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Actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2), is a part of the Rho family of small GTPases and one of seven subunits of the human Arp2/3 protein complex. The Arp2/3 protein complex has been implicated in the control of actin polymerization in cells and has been conserved through evolution. Nevertheless, the exact role of the protein (the p34 subunit) has yet to be determined.

Endoglin is a type I membrane glycoprotein located on cell surfaces and is part of the TGF beta receptor complex.The Endoglin protein consists of a homodimer of 180 kDA with disulfide links. Endoglin has been found on endothelial cells, activated macrophages, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, Endoglin has been found to be part of the TGF-beta1 receptor complex. Endoglin thus may be involved in the binding of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta3, activin-A, BMP-2, and BMP-7. Beside TGF-beta signaling endoglin may have other functions. It has been postulated that endoglin is involved in the cytoskeletal organization affecting cell morphology and migration. Endoglin has a role in the development of the cardiovascular system and in vascular remodeling. Endoglin expression is regulated during heart development . Experimental mice without the endoglin gene die due to cardiovascular abnormalities.

Phosducin-like protein (PDCL) is a member of the phosducin family. PDCL is a putative modulator of heterotrimeric G proteins. PDCL shares broad amino acid sequence homology with phosducin, a phosphoprotein expressed in the retina and pineal gland. Both PDCL and phosphoducin regulate G-protein signaling by binding to the beta-gamma subunits of G proteins.

Frizzled-Related Protein (FRZB) is a secreted protein which is involved in the regulation of bone development. FRZB gene defects cause the female-specific osteoarthritis (OA) susceptibility. sFRPS (Soluble frizzled-related proteins) serve as modulators of Wnt signaling by direct interaction with Wnts. sFRPS have a role in regulating cell growth and differentiation in specific cell types. SFRP3/FRZB is involved in limb skeletogenesis. FRZB regulates chondrocyte maturation and long bone development.

Rab GDP dissociation inhibitor beta isoform 1 (GDI2) is a member of the GDP dissociation inhibitors (GDIs) family. GDI proteins can bind and release GDP-bound Rab proteins from membranes. GDI1 interacts with virtually all of the Rab proteins, whereas GDI2 interacts with Rabll but not Rab3A. GDI2 distributes ubiquitously, presenting a membrane bound location in perinuclear regions of cells.

Tropomyosin beta chain isoform 2 is affiliate to the actin filament binding protein family which primarily expressed in slow, type 1 muscle fibers. Mutations in TPM2 can change the expression of other sarcomeric tropomyosin proteins, and cause cap disease, nemaline myopathy and distal arthrogryposis syndromes.

RAB, Member RAS Oncogene Family-Like 5 (RABL5) belongs to the Ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins. The Ras-related superfamily of guanine nucleotide binding proteins includes the R-Ras, Rap, Ral/Rec and Rho/Rab subfamilies. Rab proteins have an essential role in endocytosis or in biosynthetic protein transport. The transporting process of newly synthesized proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to various stacks of the Golgi complex and to secretory vesicles includes the movement of carrier vesicles and requires Rab protein function.

Synaptotagmin-1(SYT1) is a member of the synaptotagmin family, which contains two C2 domains. The synaptotagmins are integral membrane proteins of synaptic vesicles assumed to function as Ca(2+) sensors in the process of vesicular trafficking and exocytosis. SYT1 is the principal regulator responsible for allowing the human brain to release neurotransmitters. SYT1 may have a regulatory role in the membrane interactions during trafficking of synaptic vesicles at the active zone of the synapse. SYT1 binds acidic phospholipids with a specificity which entails the presence of both an acidic head group and a diacyl backbone. SYT1 can also bind to at least 3 additional proteins in a Ca2+-independent manner; these being neurexins, syntaxin and AP2.

A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from white adipocytes and implicated in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Leptin provides the key afferent signal from fat cells in the feedback system that controls body fat stores.

Follistatin is a single-chain gonadal protein that specifically inhibits follicle-stimulating hormone release. The single FST gene encodes two isoforms, FST317 and FST344 containing 317 and 344 amino acids respectively, resulting from alternative splicing of the precursor mRNA. In a study in which 37 candidate genes were tested for linkage and association with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or hyperandrogenemia in 150 families, evidence was found for linkage between PCOS and follistatin. Follistatin functions as an ACTV antagonist. specific inhibitor of the biosynthesis and secretion of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (fsh).

Insulin decreases blood glucose concentration. Insulin increases cell permeability to monosaccharides, amino acids and fatty acids. Insulin accelerates glycolysis, the pentose phosphate cycle, and glycogen synthesis in liver.

MAP2K1 is a member of the dual specificity protein kinase family, which plays a role as a mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinase. MAP kinases, are recognized as extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), that act as an integration position for multiple biochemical signals. MEK1 is located upstream of MAP kinases and stimulates the enzymatic activity of MAP kinases upon wide variety of extra- and intracellular signals. As a key player of MAP kinase signal transduction pathway, MEK1 is involved in many cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, transcription regulation and development. MAP2K1 catalyzes the concomitant phosphorylation of a threonine and a tyrosine residue in a thr-glu-tyr sequence located in map kinases. MEK1 activates erk1 and erk2 map kinases.

RANKL binds to tnfrsf11b/opg and to tnfrsf11a/rank. Osteoclast differentiation and activation factor. Augments the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate naive t-cell proliferation. May be an important regulator of interactions between t-cells and dendritic cells and may play a role in the regulation of the t-cell-dependent immune response. sRANKL may also play an important role in enhanced bone-resorption in humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.

Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGFs) comprise a family of at least eighteen structurally realted proteins that are involved in a multitude of physiological and pathological cellular processes, including cell growth, differentation, angiogenesis, wound healing and tumorgenesis. The biological activities of the FGFs are mediated by a family if type I transmembrane tyrosine kinases which undergo dimerization and autophosphorylation after ligand binding. Four distinct genes encoding closely related FGF receptors, FGFR-1to -4 are known. Multiple forms of FGFR-1 to -3 are generated by alternative splicing of the mRNAs. A frequent splicing event involving FGFR-1 and -2 results in receptors containing all three Ig domains, referred to as the alpha isoform, or only IgII and IgIII, referred to as the ? isoform. Only the alpha isoform has been identified for FGFR-3 and FGFR-4. Additional splicing events for FGFR-1 to -3, involving the C-terminal half of the IgIII domain encoded by two mutually exclusive alternative exons, generate FGF receptors with alternative IgIII domains (IIIb and IIIc). A IIIa isoform which is a secreted FGF binding protein containing only the N-terminal half of the IgIII domain plus some intron sequences has also been reported for FGFR-1. Mutations in FGFR-1 to -3 have been found in patients with birth defects involving craniosynostosis.

Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a chemokine produced by macrophages and other cell types such as epithelial cells. It is also synthesized by endothelial cells, which store IL-8 in their storage vesicles, the Weibel-Palade bodies. When first encountering an antigen, the primary cells to encounter it are the macrophages who phagocytose the particle. Upon processing, they release chemokines to signal other immune cells to come in to the site of inflammation. IL-8 is one such chemokine. It serves as a chemical signal that attracts neutrophils at the site of inflammation, and therefore is also known as Neutrophil Chemotactic Factor.

Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor is a growth factor and/or cytokine produced by the endothelium, macrophages and a number of other immune cells. GCSF stimulates the bone marrow to produce granulocytes and also to stimulate the survival, proliferation, differentiation and function of neutrophil granulocyte progenator cells and mature neutrophils.

HB-EGF is an EGF related growth factor which signals via the EGF receptor, and stimulates the proliferation of SMC (smooth muscle cells), fibroblasts, epithelial cells and keratinocytes. HB-EGF is expressed in various cell types and tissues, including vascular endothelial cells and SMC, macrophages, skeletal muscle, keratinocytes and particular tumor cells. HB-EGF’s ability to explicitly bind heparin and heparin sulfate proteoglycans is dissimilar from other EGF-like molecules, and might be related to the enhanced mitogenic activity, relative to EGF, that HB-EGF exerts on smooth muscle cells.

FGF8 is part of the fibroblast growth factor family. FGF family members have wide mitogenic and cell survival activities, and participate in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. FGF8 supports androgen and anchorage independent growth of mammary tumor cells. FGF8 over expression increases tumor growth and angiogensis. The adult expression of FGF-8 gene is restricted to testes and ovaries. FGF8 functions as an embryonic epithelial factor. FGF8 takes part in midbrain and limb development, organogenesis, embryo gastrulation and left-right axis determination.

GDF10 is a member of the BMP family and the TGF-beta superfamily. GDF10 is expressed in femur, brain, lung, skeletal, muscle, pancreas and testis, and has a role in head formation and possibly multiple roles in skeletal morphogenesis. In humans, GDF10 mRNA is found in the cochlea and lung of fetuses, and in testis, retina, pineal gland, and other neural tissues of adults. The BMP family members are regulators of cell growth and differentiation in both embryonic and adult tissues. These proteins are characterized by a polybasic proteolytic processing site which is cleaved to produce a mature protein containing 7 conserved cysteine residues.

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.

AMTN is a member of the amelotin family. AMTN is a lately discovered secreted enamel protein. AMTN mainly expressed during the maturation stage of enamel formation. AMTN gathers in a basal lamina-like structure at the interface between ameloblasts and enamel mineral and it co-localizes with one more lately described enamel protein, odontogenic ameloblast- related protein (ODAM(.

4-1BBR is a member of the TNF-receptor superfamily. 4-1BB receptor contributes to the clonal expansion, survival, and development of T cells.4-1BBRcan also induce proliferation in peripheral monocytes, enhance T cell apoptosis induced by TCR/CD3 triggered activation, and regulate CD28 co-stimulation to promote Th1 cell responses. The expression of this receptor is induced by lymphocyte activation. TRAF adaptor proteins have been shown to bind to this receptor and transduce the signals leading to activation of NF-kappaB.