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G6PD is the rate-limiting enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway, a metabolic pathway that supplies reducing energy to cells by maintaining the level of NADPH. G6PD converts glucose-6-phosphate into 6-phosphoglucono-δ-lactone and at the same time produces NADPH. The NADPH maintains the level of glutathione in these cells that helps protect the red blood cells against oxidative damage. G6PD deficiency causes acute hemolytic anemia, neonatal jaundice or acute hemolysis. G6PD is a cytosolic enzyme encoded by an X-linked gene whose main function is to produce NADPH, a crucial electron donor in the defense against oxidizing agents and in reductive biosynthetic reactions. G6PD produces pentose sugars for nucleic acid synthesis and is a main producer of NADPH reducing power.

FUBP1 is a ssDNA binding protein which stimulates expression of c-myc in undifferentiated cells and activates the far upstream element (FUSE) of c-myc. Regulation of FUSE by FUBP happens by single-strand binding of FUBP to the non-coding strand. FUBP1 performs as an ATP-dependent DNA helicase.

ASF1 Anti-Silencing Function 1 Homolog B (ASF1B) belongs to the H3/H4 family of histone chaperone proteins and is similar to the anti-silencing function-1 protein in yeast. ASF1B is the substrate of the tousled-like kinase family of cell cycle-regulated kinases, and may have a crucial role in modulating the nucleosome structure of chromatin by guaranteeing a regular supply of histones at sites of nucleosome assembly. ASF1B cooperates with CAF-1 (chromatin assembly factor 1) to stimulate replication-dependent chromatin assembly. ASF1B is highly expressed in the testis and at lower levels in colon, small intestine and thymus. ASF1B is necessary for spermatogenesis.

Cytokeratin 14 is a member of the keratin family, the most diverse group of intermediate filaments. Cytokeratin 14 is a type I keratin, is usually found as a heterotetramer with two keratin 5 molecules, a type II keratin. Together they form the cytoskeleton of epithelial cells. Mutations in the genes for these keratins are associated with epidermolysis bullosa simplex. At least one pseudogene has been identified at 17p12-p11.

Pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in vitamin B6 synthesis. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxal 5-prime-phosphate or PLP) is vital for normal cellular function, and some cancer cells have notable differences in vitamin B6 metabolism compared to their normal counterparts.Vitamin B6 is an essential co-factor for enzymes involved in both homocysteine metabolism and synthesis of neurotransmitters such as catecholamine. Mutations in the PNPO gene result in PNPO deficiency, a form of neonatal epileptic encephalopathy.

Hexokinases phosphorylate glucose to produce glucose-6-phosphate, thus committing glucose to the glycolytic pathway. Hexokinase1 encodes a ubiquitous form of hexokinase which localizes to the outer membrane of mitochondria. Mutations in this gene have been associated with hemolytic anemia due to hexokinase deficiency. Alternative splicing of HXK1 results in five transcript variants which encode different isoforms, some of which are tissue-specific. Each isoform has a distinct N-terminus; the remainder of the protein is identical among all the isoforms. A sixth transcript variant has been described, but due to the presence of several stop codons, it is not thought to encode a protein.

Troponin I, (TNNI1) is a member of the troponin I family. Troponin complex has 3 subunits, TNNI1 known as the inhibitory Subunit which prevents the actin-myosin interactions and thus mediating striated muscle relaxation. TNNI1 combines with tropomyosin and regulates calcium sensitivity of striated muscles by structural modifications in actin-myosin complexes.

IL-32 is part of the cytokine family and contains a tyrosine sulfation site, 3 potential N-myristoylation sites, multiple putative phosphorylation sites, and an RGD cell-attachment sequence. IL-32 expression is elevated after the activation of T-cells by mitogens or the activation of NK cells by IL-2. IL-32 induces the production of TNF-a from macrophage cells. IL-32 pro-inflammatory pathway is activated in response to influenza A virus infection. Dysregulation of IL-32 in myelodysplastic syndrome and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia modulates apoptosis and impairs NK function. Induction of TNF, IL-1beta, and IL-6 by IL-32 is intervened by p38-MAPK. IL-32 induced monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation is mediated through nonapoptotic, caspase-3-dependent mechanisms. IL32 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. IL-32 is involved in activation-induced cell death in T cells, through its intracellular actions. IL-32 is a cell-associated proinflammatory cytokine,

Glia Maturation Factor-Beta (GMF-Beta) is a 17 kDa protein nerve gorwth factor identified as a growth and differentiation factor in the vertebrate brain.

Glia Maturation Factor-Beta stimulates differentiation of normal neurons as well as glial cells. GMFB inhibits the proliferation of the N-18 neuroblastoma line and the C6 glioma line while promoting their phenotypic expression.
GMF-beta inhances the phenotypic expression of glia & neurons thus inhibits the proliferation of their respective tumors when added to cell culture. Although astrocytes produce GMF-b and stores it inside the cells, they don’t secrete the GMF-B into the cultured medium. Cell- surface GMFb acts on the target cells at close range when cells are in direct contact. GMF-Beta is produced by thymic epithelial cells and plays an important role in T cell development in favor of CD4+ T cells.
GMF-Beta is a brain-specific protein which belongs to the actin-binding proteins (ADF) family. GMF-beta appears to play a role in the differentiation, maintenance, and regeneration of the nervous system. It also supports the progression of certain auto-immune diseases, possibly through its ability to induce the production and secretion of various pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Cathepsins B, C, H, L, S, V, X/Z/P and 1 are cysteine proteases of the papain family. Cathepsin C is also known as DPPI (dipeptidyl-peptidase I). Cathepsin A is a serine carboxypeptidase and Cathepsin D and E are aspartic proteases. As lysosomal proteases, cathepsins play an important role in protein degradation. Because of their redistribution or increased levels in human and animal tumors, cathepsins may have a role in invasion and metastasis. Cathepsins are synthesized as inactive proenzymes and processed to become mature and active enzymes. Endogenous protein inhibitors, such as cystatins and some serpins, inhibit active enzymes.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2S (UBE2S) belongs to the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family. UBE2S is able to form a thiol ester linkage with ubiquitin in a ubiquitin activating enzyme-dependent manner, a typical property of ubiquitin carrier proteins. UBE2S catalyzes the covalent attachment of ubiquitin to other proteins. UBE2S acts as a crucial factor of the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C), which is a cell cycle-regulated ubiquitin ligase that controls progression through mitosis. UBE2S acts by purposely elongating ''Lys-11''-linked polyubiquitin chains initiated by the E2 enzyme UBE2C/UBCH10 on APC/C substrates, augmenting the degradation of APC/C substrates by the proteasome and promoting mitotic exit. UBE2S also acts by elongating ubiquitin chains initiated by the E2 enzyme UBE2D1/UBCH5 in vitro; it is nevertheless uncertain whether UBE2D1/UBCH5 acts as an E2 enzyme for the APC/C in vivo. UBE2S is also involved in ubiquitination and consequent degradation of VHL, resu

Dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3) belongs to the DKK protein family including Dkk-1, 2, 3 and -4. DKK3 is a 350 amino acid secreted glycoprotein which is comprised of an N-terminal signal peptide and 2 conserved cysteine-rich domains that are separated by a 12 amino acid linker region. DKK3 is involved in embryonic development through its inhibition of the WNT signaling pathway. DKK3 gene expression is decreased in a variety of cancer cell lines and it may act as a tumor suppressor gene.

IL2 is a secreted cytokine that is important for the proliferation of T and B lymphocytes. The receptor of this cytokine is a heterotrimeric protein complex whose gamma chain is also shared by interleukin 4 (IL4) and interleukin 7 (IL7). The expression of this gene in mature thymocytes is monoallelic, which represents an unusual regulatory mode for controlling the precise expression of a single gene. The targeted disruption of a similar gene in mice leads to ulcerative colitis-like disease, which suggests an essential role of this gene in the immune response to antigenic stimuli.

Lipopolysaccharide is a potent stimulator of monocytes and macrophages, causing secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and other inflammatory mediators. LITAF is a lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-alpha factor, which is a DNA-binding protein and can mediate the TNF-alpha expression by direct binding to the promoter region of the TNF-alpha gene. The transcription of the LITAF gene is induced by tumor suppressor p53 and has been implicated in the p53-induced apoptotic pathway. Mutations in the LITAF gene cause Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1C (CMT1C) and may be involved in the carcinogenesis of extramammary Paget''s disease (EMPD).

CD34 is a single chain transmembrane glycoprotein which is selectively expressed on human lymphoid and myeloid hemapoietic progenitor cells. CD34 has been used to measure angiogenesis, which reportedly predicts tumor recurrence.

IL-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine. This cytokine can induce the IFN-gamma production of T cells. The combination of this cytokine and IL12 has been shown to inhibit IL4 dependent IgE and IgG1 production, and enhance IgG2a production of B cells. IL-18 binding protein (IL18BP) can specifically interact with this cytokine, and thus negatively regulate its biological activity.

Apoptosis-Inducing Factor, Mitochondrion-Associated, 1 (AIFM1) is a mitochondrial protein which translocates to the nucleus once apoptosis has been initiated. AIFM1 causes DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation and also triggers the release of cytochrome c and caspase-9 from mitochondria. Bcl-2 overexpression prevents the release of AIFM1 from mitochondria, but doesn’t block its apoptogenic activity.

Uromodulin is the most abundant protein in normal urine. Its secretion in urine follows proteolytic cleavage of the ectodomain of its glycosyl phosphatidylinosital-anchored counterpart that is situated on the luminal cell surface of the loop of Henle. Uromodulin plays a role as a constitutive inhibitor of calcium crystallization in renal fluids. Secretion of uromodulin in urine provides protection against urinary tract infections caused by uropathogenic bacteria. Defects in Uromodulin expression are associated with the autosomal dominant renal disorders medullary cystic kidney disease-2 (MCKD2) and familial juvenile hyperuricemic nephropathy (FJHN). These disorders are characterized by juvenile onset of hyperuricemia, gout, and progressive renal failure. While several transcript variants may exist for this gene, the full-length natures of only two have been described to date. UMOD is involved in regulating the circulating activity of cytokines as it binds to il-1, il-2 and tnf with high affinity.

Human HSP40 (heat shock protein with molecular size of 40kDa) is one of the mammalian homologues of bacterial DnaJ heat shock protein and regulates cellular processes by aiding in the folding, transport and assembly. HSP40 protein contains the J-domain which controls interaction with the ATPase domain of DnaK.

PNMT is an enzyme located in the adrenal medulla and it catalyzes the final step of the catecholamine biosynthesis pathway, which methylates norepinephrine to form epinephrine (adrenaline). PNMT has beta-carboline 2N-methyltransferase activity. PNMT takes part in regulating epinephrine production. Glucocorticoid receptors form multimers of PNMT independent of the DNA binding domain. PNMT expression is regulated late in mouse gestation by AP2-alpha and glucocorticoids.

Caused by one of four closely related virus serotypes of the genus Flavivirus, family Flaviviridae, each serotype is sufficiently different that there is no cross-protection and epidemics caused by multiple serotypes (hyperendemicity) can occur. In cell culture experiments and mice Morpholino antisense oligos have shown specific activity against Dengue virus.

SARS Coronavirus is an enveloped virus containing three outer structural proteins, namely the membrane (M), envelope (E), and spike (S) proteins. Spike (S)-glycoprotein of the virus interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into susceptible target cells. Accordingly, S-protein plays an important role in virus infection cycle and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies.
It has recently been shown that SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is caused by a human coronavirus. Human coronaviruses are the major cause of upper respiratory tract illness, such as the common cold, in humans. Coronaviruses are positive-stranded RNA viruses, featuring the largest viral RNA genomes known to date (27-31 kb). The first step in coronavirus infection is binding of the viral spike protein, a 139-kDa protein, to certain receptors on host cells. The spike protein is the main surface antigen of the coronavirus. The glycosilated spike protein (as well as the nucleocapsid protein) can be detected in infected cell culture supernatants with antisera from SARS patients.

MYL4 is a hexameric ATPase cellular motor protein which is composed of two nonphosphorylatable alkali light chains, two heavy chains and two phosphorylatable regulatory light chains. MYL4 encodes a myosin alkali light chain which is located in embryonic muscle and adult atria. Two alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein were found for this gene.

Human Adiponectin is a secreted protein expressed exclusively in differentiated adipocyte (adipokine). Adiponectin contains a modular structure comprising an N-terminal collagenous domain followed by a C-terminal globular domain. APM-1 plays a role in various physiological processes such as energy homeostasis and obesity. Plasma levels of adiponectin are reduced in obese humans, and decreased levels are associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.