachycardia that causes cardiac arrest.

TMEFF1 is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein which includes 2 follistatin modules and an EGF domain in its extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain and a short cytoplasmic tail. The extracellular domain of TMEFF1 can be released as a soluble protein. TMEFF1 is primarily expressed in brain, but is downregulated in brain neoplasms. TMEFF1 selectively regulates nodal but not activin signaling through direct binding to the nodal co-receptor, Cripto. TMEFF inhibits NODAL and BMP signaling through neural patterning and also a possible tumor suppressor in brain cancers.