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WHSC2 (NELF-A) is a protein factor required for DRB-sensitive transcription. WHSC2 is one of the 5 components of the multisubunit NELF complex which cooperates with DSIF to repress RNA polymerase II elongation. The Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is a multiple malformation syndrome characterized by mental and developmental defects resulting from a hemizygous deletion of the distal short arm of chromosome 4 (4p16.3).

REG protein was shown to be stimulated during the regeneration of pancreatic islets. Since then, many Reg-related proteins have been identified in humans and other animals. In human, the four REG family genes, i.e., REG 1 alpha, REG 1 beta, REG-related sequence (RS) and HIP/PAP, have so far been isolated. These Reg-related proteins are classified into four subfamilies according to their amino-acid sequences, but they share a similar structure and physiological function. Reg protein is a growth factor for pancreatic beta cells and also suggests that the administration of Reg protein could be used as another therapeutic approach for diabetes mellitus. Human REG cDNA which encodes a 166-amino acid protein with a 22-amino acid signal peptide. The amino acid sequence of human REG protein has 68% homology to that of rat Reg protein.

Nuclear distribution gene C homolog (NUDC) is a nuclear distribution protein. The NUDC protein has a key role in mitosis and cytokinesis. NUDC is involved in spindle formation during mitosis and in microtubule organization during cytokinesis. NUDC is required for correct formation of mitotic spindles and chromosome separation during mitosis, as well as cell proliferation. NUDC also has a role in neurogenesis and neuronal migration.

Melanoma Antigen Family A 8, also known as MAGEA8 belongs to the MAGE gene family, which includes twelve known genes, of which six are expressed in tumors. Furthermore, the MAGE genes were at first isolated from different kinds of tumors, and according to their virtually exclusive tumor-specific expression in adult tissues, they have been used as targets for cancer immunotherapy.

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 modules: Module 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.

The Melanoma Inhibitory protein (MIA) was identified as an inhibitor of in vitro growth of malignant melanoma cells. The protein contains a SH3 domain. MIA acts as a potent tumor cell growth inhibitor for malignant melanoma cells and some other neuroectodermal tumors, including gliomas, in an autocrine fashion. In a study of human melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity MIA mRNA expression appeared to be inversely correlated with pigmentation. MIA has been shown to represent a very sensitive and specific serum marker for systemic malignant melanoma that might be useful for staging of primary melanomas, detection of progression from localized to metastatic disease during follow-up, and monitoring therapy of advanced melanomas.

S100A4 is part of the S100 super-family of proteins containing 2 EF-hand calcium binding domains. S100A4 is ubiquitously overexpressed and is localized in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus. S100A4 is involved in motility, invasion, and tubulin polymerization. Chromosomal rearrangements and altered expression of the S100A4 gene have been implicated in tumor metastasis.

Type 1 cystatins are also called stefins which function as intracellular thiol protease inhibitors. Cystatin-B protein is able to form a dimer stabilized by noncovalent forces, inhibiting papain and cathepsins l, h and b. CSTB protein protects proteases leakage from lysosomes. Mutations in Stefin-B gene cause primary defects in patients with progressive myoclonic epilepsy (EPM1), a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. CSTB is overexpressed & elevated in the serum of HCC patients. Cystatin-B in vivo has a polymeric structure which is sensitive to the redox environment. Cystatin-B inhibits bone resorption by down-regulating intracellular cathepsin K activity despite increased osteoclast survival. Protein and mRNA levels of stefin B are significantly lower in atypical benign meningiomas. Stefins-A & Stefin-B which belong to the type-1 Cystatins, are up-regulated in lung tumours and thus able to counteract harmful tumour-associated proteolytic activity. Human stefin-A & Stefin-B form amyloid fibrils. Copper binding by stefin-B reduces amyloid fibril formation. A number of alternatively spliced CSTB isoforms were recognized in patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy. Decreased CSTB activity in EPM1 pathogenesis is controled by cathepsins through increased activity of cathepsin-S & cathepsin-L.

MIG (CXCL9) is a small cytokine which is part of the CXC chemokine family. MIG, which is also recognized as monokine is induced by gamma interferon. MIG is related to 2 other CXC chemokines named CXCL10 and CXCL11, whose genes are located next to the gene for CXCL9 on human chromosome 4. CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 obtain their chemotactic functions by interacting with the chemokine receptor CXCR3.

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.

SBDS is part of an extremely preserved protein family which exists from archaea to vertebrates and plants. SBDS protein functions in RNA metabolism and has a role in the biogenesis of the 60S ribosomal subunit and translational activation of ribosomes. Shwachman-Diamond syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder produced by mutations in the SBDS gene.

Mammalian mitochondrial ribosomal proteins are encoded by nuclear genes and assist in protein synthesis within the mitochondrion. Mitochondrial ribosomes (mitoribosomes) consist of a small 28S subunit and a large 39S subunit (MRPL13 is a 39S subunit protein) and have an estimated 75% protein to rRNA composition compared to prokaryotic ribosomes, where this ratio is reversed. An additional difference between mammalian mitoribosomes and prokaryotic ribosomes is that the second contain a 5S rRNA. Among various species, the proteins comprising the mitoribosome differ greatly in sequence, and sometimes in biochemical properties, which prevents easy recognition by sequence homology.

SDF-1 (stromal cell-derived factor-1) is small cytokine belonging to the chemokine family that is officially designated Chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 12 (CXCL12). It is produced in two forms, SDF-1?/CXCL12a and SDF-1?/CXCL12b, by alternate splicing of the same gene. Chemokines are characterized by the presence of four conserved cysteines, which form two disulfide bonds. The CXCL12 proteins belong to the group of CXC chemokines, whose initial pair of cysteines are separated by one intervening amino acid. CXCL12 is strongly chemotactic for lymphocytes and has been implicated as an important cell co-ordinator during development. During embryogenesis it directs the migration of hematopoietic cells from foetal liver to bone marrow. Mice which were knocked-out for CXCL12 gene were lethal before the birth or within just 1 hour of life. As another role, CXCL12a alters also the electrophysiology of neurons. CXCL12 was shown to be expressend in many tissues in mice (including brain, thymus, heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen and bone marrow).
The receptor for this chemokine is CXCR4, which was previously called fusin. This CXCL12-CXCR4 interaction used to be considered exclusive (unlike for other chemokines and their receptors), but recently it was suggested that CXCL12 is also bound by CXCR7 receptor.
The gene for CXCL12 is located on human chromosome 10. In human and mouse both CXCL12 and CXCR4 show high identity of sequence: 99% and 90%, respectively.

Neuroblastoma suppressor of tumorigenicity 1 (NBL1) is a part of the evolutionarily conserved CAN (Cerberus and DAN) family of proteins, which contain a domain resembling the CTCK (C-terminal cystine knot-like) motif found in several signaling molecules. NBL1 is a is a tumor suppressor of neuroblastoma and takes part in preventing cells from entering the final stage (G1/S) of the transformation process. NBL1 is produced in small neurons of the dorsal root ganglion. The expression of NBL1 is triggered by MATH-1.

SH3-domain GRB2-like 2 (SH3GL2) is a member of the endophilin family. SH3GL2 contains a BAR domain and a SH3 domain. Members of the BAR domain protein superfamily are crucial elements of cellular traffic. Endophilins have a major function in synaptic vesicle endocytosis (SVE), receptor trafficking and apoptosis, and in other processes which require remodeling of the membrane structure. SH3GL2 is a novel tumor suppressor gene in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), which induces apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating intra-cellular signal transduction networks. SH3GL2 is implicated in synaptic vesicle endocytosis. SH3GL2 is found in the brain, mainly in frontal cortex, and at high level in the fetal cerebellum.

APRIL which is a part of the TNF ligand superfamily (TNFSF13) is a type II transmembrane protein. Normally, APRIL expression is low in tissues, but is elevated in numerous types of tumors and transformed cell lines.

NADH Dehydrogenase1 Alpha Subcomplex 4 (NDUFA4) is a member of the complex I 9kDa subunit family. Mammalian complex I of mitochondrial respiratory chain is comprised of 45 different subunits. NDUFA4 protein has NADH dehydrogenase activity and oxidoreductase activity. NDUFA4 transfers electrons from NADH to the respiratory chain. The immediate electron acceptor for the NDUFA4 enzyme is assumed to be ubiquinone.

NADH Dehydrogenase 1 Beta Subcomplex 4 (NDUFB4) is a member of the complex I NDUFB4 subunit family. NDUFB4 is a non-catalytic subunit of the multisubunit NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase, which is the first enzyme complex in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (complex I). Mammalian complex I is comprised of 45 different subunits and transfers electrons from NADH to ubiquinone.

Rho GDP-dissociation inhibitor 1 (ARHGDIA) is a member of the RAS gene superfamily, which encodes small guanine nucleotide exchange (GTP/GDP) factors. ARHGDIA, which is localized to the cytoplasm, inhibits the dissociation of GDP from Rho proteins, thus preventing GTP from binding to and consequently activating Rho proteins. In humans, the ARHGDIA can be phosphorylated at Ser 101 by p21-activated kinase, an event that inhibits its activity and may result in positive feedback regulation of several ARHGDIA target proteins.

Homeobox protein SIX1 (SIX1) belongs to the SIX gene family. SIX1 is characterized by a divergent DNA-binding homeodomain and an upstream SIX domain, which is involved both in determining DNA-binding specificity and in mediating protein-protein interactions. SIX1 has a role in vertebrate and insect development or in the maintenance of the differentiated state of tissues.

Single-strand-selective monofunctional uracil-DNA glycosylase (SMUG1) is an enzyme responsible for recognizing base lesions in the genome and initiating base excision DNA repair. SMUG1 participates in base excision repair by removing uracil from single- and double-stranded DNA. SMUG1 serves as a monofunctional DNA glycosylase specific for uracil (U) residues in DNA and has inclination for single-stranded DNA substrates. SMUG1 activity is greater against mismatches (U/G) than against matches (U/A).

ATOX1 is a metal transport protein that is part of the ATX1 family. ATOX1 is a copper chaperone that takes part in cellular antioxidant defense and can bind and deliver cytosolic copper to the copper ATPase proteins in the trans-Golgi network for later incorporation to the ceruloplasmin. ATOX1 plays a role as an antioxidant against superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, and consequently, takes an important part in cancer carcinogenesis. Because of ATOX1 cytogenetic location, the gene can be a good a candidate gene for 5q-syndrome.

Eukaryotic Translation Elongation Factor 2 (EEF2) which is necessary factor for protein synthesis is a part of the GTP-binding translation elongation factor family. EEF2 catalyzes the GTP-dependent ribosomal translocation step during translation elongation. EEF2 is also catalyzes the coordinated movement of the mRNA as well as the 2 tRNA molecules and conformational changes in the ribosome. EF-2 kinase phosporylation inactivates the EEF2 protein.

EFNA3 belongs to the ephrin (EPH) family. The ephrins and EPH-related receptors include thelargest subfamily of receptor protein-tyrosine kinases which have been implicated in mediating developmental events, especially in the nervous system and in erythropoiesis. Ephrins are divided into the ephrin-A (EFNA) class and the ephrin-B (EFNB) class, based on their structures and sequence relationships. The Ephrins from the EFNA class are anchored to the membrane by aglycosylphosphatidylinositol linkage, while the others from the EFNB class are transmembrane proteins.