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CCNA2 is a member of the highly conserved cyclin family, whose members are characterized by a dramatic periodicity in protein abundance through the cell cycle. Cyclins act as regulators of CDK kinases. Various cyclins demonstrate distinct expression and degradation patterns which contribute to the temporal coordination of each mitotic event. Contrary to cyclin A1, which is present only in germ cells, CCNA2 is expressed in all tissues tested. CCNA2 binds and activates CDC2 or CDK2 kinases, and consequently promotes both cell cycle G1/S and G2/M transitions.

Intein is a section of a protein which can remove itself and return the remaining segment with a peptide bond. In addition, Inteins hold an endonuclease domain which takes part in Intein proliferation. Actually, various genes have unrelated intein-coding segments inserted at altered positions and they were found in all three domains of life (eukaryotes, bacteria, and archaea) and in viruses.

Fractalkine soluble form is chemotactic for t-cells and monocytes, but not for neutrophils. Fractalkine membrane-bound form promotes adhesion of those leukocytes to endothelial cells. Fractalkine regulates leukocyte adhesion and migration processes at the endothelium and binds to CX3CR1. Natural Human Fractalkine is produced as a long protein (373-amino acid) with an extended mucin-like stalk and a chemokine domain on top. The mucin-like stalk permits it to bind to the cell surface. Fractalkine gene is located on human chromosome 16 along with some CC chemokines known as CCL17 and CCL22.

Thymidine phosphorylase precursor (TYMP) is a platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor that catalyzes the formation of thymine and 2-deoxy-D-ribose-1-phosphate from thymidine and orthophosphate. TYMP is an angiogenic inducer that potently stimulates the growth of endothelial cells and induces chemotaxis. TYMP has a highly restricted target cell specificity acting only on endothelial cells. An increased expression of TYMP is found in a broad array of different solid tumors and inflammatory diseases and is frequently associated with poor prognosis. Mutations in the TYMP gene are linked to mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy.

Chromogranin A is a 439 amino acid protein which is encoded on chromosome 14 and is present in neuroendocrine cells throughout the body, including the neuroendocrine cells of the large and small intestine, adrenal medulla and pancreatic islets. It is an excellent marker for carcinoid tumors, phenochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and other neuroendocrine tumors.
Coexpression of chromogranin A and neuron specific enolase (NSE) is common in neuroendocrine neoplasms.

Chitinase 3-Like 2 (CHI3L2) is similar to bacterial chitinases but lacks chitinase activity. CHI3L2 protein is secreted and is involved in cartilage biogenesis. CHI3L2 is a lectin, which binds chitooligosaccharides and other glycans with high affinity.

Gankyrin (proteasome 26S subunit) is a multicatalytic proteinase oncoprotein commonly overexpressed in most hepatocellular carcinomas. Proteasomes are found throughout eukaryotic cells at a high concentrations and cleave peptides in an ATP/ubiquitin-dependent process in a non-lysosomal pathway. Gankyrin interacts with S6 ATPase of the 19S regulatory particle of the 26S proteasome. Gankyrin is involved in theregulation of the phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein by CDK4, and to enhance the ubiquitinylation of p53 by MDM2. Gankyrin consists of 7 ankyrin repeats and is structurally similar to I kappa Bs. Gankyrin acts as a regulatory subunit of the 26s proteasome which is involved in the atp-dependent degradation of ubiquitinated proteins. Gankyrin is involved in progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. gankyrin plays an oncogenic role especially in early stages of human epatocarcinogenesis. Gankyrin binds to NF-kappaB and suppresses its activity at the transcription level by modulating acetylation through SIRT1. Structural comparison between Gankyrin & p16(INK4A) identified numerous residues of gankyrin that are potentially important for CDK4 binding.

Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factors are cytokines that act in hematopoiesis by controlling the production, differentiation, and function of 2 related white cell populations of the blood, the granulocytes and the monocytes-macrophages. MCSF induces cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. MCSF plays a role in immunological defenses, bone metabolism, lipoproteins clearance, fertility and pregnancy.

Ubiquinone biosynthesis protein COQ9 (COQ9) represents a mitochondrial ubiquinone biosynthesis gene. The COQ9 protein is likely required for biosynthesis of coenzyme Q10, since mutations at this locus have been linked with autosomal-recessive neonatal-onset primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency.

Excess adiposity is the most important risk in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Adipose tissue produces several proteins (adipocytokines) such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor-?, and IL-6, that modulate insulin sensitivity and appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which fat tissue induces insulin resistance and the role of adipocytokines in the pathogenesis of T2DM have not been well established.
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 insulin-mimetic effects that are dose-dependent and quantitatively similar to those of insulin in 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 insulin-mimetic effects, visfatin was as effective as insulin in reducing hyperglycemia in insulin-deficient diabetic mice. Visfatin was also found to be bound to and activate insulin receptor, causing receptor phosphorylation and the activation of downstream signaling molecules. However, visfatin and insulin did not compete for binding to the insulin 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.

DKK1 is part of the dickkopf family. DKK1 is a secreted protein with 2 cysteine rich regions and takes part in embryonic development through its inhibition of the WNT signaling pathway. High levels of DKK1 in bone marrow plasma and peripheral blood is associated with the presence of osteolytic bone lesions in patients with multiple myeloma. Induction of DKK1 contributes to the pathological cascade triggered by beta-amyloid and is significantly involved in the development of tau phosphorylation.
DKK1 reduces the differentiation of osteoblastic precursor cells. DKK1 is an important member in multiple myeloma bone disease. DKK1 expression is reduced in human colon tumors, implying that DKK-1 plays a role as a tumor suppressor gene in this neoplasia; the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway is downregulated by the induction of DKK1 expression, a mechanism that is missing in colon cancer.

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 is secreted when eating, nursing, mating, estrogen treatment and during ovulation. Prolactin's primary role is to promote and maintain lactation but also plays a role in breast cancer development, regulation of reproductive function and immunoregulation.

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.

The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

MHC Class II is consists of 2 membrane spanning proteins. Each of these proteins is roughly 30 kDa, and has of two Globular domains, Alpha-1, Alpha-2, Beta-1 and Beta-2. The two regions farthest away from the membrane are alpha-1 and beta-1. The two proteins link without Covalent Bonds. The MHC Class II protein mainly presents peptides, which have been digested from external sources. MHC Class II is normally only expressed by Antigen Presenting Cells (APC) which digest foreign protein. Within the RER the alpha and beta proteins of the molecule, associate with each other, while a third protein called the "invariant chain," is necessary for stabilizing the complex, without it, they will not associate. The MHC-invariant complex is then passed from the RER, into and out of, the Golgi body. It fuses with an Endocytic compartment, where an external protein has been sampled and degraded.

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.

Cytokeratin 8 (KRT8) belongs to the type II keratin family clustered on the long arm of chromosome 12. Type I and type II keratins heteropolymerize to form intermediate-sized filaments in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. KRT8 typically dimerizes with keratin 18 to form an intermediate filament in simple single-layered epithelial cells. KRT8 has a role in retaining cellular structural integrity and also functions in signal transduction and cellular differentiation. KRT8 gene mutations cause cryptogenic cirrhosis.

GH is a member of the somatotropin/prolactin family of hormones which play an important role in growth control. The gene, along with four other related genes, is located at the growth hormone locus on chromosome 17 where they are interspersed in the same transcriptional orientation; an arrangement which is thought to have evolved by a series of gene duplications. The five genes share a remarkably high degree of sequence identity. Alternative splicing generates additional isoforms of each of the five growth hormones, leading to further diversity and potential for specialization. This particular family member is expressed in the pituitary but not in placental tissue as is the case for the other four genes in the growth hormone locus. Mutations in or deletions of the gene lead to growth hormone deficiency and short stature.

PFN4 is a small actin-binding protein that participates in the dynamic turnover and restructuring of the actin cytoskeleton. PFN4 is localized in all eukaryotic organisms in the majority of cells. PFN4 is crucial for spatially and temporally controlled growth of actin microfilaments, which is a necessary process in cellular locomotion and cell shape changes.

MAGEA4 is part of the MAGEA family, which directs the expression of tumor antigens that are identified on a human melanoma by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). MAGEA4 participates in embryonal development and tumor transformation or aspects of tumor progression. MAGEA4 is expressed in many tumors of several types, such as melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma and breast carcinoma, but not in normal tissues except for testes and placenta.

ENSA is an endogenous ligand for sulfonylurea receptor. ENSA reduces K(ATP) channel currents by inhibiting sulfonylurea from binding to the receptor and thus stimulates insulin secretion. Endosulfine Alpha is part of a conserved cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein (ARPP) family. Endosulfine Alpha is an endogenous ligand for the sulfonylurea receptor, ABCC8/SUR1. Endosulfine Alpha is an endogenous regulator of KATP channels. ENSA modulates insulin secretion through the interaction with KATP channel. ENSA is a candidate gene for type 2 diabetes. ENSA is expressed in a wide range of tissues including muscle, brain, and endocrine tissues.

AK3L1 is an affiliate of the adenylate kinase family of enzymes. AK3L1 enzyme is restricted to the mitochondrial matrix. Adenylate kinases-3 regulates the adenine and guanine nucleotide compositions within a cell by means of catalyzing the reversible transfer of phosphate group among these nucleotides. 5 different isozymes of adenylate kinase have been identified in vertebrates. The enzyme expression of various adenylate kinase isozymes is growth regulated and tissue-specific.