Search results

CD40L or CD154 is a membrane glycoprotein and differentiation antigen expressed on the surface of T-cells. The CD40 ligand stimulates B-cell proliferation and secretion of all immunoglobulin isotypes in the presence of cytokines . CD40 ligand has been shown to induce cytokine production and tumoricidal activity in peripheral blood monocytes. It also costimulates proliferation of activated T-cells and this is accompanied by the production of IFN-gamma , TNF-alpha , and IL2.

Musashi RNA-Binding Protein 2 (MSI2), is RNA binding protein which owns 2 conserved tandem RNA recognition motifs. MSI2 takes part in proliferation and maintenance of stem cells in the central nervous system. Comparable proteins in other species function as RNA-binding proteins and take part in posttranscriptional gene regulation.

YEATS Domain Containing 4 (YEATS4) has a high sequence homology to the human MLLT1, and yeast and human MLLT3 proteins. MLLT1 and MLLT3 proteins, both belong to a group of transcription factors, which indicates that YEATS might also represent a transcription factor. YEATS is believed to be necessary for RNA transcription. The YEATS gene has been shown to be amplified in tumors.

Glycoprotein Nmb (GPNMB) is a member of the PMEL/NMB family. GPNMB is a type I transmembrane glycoprotein which exhibits homology to the pMEL17 precursor, a melanocyte-specific protein. GPNMB is expressed in the lowly metastatic human melanoma cell lines and xenografts but has no expression in the highly metastatic cell lines. GPNMB might be involved in growth delay and reduction of metastatic potential. GPNMB is up-regulated in a number of cancer cells, including in glioblastoma multiforme. GPNMB is expressed in many melanoma cells, as well as in tissue macrophages, including liver Kuppfer cells and lung alveolar macrophages, in podocytes and in some cells of the ciliary body of the eye (at protein level). GPNMB is hardly detectable in the healthy brain.

Interleukin-1b is produced by activated macrophages, IL-1B stimulates thymocyte proliferation by inducing il-2 release, b-cell maturation and proliferation, and fibroblast growth factor activity. IL1B proteins are involved in the inflammatory response, being identified as endogenous pyrogens, and are reported to stimulate the release of prostaglandin and collagenase from synovial cells.

A 16-kDa peptide hormone secreted from white adipocytes and implicated in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. Leptin provides the key afferent signal from fat cells in the feedback system that controls body fat stores.

KCNIP3 belongs to a family of voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channel-interacting proteins, which belong to the recoverin branch of the EF-hand superfamily. KCNIP family members are small calcium binding proteins containing EF-hand-like domains. KCNIP3 also functions as a calcium-regulated transcriptional repressor, and interacts with presenilins. Mutations in the presenilin genes are implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

Motile Sperm Domain Containing 1, also known as MOSPD1 is a protein coding gene which owns one MSP domain.

LRG1 belongs to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family of proteins, which have been shown to be involved in protein-protein interaction, signal transduction, cell adhesion and development. The LRG1 is expressed during granulocyte differentiation.

PDGF-BB is a member of the platelet-derived growth factor family. The four members of this family are mitogenic factors for cells of mesenchymal origin and are characterized by a motif of eight cysteines. This gene product can exist either as a homodimer (PDGF-BB) or as a heterodimer with the platelet-derived growth factor alpha polypeptide (PDGF-AB), where the dimers are connected by disulfide bonds. Mutations in this gene are associated with meningioma. Reciprocal translocations between chromosomes 22 and 7, at sites where this gene and that for COL1A1 are located, are associated with a particular type of skin tumor called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans resulting from unregulated expression of growth factor. Two splice variants have been identified for this gene.

CD72 antigen is a member of the type II integral membrane glycoproteins which includes other related cell surface moleculaes such as the asialoglycoprotein receptors, CD23 and the Kupffer cell recpeotr. The exposure of B cells to CD72 antibodies activates a variety of signalling pathways and can induce MHC class II expression and B cell proliferation. CD72 antigen is expressed on all cells of B cell lineage with the exception of plasma cells and weakly on human tissue macrophages.

PDGF-BB is a member of the platelet-derived growth factor family. The four members of this family are mitogenic factors for cells of mesenchymal origin and are characterized by a motif of eight cysteines. This gene product can exist either as a homodimer (PDGF-BB) or as a heterodimer with the platelet-derived growth factor alpha polypeptide (PDGF-AB), where the dimers are connected by disulfide bonds. Mutations in this gene are associated with meningioma. Reciprocal translocations between chromosomes 22 and 7, at sites where this gene and that for COL1A1 are located, are associated with a particular type of skin tumor called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans resulting from unregulated expression of growth factor. Two splice variants have been identified for this gene.

The enzyme Arylsulfatase A, also known as cerebroside-sulfatase, is responsible to break down sulfatides. The main molecule that Arylsulfatase A breaks down is cerebroside 3-sulfate into cerebroside and sulfate. The enzyme is encoded by the ARSA gene in humans. Phosphate can form a covalent bond with the Arylsulfatase A’s active site 3-oxoalanine, thus, inhibits the protein.

Nucleotide Binding Protein 2, also known as NUBP2 is an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as well as metal-binding protein which is essential for the assembly of cyotosolic iron-sulfur proteins. NUBP2 performs in a heterotetramer with nucleotide-binding protein 1 (NUBP1). Moreover, alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants have been found for NUBP2.

GPN-loop GTPase 1 (GPN1) is a member of the GPN-loop GTPase family. GPN1 is a guanosine triphosphatase enzyme which has a role in DNA repair and may function in activation of transcription. Small GTPases, which share a biochemical mechanism, act as binary molecular switches and function in the cell is nucleocytoplasmic transport of both proteins and RNA. In addition, GPN1 establishs an interface between the RNA polymerase II enzyme and chaperone/scaffolding protein, proposing that it is essential to connect RNA polymerase II to regulators of protein complex formation. GPN1 may also be involved in nuclear localization of XPA.

Neutral endopeptidase (NEP) is an enzyme located in the cell membrane (bound to it) that is able to dissolve biologically active proteins and is expressed on the surface of lymphoid progenitors, human podocytes, syncytiotrophoblastic cells, and many other epithelial cells including polymorphonuclear leukocytes.

Ribosomal Protein L18A (RPL18A) is a ribosomal protein which is a component of the 60S subunit, belongs to the L18AE family of ribosomal proteins. RPL18A is located in the cytoplasm. RPL18A is co-transcribed with the U68 snoRNA, which is located in its 3rd intron. The RPL18A protein may play a role in viral replication by interacting with the hepatitis C virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES).

Leptin is a protein hormone. It is mainly produced in adipose cells that regulate energy homeostasis by restraining hunger. Leptin ties to nuclear receptors in the hypothalamus (arcuate nucleus). Similar to insulin resistance in type II diabetes, in obesity there is a decrease in the sensitivity towards leptin, ending in a failure to identify satiety, even in high levels of energy stores or leptin itself. Full-length cDNA encoding 2 leptin sequences (tLepA and tLepB) and 1 leptin receptor sequence (tLepR) exists in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The full-length cDNA of tLepR is 3423 bp, encoding a protein of 1140 amino acid which contained all functionally important domains conserved among vertebrate leptin receptors. The cDNAs of tLepA and tLepB are 486 bp and 459 bp in length, encoding proteins of 161 aa and 152 aa, respectively. The three-dimensional structures of tLepA and tLepB demonstrates strong conservation of tertiary structure with that of human leptin comprised of 4 helixes.

LRG1 belongs to the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) family of proteins, which have been shown to be involved in protein-protein interaction, signal transduction, and cell adhesion and development. The LRG1 is expressed during granulocyte differentiation.

Major Histocompatibility Complex Class II DR Beta 1 also known as HLA-DRB1 ia a member of the HLA class II beta chain paralogs. Molecule class II is a heterodimer consisting of an alpha (DRA) and a beta chain (DRB), both anchored in the membrane. HLA-DRB1 takes an essential part in the immune system by presenting peptides derived from extracellular proteins. Class II molecules are expressed in antigen presenting cells (APC: B lymphocytes, dendritic cells, macrophages). Furthermore, the beta chain is approximately 26- 28 kDa. It is encoded by 6 exons. While exon one encodes the leader peptide; exons 2 and 3 encode the two extracellular domains; exon 4 encodes the transmembrane domain; and exon 5 encodes the cytoplasmic tail.

Leucine Aminopeptidase 3 also known as LAP3 is a member of the peptidase M17 family. LAP3 is implicated in the processing as well as regular turnover of intracellular proteins. LAP3 catalyzes the removal of unsubstituted N-terminal amino acids from different peptides. LAP3 is responsible of releasing an N-terminal amino acid, Xaa-|-Yaa-, in which Xaa is preferably Leu, but could be other amino acids including Pro although not Arg or Lys, and Yaa may be Pro. Amino acid amides and methyl esters are as well readily hydrolyzed; however rates on arylamides are exceedingly low.

MANF is a 20kDa protein which belongs to the ARMET family. MANF was originally known as an arginine-rich region protein which was extremely mutated in a large number of tumors. MANF Expression is induced during ER stress, signifying that MANF takes part in protein quality control during ER stress.

HER-2/neu (erbB-2) encodes an 185-kDa orphan receptor tyrosine kinase that is constitutively active as a dimer and displays potent oncogenic activity when overexpressed. Herstatin, as the product of alternative HER-2 transcript, retains intron 8.
The herstatin mRNA is expressed in normal human fetal kidney and liver, but is at reduced levels relative to p185HER-2 mRNA in carcinoma cells that contain an amplified HER-2 gene. Herstatin appears to be an inhibitor of p185HER-2, because it disrupts dimers, reduces tyrosine phosphorylation of p185, and inhibits the anchorage-independent growth of transformed cells that overexpress HER-2.

Elastase-2 (ELANE) is a serine protease that belongs to the chymotrypsin family. ELANE breaks down elastin, an elastic fiber together with collagen and controls the mechanical properties of connective tissue. The neutrophil form breaks down the Outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of E. coli and other Gram-negative bacteria. ELANEis inhibited by the acute-phase protein alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT), which binds almost irreversibly to the active site of elastase and trypsin.A1AT is usually secreted by the liver cells into the serum. A1AD leads to uninhibited destruction of elastic fiber by elastase.