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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.

TNFR1 belongs to the TNF-receptor superfamily. TNFR1 is a receptor for TNFSF2/TNF-alpha and homotrimeric TNFSF1/lymphotoxin-alpha.
There are 2 types of soluble TNF receptors: sTNFR-I and sTNFR-II, which act to neutralize the biological activities of TNF alpha and TNF beta. The levels of these soluble receptors seem to increase as a result of shedding of the extracellular domains of the membrane bound receptors. TNF-a, TNFR1 and TNFR2 have roles in cellular differentiation. TNFR1 and TNFR2 function in cell type-specific renal injury.
TNFR1 is capable of signaling both cell survival and apoptosis. TNFR1-induced apoptosis requires 2 sequential signaling complexes. TNFR1 is capable of activating NF-kappaB, mediate apoptosis, and function as a regulator of inflammation. Oxidative stress promotes TNFR1 and TNFR2 self-interaction, ligand-independent and enhanced ligand-dependent TNF signaling. TNFR1 contributes to the induction of non-cytocidal TNF effects including anti-viral state and activation of the acid sphingomyelinase. Human TNFR1 has a major region which controls cell surface expression. High levels of soluble TNF receptors are found in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women.
Germline mutations of the extracellular domains of TNFR1 are linked to the autosomal dominant periodic fever syndrome. The impaired receptor clearance is believed to be a mechanism of the disease. Familial hibernian fever (FHF) is caused by defects in TNFRSF1A gene.

CD70 also known as TNFSF7 is a cytokine which binds to CD27. TNFSF7 takes part in T-cell activation as well as induces the proliferation of costimulated T-cells. Moreover, TNFSF7 enhances the generation of cytolytic T-cells. Among the diseases which are associated with TNFSF7: Include acute myocarditis & Myocarditis.

Recombinant Human Sonic Hedgehog is part of a small group of secreted proteins that are vital for development in both vertebrates and invertebrates. 3 mammalian hedgehog genes (sonic, desert, Indian) share about 60% homology. The Human Sonic Hedgehog is 99% homologous to the mouse gene. Sonic HedgeHog helps in guiding the early embryo. It has been associated as the major inductive signal in patterning of the ventral neural tube, the anterior-posterior limb axis, and the ventral somites. Sonic HedgeHog binds to the patched receptor, which association with smoothened, to activate the transcription of target genes. In the absence of sonic HedgeHog, patched receptor represses the constitutive signaling activity of smoothened. Sonic HedgeHog also regulates another factor, the gli oncogene. Sonic HedgeHog intercellular signal is necessary for a various patterning events during development: signal produced by the notochord that induces ventral cell fate in the neural tube and somites, and the polarizing signal for patterning of the anterior-posterior axis of the developing limb bud. Sonic HedgeHog exhibits both floor plate- and motor neuron-inducing activity. Mutations in a long-range Sonic HedgeHog enhancer located in an intron of the limb region 1 gene result in preaxial polydactyly.

Transferrin is the iron-transport protein of vertebrate serum and donates iron to cells through interaction with a specific membrane receptor, CD71. Transferrin appears to be indispensable for most cells growing in tissue culture.
It is referred to frequently as a growth factor because, in analogy to other growth factor-receptor interactions, proliferating cells express high numbers of transferrin receptors, and the binding of transferrin to their receptors is needed for cells to initiate and maintain their DNA synthesis. Apart from its role as an iron transport protein transferrin acts as a cytokine and has functions that may not be related to its iron-carrying capacity.
Human Transferrin is a crucial component for the cultivation of mammalian cells in-vitro. Human Transferrin is Critical for long-term cells growth in-vitro. Human Transferrin is used as detoxificant in media by binding contaminating metal ions. Human Transferrin is often used as a nutrient in fermentation media for recombinant protein and biopharmaceutical production. Additional common uses of Human Transferrin areMolecular weight, Affinity purification of anti-human transferrin antibodies and also as receptor mediated transfection of molecules such as DNA, into cells.

Angiopoietin-related protein 7 (ANGPTL7), belongs to the angiopoietin-like family of molecules. ANGPTL7 is expressed in the corneal stroma, trabecular meshwork, and sclera. ANGPTL7 production is up-regulated in trabecular meshwork cells by glucocorticoids and TGF-Beta and in cartilage by TNF-alpha.

Osteopontin is a glycoprotein that was primarilyfound in osteoblasts and takes part in bone remodeling, immune functions in fibroblasts, macrophages, & lymphocytes during inflammation and wound healing. SPP1 highlybinds to hydroxyapatite. SPP1 forms an integral part of the mineralized matrix. SPP1 is vital to cell-matrix interaction.
Secreted Phosphoprotein-1 protects against cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury through late preconditioning. Expression of Ostepontin and CD44 in hepatocellular carcinoma is linked to advanced tumor stage &leads to prognosis information. SPP1 is the most over-expressed gene in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Secreted Phosphoprotein-1 overexpression is related with interstitial lung diseases.

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. This antibody reacts with the precursor and mature form of TGFBeta2 and to a lesser extent TGFBeta3, but does not cross react with TGFBeta1.

Transcription Elongation Factor A (SII)- 2 (TCEA2) is located in the nucleus, where it serves as an SII class transcription elongation factor. Elongation factors in this class are responsible for discharging RNA polymerase II ternary complexes from transcriptional arrest at template-encoded arresting sites. TCEA2 interacts with general transcription factor IIB, a basal transcription factor.

TICAM2 belongs to the Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) family, a group of proteins which include the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). TICAM2, a cytoplasmic protein, physically bonds TLR4 and TICAM-1 and functionally transfers LPS-TLR4 signaling to TICAM-1, that sequentially activates IRF-3. TICAM2 takes part in IL1-triggered NF-kappa-B activation, operating upstream of IRAK1, IRAK2, TRAF6, and IKBKB.

Troponin is a fundamental regulatory protein of striated muscle contraction, and together with tropomyosin, is positioned on the actin filament. Troponin has 3 subunits: TnI- the inhibitor of actomyosin ATPase; TnT- contains the binding site for tropomyosin; and TnC- the protein encoded by the TNNC1 gene. The binding of calcium to TnC stops the inhibitory action of TnI, consequently allowing the interaction of actin with myosin, the hydrolysis of ATP, and the generation of tension. Mutations in the TNNC1 gene are linked to cardiomyopathy dilated type 1Z.

Transferrin receptor protein 1 (TFRC) is required for iron delivery from transferring to cells. The TFRC protein is a transmembrane glycoprotein comprised of 2 disulfide-linked monomers joined by 2 disulfide bonds. Each monomer will bind one holo-transferrin molecule producing an iron-Tf-TfR complex which enters the cell by endocytosis.

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.

SEPSECS catalyzes the last step of sec synthesis by way of converting O-phosphoseryl-tRNA(sec) to selenocysteinyl-tRNA(sec) using selenophosphate as the selenium donor. Furthermore, SEPSECS protein is considered a specific marker of autoimmune hepatitis.

HSF2BP, also known as HSF2 binding protein links with HSF2. This interaction takes place between the trimerization domain of HSF2 and the amino terminal hydrophilic region of HSF2BP which contains two leucine zipper motifs. Therefore, HSF2BP is involved in modulating HSF2 activation.

HSPA9 is part of the heat shock protein 70 family which contains both heat-inducible and constitutively expressed members that are also called heat-shock cognate proteins. HSPA9 encodes a heat-shock cognate protein that is involved in the control of cell proliferation and acts as a chaperone. HSPA9 was restricted to chromosome 5, band q31, a region that is often deleted in myeloid leukemias and myelodysplasia (MDS), making it a candidate tumor suppressor gene, which is consistent with the biological function of its murine homologue. HSPA9 supresses nuclear translocation, transcriptional activation, and control of centrosome-duplication functions of p53.

Syntaxin-1, synaptobrevin, and SNAP25 cooperate to form the SNARE complex, which is needed for synaptic vesicle docking and fusion SNPH is a neuron-specific protein originally characterized as a binding partner of syntaxin-1. SNPH participates with SNAP25 for the binding to Syntaxin-1 and prevents the construction of the SNARE core complex, thus manageling free syntaxin-1 availability for the assembly of the SNARE complex and potentially regulating synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Expression Syntaphilin appears to be brain-specific. SNPH is an inhibitor of both SNARE-based fusion and dynamin-mediated endocytosis.

SOX2 is a transcription factor that forms a trimeric complex with OCT4 on DNA and controls the expression of a number of genes involved in embryonic development such as YES1, FGF4, UTF1 and ZFP206. SOX4 is important for early embryogenesis and for embryonic stem cell pluripotency.

STAM Binding Protein (STAMBP) is a zinc metalloprotease which specifically cleaves Lys-63-linked polyubiquitin chains, however it doesn’t cleave Lys-48-linked polyubiquitin chains. STAMBP has a role in signal transduction for cell growth and MYC induction mediated by IL-2 and GM-CSF. In addition, STAMBP potentiates BMP signaling by antagonizing the inhibitory action of SMAD6 and SMAD7. STAMBP also has a major role in regulation of cell surface receptor-mediated endocytosis and ubiquitin-dependent sorting of receptors to lysosomes. Endosomal localization of STAMBP is essential for efficient EGFR degradation but not for its internalization. STAMBP is also involved in the negative regulation of PI3K-AKT-mTOR and RAS-MAP signaling pathways.

Syntaxin-binding protein 6 (STXBP6) binds components of the SNARE complex and takes part in regulating SNARE complex configuration. STXBP6 forms non-fusogenic complexes with SNAP25 and STX1A and modulates the formation of SNARE complexes and exocytosis.

PDCD5 is expressed in tumor cells during apoptosis independent of the apoptosis-inducing stimuli. Prior to apoptosis induction, PDCD5 is distributed in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. Once apoptosis is induced, the amount of PDCD5 increases and by relocation from the cytoplasm, it accumulates in the nucleus.PDCD5 protein has a stable helical core conformation consisting of a triple-helix bundle and two dissociated terminal regions. PDCD5 is an important novel protein that regulates both apoptotic and non-apoptotic programmed cell death. PDCD5 functions in the process of apoptosis.
PDCD5 plays an important role in regulation of apoptotic processes in gastric cancer cells and gastric tumors.
PDCD5 plays a role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.
-27G/-11A SNP is associated with reduced PDCD5 promoter activity and increased susceptibility to chronic myelogenous leukemia.
PDCD5 gene may be a target gene under the control of some important apoptosis-related transcriptional factors during the cell apoptosis.

TARC cDNA encodes a 94 amino acid precursor protein with a 23 amino acid residue signal peptide that is cleaved off to generate the 71 amino acid residue mature secreted protein. Along with CC chemokine family members, CCL-17 has approximately 24-29% amino acid sequence identity with RANTES, MIP-1a, MIP-1b, MCP-1, MCP-2, MCP-3 and I-309. TARC is expressed in thymus, and at a lower level in the lung, colon, and small intestine. TARC is in addition transiently expressed in stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Recombinant TARC has been shown to be chemotactic for T cell lines but not monocytes or neutrophils. CCL-17 was recently identified to be a specific functional ligand for CCR4, a receptor that is selectively expressed on T cells. CCL17 is one of quite a few Cys-Cys (CC) cytokine genes clustered on the q arm of chromosome 16. CCL17 shows chemotactic activity for T lymphocytes, but not monocytes or granulocytes. CCL17 binds to chemokine receptors CCR4 and CCR8. This chemokine plays important roles in T cell development in thymus as well as in trafficking and activation of mature T cells.

TIMP2 belongs to the TIMP gene family. The proteins encoded by this gene family are natural inhibitors of the matrix metalloproteinases, a group of peptidases that take part in degradation of the extracellular matrix. Besides having an inhibitory role against metalloproteinases, the encoded protein has a exclusive part among TIMP family members in its capability to directly suppress the proliferation of endothelial cells. Consequently, the encoded protein is crucial to the conservation of tissue homeostasis by suppressing the production of quiescent tissues as an answer to angiogenic factors, and by inhibiting protease activity in tissues undergoing renovation of the extracellular matrix.

Glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCLM) is the first rate limiting enzyme of glutathione synthesis. The GCLM enzyme is comprised of 2 subunits, a heavy catalytic subunit and a light regulatory subunit. GCLM deficiency is associated with some forms of hemolytic anemia.