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Clathrin, light chain A (CLTA) is a member of the clathrin family. Clathrin, which is a large, soluble protein, is comprised of heavy and light chains. CLTA is one of 2 clathrin light chain proteins which are supposed to function as regulatory elements. CLTA is a key cytosolic coat protein in pits and vesicles originating from the plasma membrane and the trans-Golgi network. In receptor-mediated endocytosis, receptor proteins are encapsulated by Clathrin-coated vesicles.

Clusterin also named 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 five disulfide bridges and are flanked by two predicted coiled-coil a-helices and three predicted amphipathic a-helices.
Across a broad range of species clusterin shows a high degree of sequence homology ranging from 70% to 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.
A genuine function of clusterin has not been defined. One tempting hypothesis says that clusterin is an extracellular chaperone protecting cells from stress induced insults caused by degraded and misfolded protein precipitates.
Clusterin is up- or 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.

COX Assembly Mitochondrial Protein 1(CMC1) is a member of the CMC family. CMC1 is required for mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COX) assembly and respiration. CMC1 attaches copper and might be involved in copper trafficking and distribution to COX and SOD1.

RELM-beta (Resistin-Like Molecule-beta) is a member of a recently identified family of secreted proteins containing a conserved cystein-rich C-terminus. The RELM family consists of resistin (also called FIZZ3), RELM-alfa (FIZZ1), RELM-beta (FIZZ2) and RELM-gamma. Only resisistin and RELM-beta were found in humans whereas all four RELM family members were identified in rodents.
RELM-beta appears to be produced as a homodimer exclusively by intestinal goblet cells and can be found in high quantities in stool. Remarkably, stool of germ-free mice displaying sterile intestinal tract does not contain RELM-beta until bacterial colonization takes place after pathogen-free mice entered natural environment. Some, but not all, colon carcinoma cell lines secrete RELM-beta into the cell culture supernatant.
The physiological function of RELM-beta is not known. High doses of recombinant RELM-beta showed hyperglycemic effects including lowered glucose disposal and increased hepatic glucose production in mice.

Zinc Finger HIT-Type Containing 1 (ZNHIT1) is a member of the ZNHIT1 family and contains 1 HIT-type zinc finger. The ZNHIT1 protein is induced by DNA damage and appears to have a role in p53-mediated apoptosis induction. ZNHIT1 interacts with MAPK11 and MAPK14 and is a component of the chromatin-remodeling SRCAP complex composed of at least SRCAP, DMAP1, RUVBL1, RUVBL2, ACTL6A, YEATS4, ACTR6 and ZNHIT1. ZNHIT1 binds to NR1D2 and discharges it of its inhibitory effect on the transcription of APOC3 without affecting its DNA-binding activity.

Relaxin-3 (RLN3) belongs to the relaxin family. Relaxins are endocrine and autocrine/paracrine hormones. Relaxin, which is produced by the ovary, targets the mammalian reproductive system to ripen the cervix, elongate the pubic symphysis and inhibit uterine contraction. Unlike human Relaxins 1 and 2, Relaxin 3 does not seem to have a role in reproduction; however it is involved in stress response in the brain stem. RLN3 is the only known ligand for the G-protein-coupled receptor GPCR135, titled RXFP3. In addition, RLN3 binds the LGR7 (RXFP1) receptor, however with lower affinity than Relaxin-2. Even though binding of RLN3 to LGR7 increases intracellular cAMP, binding to GPCR135 suppresses cAMP accumulation, indicating coupling to Gi, Go, or Gz by this receptor.

CST4 is a member of the cystatin superfamily which contains proteins that hold multiple cystatin-like sequences. Several family members are active cysteine protease inhibitors, whereas others have lost or possibly never attained this inhibitory activity. CST4 strongly inhibits papain (non-competitively) and ficin, partially inhibits stem bromelain and bovine cathepsin C, however does not inhibit porcine cathepsin B or clostripain.

PPIases catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides and accelerate the folding of proteins. Cyclophilin-A is a cyclosporin binding-protein and may play a role in cyclosporin A-mediated immunosuppression. Cyclophilin-A can also interact with several HIV proteins, including p55 gag, Vpr, and capsid protein, and has been shown to be necessary for the formation of infectious HIV virions. Multiple pseudogenes that map to different chromosomes have been reported.

Homeobox C11 (HOXC11) is a member of the Abd-B homeobox family. The homeobox genes encode well conservedfamily of transcription factors that play a vital role in morphogenesis in all multicellular organisms. HOXC11is one of numerous homeobox HOXC genes placed in a cluster on chromosome 12. HOXC11 attaches to a promoterelement of the lactase-phlorizin hydrolase. HOXC11 also takes part in early intestinal development. An alternativelyspliced variant encoding a shorter isoform has been defined however, its full-length nature has not been determined.

SNUPN is a nuclear import adaptor protein which is part of the Snurportin family.
SNUPN is Localized to the cytoplasm and nucleus and contains an N-terminal IBB domain and a trimethylguanosine (m3G)-cap binding domain. SNUPN binds specifically the terminal 2,2,7-m3G-cap at the 5'' end of U snRNPs and is involved in transport of U snRNPs into the nucleus through an association with Importin β.

Oral cancer-overexpressed protein 1 (ORAOV1) is a candidate oncogene in the 11q13 chromosomal region. Functional analyses showed that ORAOV1 was involved in the regulation of HeLa cell growth via its effect on cell cycle and apoptosis. ORAOV1 is widely expressed; it has a high expression in the placenta, kidney and skeletal muscle. ORAOV1 is amplified and overexpressed in oral cancer cells.

BTC is a potent mitogen for retinal pigment epithelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. The effects of betacellulin are mediated by the EGF receptor and other related receptors.

CHGB is a neuroendocrine secretory granule protein, that is the precursor for other biologically active peptides. CHGB is part of the chromogranin/secretogranin protein family and is expressed in the adrenal medulla, and in pheochromocytoma.

Myostatin (GDF-8) is expressed uniquely in human skeletal muscle as a 12 kDa mature glycoprotein consisting of 113 amino acid residues and secreted into plasma. Myostatin is a member of the transforming growth factor ? superfamily of secreted growth and differentiation factors that is essential for proper regulation of skeletal muscle mass. Studies have shown that myostatin could play an important role in cardiac development and physiology.

Prolactin is a neuroendocrine hormone synthesized primarily by the pituitary gland but also a variety of other cell types including the placenta, brain and uterus. Prolactin’s primary function is to promote and maintain lactation and also in breast cancer development, regulation of reproductive function and immunoregulation.

Plasma protease C1 inhibitor (SERPING1) is a part of the serpin superfamily of serine protease inhibitors. SERPING1 plays an important role in regulating activation of both the complement and contact systems. That isdue to the fact that SERPING1 regulates the activation of complement factor C1 in addition to the activity of activated C1 by coupling with the active catalytic site at the light chains of C1r and C1s. SERPING1 insufficiency results in hereditary angioedema, which is characterized by recurrent episodes of localized angioedema of the skin, gastrointestinal mucosa or upper respiratory mucosa.

Troponin I (TnI), troponin T (TnT) and troponin C (TnC) form the troponin complex of the thin filaments of striated muscle. TnI is acts as the inhibitory subunit by blocking actin-myosin interactions and thereby mediating striated muscle relaxation. The TnI subfamily contains 3 genes: TnI-skeletal-fast-twitch, TnI-skeletal-slow-twitch, and TnI-cardiac. The TNNI3 gene encodes the TnI-cardiac protein and is exclusively expressed in cardiac muscle tissues. Mutations in the TNNI3 gene cause familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy type 7 (CMH7) and familial restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM).

CNTF is a polypeptide hormone whose actions appear to be restricted to the nervous system where it promotes neurotransmitter synthesis and neurite outgrowth in certain neuronal populations. The protein is a potent survival factor for neurons and oligodendrocytes and may be relevant in reducing tissue destruction during inflammatory attacks. A mutation in this gene, which results in aberrant splicing, leads to ciliary neurotrophic factor deficiency, but this phenotype is not causally related to neurologic disease. In addition to the predominant monocistronic transcript originating from this locus, the gene is also co-transcribed with the upstream ZFP91 gene. Co-transcription from the two loci results in a transcript that contains a complete coding region for the zinc finger protein but lacks a complete coding region for ciliary neurotrophic factor.
CNTF is a survival factor for various neuronal cell types. Seems to prevent the degeneration of motor axons after axotomy.

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.

Platelet factor-4 is a 70-amino acid protein that is released from the alpha-granules of activated platelets.PF4’s major physiologic role appears to be neutralization of molecules on the endothelial surface of blood vessels, thereby inhibiting local antithrombin III 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 chemokine family. Furthermore, it is used as an inhibitor in the angiogenesis during tumor therapy.

EFNB1 is a member of the Eph family. The cell-surface proteins Ephrins split into two groups, ephrin-A and ephrin-B, based on their structure and function and perform as ligands for Eph receptors. The transmembrane EFNB1 proteins have conserved cytoplasmic tyrosine residues that are phosphorylated upon interaction with an EphB receptor. In addition, EFNB1 transduces outside-in signals by C-terminal protein interfaces which influence integrin-mediated cell attachment and migration.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative bacillus-shaped bacterium, which is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Y.Enterocolitica is motile at temperatures between 22-29°C, however becomes non-motile at normal human body temperature. Y. Enterocolitica infection causes the yersiniosis disease, which is an animal-borne disease occurring in humans, as well as in a various groups of animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, and birds. Yersinia enterocolitica is a heterogeneous group of strains, which are conventionally classified by bio-typing into six bio-groups on the basis of phenotypic characteristics, and by serotyping into more than 57 “O” serogroups, on the basis of their O (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) surface antigen. Five of the six biogroups (1B and 2–5) are considered as pathogens. Nevertheless, only a few of these serogroups have been linked with disease in either humans or animals. Strains which belong to serogroups O:3 (biogroup 4), O:5,27 (biogroups 2 and 3), O:8 (biogroup 1B), and O:9 (biogroup 2) are most frequently isolated worldwide from human samples. Still, the main Y. enterocolitica serogroup in many European countries is serogroup O:3 followed by O:9, whereas the serogroup O:8 is mostly detected in the United States.

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.

TNFAIP3-interacting protein 1 (TNIP1) interacts with zinc finger protein A20/TNFAIP3 and inhibits TNF-induced NF-kappa-B-dependent gene expression by interfering with a RIP- or TRAF2-mediated transactivation signal. Furthermore, TNIP1 interacts with HIV-1 matrix protein and is packaged into virions and its overexpression can inhibit viral replication. TNIP1 can regulate matrix nuclear localization, both nuclear import of Preintegration complex (PIC) and export of GAG polyprotein and viral genomic RNA during virion production.