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HAGH is a part of the glyoxalase family and a thiolesterase which hydrolyses S-lactoyl-glutathione to reduced glutathione and D-lactate. HAGH protein is a detoxifying enzyme of glycolysis byproduct methylglyoxal and a target of p63 and p73 and serves as a pro-survival factor of the p53 family. HAGH appears only as a monomer and binds two zinc ions per subunit.

Excess adiposity is the most important risk in the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Adipose tissue produces several proteins (adipocytokines) such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-a, and IL-6, that modulate sensitivity and appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis, diabetes, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Visfatin, also known as pre-B cell colony-enhancing factor (PBEF), is a cytokine that is highly expressed in visceral fat and was originally isolated as a secreted factor that synergizes with IL-7 and stem cell factors to promote the growth of B cell precursors. Visfatin homologs have been identified in carp, invertebrate mollusks, and bacteria, as well as in vertebrates, including humans and the mouse. It has been postulated to play a role in innate immunity.
Visfatin exerts mimetic effects that are dose-dependent and quantitatively similar to stimulating muscle and adipocyte glucose transport, and in inhibiting hepatocyte glucose production. Intravenous injection of recombinant visfatin in mice decreased plasma glucose in a dose-dependent fashion. In keeping with its mimetic effects, visfatin was as effective in reducing hyperglycemia in deficient diabetic mice. Visfatin was also found to be bound to and activate receptor, causing receptor phosphorylation and the activation of downstream signaling molecules. However, visfatin did not compete for binding to the receptor, indicating that the two proteins were recognized by different regions of the receptor. Thus, visfatin might play a role in glucose homeostasis and dysregulation in biosynthesis or signal transduction, and might contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes.

Adiponectin is a hormone exclusively expressed from adipose tissue. Many studies demonstrate that adiponectin has direct anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory functions. APM-1 can increase insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle, attenuate hepatic lipogenesis and luconeogenesis, regulate NO production in endothelial cells, inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells and prevent lipid accumulation of macrophage cells.
In the circulation, adiponectin is present as three different oligomeric complexes, including the high molecular weight (HMW), the middle molecular weight (MMW, also called hexamer) and low molecular weigh (MMW, also called trimer) forms 8. Different oligomeric complex of adiponectin activates different signaling pathways and exerts distinct functions.

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).

Myeloid-derived growth factor (Mydgf) is a paracrine-acting protein and a bone marrow-derived monocyte which stimulates cardiac myocyte survival and adaptive angiogenesis for cardiac protection and repair after myocardial infarction. Mydgf induces endothelial cell proliferation through a MAPK1/3-, STAT3- and CCND1-mediated signaling lane. When comparing wild-type mice to mice with a Mydgf-deficiency, the later develop larger infarct scars and more acute contractile dysfunction.

Mortality factor 4-like protein 1 (MORF4L1) is a member of the MRG family. MORF4L1 is a component of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex which is involved in transcriptional activation of select genes mostly by acetylation of nucleosomal histones H4 and H2A. MORF4L1 is a transcription factor expressed in various human tissues, and its orthologs have been found in many other eukaryotes which comprise the MRG protein family. The C-terminal part of MORF4L1 forms a conserved MRG domain that is involved in interactions with the tumor suppressor protein retinoblastoma and a nucleoprotein.

SPIN1 is a member of the SPIN/STSY family. SPIN1 is localized to nucleus, and expressed in several tissues and cells. SPIN1 takes part in cell-cycle regulation in the course of the transition from gamete to embryo.

MCL1 is a member of the Bcl-2 family. MCL1 takes part in the control of apoptosis against cell existence, and in the preservation of viability but not of proliferation. Alternative splicing happens at this locus and two transcript variants encoding different isoforms are known. Isoform 1 is the longer gene product and it increases cell existence by inhibiting apoptosis. Isoform 2 is a shorter gene product which indorses apoptosis and is death-inducing.

RAB1A belongs to the ras-related superfamily. Rab proteins have a central part in either in endocytosis or in biosynthetic protein transport. Rab1a protein controls vesicle traffic from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus.

DLAT gene encodes component E2 of the multi-enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). PDC is located in the inner mitochondrial membrane and catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to acetyl coenzyme A. The protein product of this gene, dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase, takes acetyl groups created by the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate and transfers them to coenzyme A. Dihydrolipoamide acetyltransferase is the antigen for antimitochondrial antibodies which are found in about 95% of patients with the autoimmune liver disease primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). In patients who suffer from this illness, activated T lymphocytes attack and destroy epithelial cells in the bile duct where this protein is abnormally distributed and overexpressed. PBC ultimately leads to cirrhosis and liver failure. Mutations in DLAT are also a cause of pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 deficiency which causes primary lactic acidosis in infancy and early childhood.

Dendritic cell and monocyte chemokinelike protein (DMC/CXCL17/VEGF-correlated chemokine 1/VCC1), is a secreted molecule with a size and predicted 3-dimensional folding pattern similar to that of chemokines CXCL8/IL8 and CXCL14/BRAK. CXCL17 is constitutively generated by airway and intestinal epithelium. CXCL17 induces the chemotaxis of quiescent, but not LPS-activated peripheral blood monocytes and dendritic cells, and it also binds these cells specifically. The expression of CXCL17 is increased in endothelial cells when they are induced to form tubes in vitro. CXCL17, CXCL1/GRO and CXCL8/IL8 which have roles in angiogenesis, show significantly correlated expression with that of VEGF in primary lung, breast and esophageal tumors. Therefore, CXCL17 is suggested to have a role in tumor angiogenesis. The mature Rat CXCL17 shares 82%, 71% amino acid sequence identity with mouse, human CXCL17, respectively.

Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important signaling protein involved in both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. As its name implies, VEGF activity has been mostly studied on cells of the vascular endothelium, although it does have effects on a number of other cell types (e.g. stimulation monocyte/macrophage migration, neurons, cancer cells, kidney epithelial cells ).VEGF mediates increased vascular permeability, induces angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and endothelial cell growth, promotes cell migration, and inhibits apoptosis. In vitro, VEGF has been shown to stimulate endothelial cell mitogenesis and cell migration. VEGF is also a vasodilator and increases microvascular permeability and was originally referred to as vascular permeability factor.
Elevated levels of this protein is linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

IL-1 alpha is produced by activated macrophages.IL-1 alpha stimulates thymocyte proliferation by inducing il-2 release, b-cell maturation and proliferation, and fibroblast growth factor activity. IL1A proteins take part in the inflammatory response, being identified as endogenous pyrogens, and stimulate the release of prostaglandin and collagenase from synovial cells.

Leucine zipper down-regulated in cancer 1-like (LDOC1L) is a member of the LDOC1 family. LDOC1L is a nuclear protein containing a leucine zipper-like motif and a proline-rich region that shares noticeable similarity with an SH3-binding domain. LDOC1L localizes to the nucleus and is downregulated in certain cancer cell lines. LDOC1L is believed to regulate the transcriptional response mediated by the nuclear factor kB (NFkB).

FADD is an adaptor protein that cooperates with a variety of cell surface receptors and mediates cell apoptotic signals. Using its C-terminal death domain, FADD is recruited by TNFRSF6/Fas-receptor, tumor necrosis factor receptor, TNFRSF25, and TNFSF10/TRAIL-receptor, and consequently it take parts in the death signaling initiated by these receptors. FADD interaction with the receptors reviels the N-terminal effector domain of, which allows it to recruit caspase-8, and thus initiate the cysteine protease cascade. Knockout studies in mice furthermore propose the significance of FADD in premature T cell development. FADD plays a role in survival/proliferation and cell cycle development. FADD also takes part in cellular sublocalization, protein phosphorylation, and inhibitory molecules.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is a multifunctional growth factor which regulates both cell growth and cell motility. It exerts a strong mitogenic effect on hepatocytes and primary epithelial cells. HGF synergizes with Interleukin-3and GM-CSFto stimulate colony formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro and may, therefore, also modulate hematopoiesis.

Kallikrein-15 (KLK15) is one of the 15 kallikrein subfamily members located in a cluster on chromosome 19. KLK15 contains numerous polyadenylation sites and alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. KLK15 is over expressed in prostate cancer and therefore uses as a diagnostic or prognostic marker for prostate cancer.

Human interleukin family 1, member 5 (IL-1F5 / FIL1-delta) belongs to the interleukin 1 cytokine family. IL1F5 is expressed by a variety of cells including monocytes, Bcells, dendritic cells/Langerhans cells, keratinocytes,and gastric fundus Parietal and Chief cells. IL1F5 is an antagonist of IL1F9; however IL1F5 activity related to receptor binding remains unclear. Human and mouse IL1F5 share 90% amino acid sequence identity.

Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling by inhibiting LRP5/6 interaction with Wnt and by creating a ternary complex with the transmembrane protein KREMEN which promotes internalization of LRP5/6. DKKs have a significant role in vertebrate development, where they locally inhibit Wnt controlled processes for instance antero-posterior axial patterning, limb development, somitogenesis and eye formation. Furthermore, Dkks are involved in bone formation and bone disease, cancer and Alzheimer disease in Adults.

Growth/differentiation factors (GDF1-GDF15) belong to the BMP family of TGF-beta superfamily proteins. These factors are produced as inactive preproproteins which are subsequently cleaved and assembled into active secreted homodimers. BMP13 is a growth factor which controls proliferation and cellular differentiation in the retina and bone formation. BMP13 has a central role in regulating apoptosis during retinal development. GDF proteins are vital during embryonic development, particularly in the skeletal, nervous, and muscular systems. BMP13 gene mutations result in colobomata, which are congenital abnormalities in ocular development, and in Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS), which is a congenital disorder of spinal segmentation.

The precise role of CFLAR is not yet revealed but it seems it is vital in apoptosis regulation downstream of all identified death receptors.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a glycoprotein present in fetal digestive-tract tissues; it’s involved in cell adhesion. The production of CEA stops before birth. CEA is called tumor marker since its elevated levels are found in the serum from individuals with colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, lung and breast carcinomas and in heavy smokers.
There are also benign conditions that elevate CEA levels such as smoking, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, pancreatitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and some benign tumors (in the equivalent organs which have cancers with elevated CEA). Typically, higher levels of CEA are found in men, smokers, and older individuals.
The presence of CEA assists in screening, in evaluating recurrent or disseminated disease, and in determining the success of surgical removal of malignant tumors.
CEA levels can be used as indicators of treatment success. The normal values range from 0.0 to 2.5 ng/ml of serum (from blood), in non-smokers, a greater amount than that may be suggestive of cancer. Levels above 20 ng/ml before treatment are associated with cancer which has already metastasized. Benign conditions do not usually cause a CEA increase over 10 ng/ml.
The high levels of CEA should return to normal after successful therapy, however if during follow up there’s an elevation in CEA levels it indicates a recurrence of tumor.
Carcinoembryonic antigen family belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily; it consists of 29 genes, 18 of which are normally expressed.

RND1 is a Rho-related GTPases that form a separate branch of the Rho family, since they are different in charge, size, and biochemical properties. RND1 is found in the activated GTP-bound form and performs as a negative regulator of actin assembly and of cell adhesion. RND1 assists in regulation of the organization of the actin cytoskeleton as a reaction to extracellular growth factors.