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Apoptosis-Inducing Factor, Mitochondrion-Associated, 1 (AIFM1) is a mitochondrial protein which translocates to the nucleus once apoptosis has been initiated. AIFM1 causes DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation and also triggers the release of cytochrome c and caspase-9 from mitochondria. Bcl-2 overexpression prevents the release of AIFM1 from mitochondria, but doesn’t block its apoptogenic activity.

Omentin is a recently recognized gene highly localized to the mental tissue (visceral adipose tissue). Omentin is present in the stromal vascular cells in the adipose tissue rather than in the adipocytes. Omentin is predominantly expressed in the visceral adipose tissue than the subcutaneous tissue, with the omentin mRNA being 150 times higher in the visceral adipose tissue. Omentin has also been detected in human blood using western blot analysis, and seems to increase INSstimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in mice. Omentin seems to increase Akt phosphorylation irrespective of INS presence. Its role in glucose metabolism and obesity remains to be described; an INS-sensitizing action is possible.Differences in Omentin expression has been noted in adipose tissue from normals and patients with inflammatory bowel disease although its significance is unknown.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM1) induces susceptibility to atherosclerosis. PECAM1 averts phagocyte ingestion of closely apposed viable cells by transmitting detachment signals, and transforms function upon apoptosis, thus promoting tethering of dying cells to phagocytes. The encounter of a viable cell with a phagocyte via the homophilic interaction of PECAM1 on both cell surfaces as a result causing the viable cell's active repulsion from the phagocyte.

MLEC is a member of the malectin family and is found on endoplasmic reticulum membrane. MLEC is a carbohydrate-binding protein with a high ligand preference for Glc2-N-glycan. MLEC takes part in the initial stages of protein N-glycosylation.

The Argonaute protein is part of the RISC or RNA-induced silencing complex, as so, the protein has a key part in the slicing processes of RNA. The RNA interference (RNAi) is being held by RISC. Small non-coding RNA fragments bond to the Argonaute proteins, through base pairing, eventually leads to the cleavage of messenger RNA or translation suppression.

Metallothionein 3 (MT3) contains 3 zinc and 3 copper atoms per polypeptide chain and a minor amount of cadmium. MT3 inhibits survival and neurite formation of cortical neurons in vitro. MT3 also binds heavy metals.

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.

ApoA5 is an important regulator of serum triglyceride concentrations. An ApoA5 mouse nock-out model produced an approximately four fold increase in serum triglycerides, whereas a knock-in model human ApoA5 produced 50-70% lower concentrations of mouse serum triglycerides. Furthermore, peroxisome proliferators-activated receptoragonists, which are used clinically to lower serum triglyceride concentrations, cause increased ApoA5 mRNA expression. There is very little known about ApoA5 protein in human serum. Lately, it was established that ApoA5 is present in the human serum and it can be detected by polyclonal antibodies against both the HN2 and COOH termini, but at much lower concentration than other apolipoproteins.

Tissue factor is well-known as the main cellular initiator of blood coagulation. The Tissue factor gene encodes coagulation factor III which is a cell surface glycoprotein that enables cells to initiate the blood coagulation cascades, and functions as the high-affinity receptor for the coagulation factor VII. Following vessel injury, the Tissue Factor and Factor VIIa complex activates the coagulation protease cascade, which leads to fibrin deposition and activation of platelets. The ensuing complex presents a catalytic event, which is responsible for initiation of the coagulation protease cascades by specific limited proteolysis. Therefore, Tissue factor has a role in normal hemostasis by initiating the cell-surface assembly and propagation of the coagulation protease cascade. Tissue Factor can also be stimulated by the inflammatory mediators interleukin 1 and TNF, as well as by endotoxin, to appear on monocytes and vascular endothelial cells as a component of cellular immune response.
Tissue factor is the only one in the coagulation pathway for which a congenital deficiency has not been described. Certain levels of Tissue Factor are essential for the maintained viability and growth of endothelium and Tissue Factor-expressing tumor cells. Additionally, abnormal Tissue Factor expression inside the vasculature initiates life threatening thrombosis in various diseases, for example sepsis, atherosclerosis, and cancer. Alternative spliced Tissue Factor expression advances tumor growth, and is linked to increased tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer.

TIE-1 (tyrosine kinase with Ig and EGF homology domains 1) and TIE-2/Tek comprise a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) subfamily with unique structural characteristics: two immunoglobulin-like domains flanking three epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and followed by three fibronectin type III-like repeats in the extracellular region and a split tyrosine kinase domain in the cytoplasmic region. These receptors are expressed primarily on endothelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells and play critical roles in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis. Human TIE-1 cDNA encodes a 1122 amino acid (aa) residue precursor protein with an 18 residue putative signal peptide, a 726 residue extracellular domain and a 353 residue cytoplasmic domain. Two ligands, angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), which bind TIE-2 with high-affinity have been identified. Ang2 has been reported to act as an antagonist for Ang1. Mice engineered to overexpress Ang2 or to lack Ang1 or Tie-1 display similar angiogenic defects.

Platelet Factor 4 Variant 1 (PF4V1) is a member of the intercrine alpha (chemokine CxC) family. PF4V1 is an inhibitor of angiogenesis and inhibitor of endothelial cell chemotaxis (in vitro).

Four and a half LIM domains 3 (FHL3) belongs to a family of proteins containing a four-and-a-half LIM domain, which is a highly conserved double zinc finger motif. FHL3 has been shown to interact with the cancer developmental regulators SMAD2, SMAD3, and SMAD4, the skeletal muscle myogenesis protein MyoD, and the high-affinity IgE beta chain regulator MZF-1. FHL3 is involved in tumor suppression, repression of MyoD expression, and repression of IgE receptor expression. Two transcript variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene.

Prohibitin (PHB) is an evolutionarily conserved gene that is ubiquitously expressed and which Mutations have been linked to sporadic breast cancer. PHB is thought to be a negative regulator of cell proliferation and may be a tumor suppressor. Prohibitin is expressed as two transcripts with changeable lengths of 3' untranslated region. The longer transcript is present at higher levels in proliferating tissues and cells, proposing that this longer 3' untranslated region functions as a trans-acting regulatory RNA.

Tubulointerstitial Nephritis Antigen Like 1 also known as TINAGL1 is similar in sequence to tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen, a secreted glycoprotein which is identified by antibodies in several types of immune-related tubulointerstitial nephritis. Three transcript variants encoding different isoforms are known for TINAGL1.

Follistatin is a single-chain gonadal protein that specifically inhibits follicle-stimulating hormone release. The single FST gene encodes two isoforms, FST317 and FST344 containing 317 and 344 amino acids respectively, resulting from alternative splicing of the precursor mRNA. In a study in which 37 candidate genes were tested for linkage and association with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or hyperandrogenemia in 150 families, evidence was found for linkage between PCOS and follistatin. Follistatin binds directly to activin and functions as an activin antagonist. specific inhibitor of the biosynthesis and secretion of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (fsh).

TXNL4B is a member of the DIM1 family which has a vital role in pro-mRNA splicing. TXNL4B is required in cell cycle progression for S/G2 transition and interacts with PRPF6 subunit of the spliceosome.

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).

Renin is a highly specific endopeptidase which generates angiotensin I from angiotensinogen in the plasma. angiotensin I is an important regulator of blood pressure and electrolyte balance. Renin initiates a cascade of reactions that produce an elevation of blood pressure and increased sodium retention by the kidney.

Crystallin, Mu (CRYM) is a taxon-specific crystallin protein which binds NADPH and has sequence similarity to bacterial ornithine cyclodeaminases. CRYM doesn’t perform a structural role in lens tissue; instead CRYM binds thyroid hormone for possible regulatory or developmental roles. CRYM gene mutations are linked with autosomal dominant non-syndromic deafness. CRYM specifically catalyzes the reduction of imine bonds in brain substrates which may include cystathionine ketamine and lanthionine ketamine.

Crystallin Zeta, also known as CRYZ, Binds NADP and participates in a one-electron transfer process. CRYZ takes part in the detoxification of xenobiotics and Interacts with (AU)-rich elements (ARE) in the 3'-UTR of target mRNA species. CRYZ improves the mRNA coding for BCL2.

Aspartylglucosaminidase, also known as AGA, takes part in the catabolism of Nlinked oligosaccharides of glycoproteins. AGA is a protein coding gene which cleaves asparagine from N-acetylglucosamines in the lysosomal breakdown of glycoproteins.

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.

AGR2 (Anterior gradient 2 homolog) is the human orthologue of the secreted Xenopus laevis Anterior Gradient protein (XAG-2). This is a small, possibly secreted molecule of yet weakly defined functions that is widely expressed in human tissues. Expression of AGR2 shows a positive correlation with expression of estrogen receptor in breast carcinoma and a negative correlation with expression of EGF receptor.

AGR2 (Anterior gradient 2 homolog) is the human orthologue of the secreted Xenopus laevis Anterior Gradient protein (XAG-2). This is a small, possibly secreted molecule of yet weakly defined functions that is widely expressed in human tissues. Expression of AGR2 shows a positive correlation with expression of estrogen receptor in breast carcinoma and a negative correlation with expression of EGF receptor.