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Podoplanin is a small mucin-like type-1 transmembrane protein, typically expressed in various specialized cell types throughout the body. Podoplanin is a type-I integral membrane glycoprotein with diverse distribution in human tissues. PDPN physiological function is related to its mucin-type character. The homologous protein in other species has been described as a differentiation antigen and influenza-virus receptor.
PDPN is expressed in lymphatic progenitor cells and afterwards during mouse development in lymphatic endothelial cells. Podoplanin is a specific marker for lymph vessel endothelial cells. Over-expression of podoplanin significantly elevates endothelial cell adhesion, migration, and tube formation. Inhibition of Podoplanin expression decreases cell adhesion in human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells. Podoplanin is used as a specific marker for lymphatic endothelium in histopathology.
Podoplanin expression is increased in nearly all human colon, rectum, and small intestine tumors. AGGRUS may serve as a diagnostic marker that distinguishes seminomas, the majority of which over express the protein, from embryonal carcinoma in testicular germ cell tumors.

EPGN is an EGF-related polypeptide growth factor that signals through the ErbB receptor-1. EPGN is produced in numerous tissues, including the testis, liver, heart and in certain tumor cells. EPGN is mitogenic for fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Human EPGN is originally synthesized as a glycosylated 14.7 kDa transmembrane precursor protein, which is processed by proteolytic cleavage to produce a mature soluble sequence.

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), are a family of cell surface glycoproteins found on Natural Killer (NK) Cells, which are important cells of the immune system. They control the killing function of these cells by interacting with MHC class I molecules, which are expressed on all cell types. This interaction allows them to identify virally infected cells or tumor cells that have a distinctive low level of Class I MHC on their surface. The majority of KIRs are inhibitory, which means that their recognition of MHC suppresses the cytotoxic activity of their NK cell. Only a limited number of KIRs have the capacity to activate cells.
The KIR genes are found in a cluster on chromosome 19q13.4 within the 1 Mb leukocyte receptor complex (LRC). KIR molecules are extremely polymorphic, meaning their gene sequences differ significantly between individuals, so that different individuals have different arrays/repertoires of KIR genes.
The KIR proteins are categorized by the number of extracellular immunoglobulin domains (2D or 3D) and by whether they have a long (L) or short (S) cytoplasmic domain. KIR proteins with the long cytoplasmic domain transduce inhibitory signals upon ligand binding via an immune tyrosine-based inhibitory motif (ITIM). Whereas KIR proteins with the short cytoplasmic domain lack the ITIM motif and instead associate with the TYRO protein tyrosine kinase binding protein to transduce activating signals.
KIR2DL3 is an inhibitory Killer Cell Ig-like Receptor (KIR, previously called p58 KIR, cl-6, NKAT2 or KIR-K7), which recognizes class I MHC molecules (HLA-Cw1, -Cw3, -Cw7, and Cw8). KIR2DL3 inhibits the activity of NK cells thus preventing cell lysis.

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-3 and GM-CSF to stimulate colony formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro and may, therefore, also modulate hematopoiesis.

Killer Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor, 3 Domains Long Cytoplasmic Tail 2 (KIR3DL2) is a type 1 transmembrane protein of the p70 family of killer cell Ig-like receptors. KIR3DL2 is a receptor on NK cells for HLA-A alleles which Inhibits their activity consequently preventing cell lysis.

S100A6 is a member of the S100 family of proteins containing 2 EF-hand calcium-binding motifs. S100 proteins are localized either in the cytoplasm or the nucleus of a wide range of cells. S100 proteins are involved in the regulation of a number of cellular processes such as cell cycle progression and differentiation. There are at least 13 members in the S100 gene family, which are located as a cluster on chromosome 1q21.
S100A6 may function in stimulation prolactin secretion, and exocytosis. Chromosomal rearrangements and altered expression of the S100A6 gene are implicated in melanoma.

TGFBI is an extracellular matrix protein induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1. TGFBI protein is involved in cell growth, cell differentiation, wound healing and cell adhesion. In addition, some missense mutations of TGFBI were identified in families affected with human autosomal dominant corneal dystrophies. TGFBI gene encodes for a 683 amino-acid protein containing an RGD motif and four internal repeated domains which have highly conserved sequences founded in several species (Fasciclin domain).

CXADR Like Membrane Protein or CLMP, part of the CTX family within the immunoglobulin superfamily, is a type 1 transmembrane peptide. CLMP is expressed in the placenta and small intensine, skeletal muscle, colon, lungs and heart. CLMP is located in junction complexes across endothelial and epithelial cells and can take part in cell adhesion. The protein has influence on development of obesity via adipocyte differentiation.

FCGR1A is a member of to the immunoglobulin superfamily. FCGR1A protein acts as a high affinity receptor for the Fc region of immunoglobulins gamma and has a vital part in both innate and adaptive immune response.

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/ macrophagemigration, 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 mitogenesisand 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 are linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

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/ macrophagemigration, 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 mitogenesisand 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 are linked to POEMS syndrome, also known as Crow-Fukase syndrome. Mutations in this gene have been associated with proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Interleukin-13 receptor subunit alpha-1 (IL13RA1) is a subunit of the interleukin 13 receptor. The IL13RA1 subunit forms a receptor complex with IL4 receptor alpha, which is a subunit shared by IL13 and IL4 receptors. IL13RA1 binds tyrosine kinase TYK2, and thus may mediate the signaling processes which leads to the activation of JAK1, STAT3 and STAT6 induced by IL13 and IL4. IL13RA1 is vital for allergen-induced airway hyperactivity and mucus hypersecretion.

GMCSF is a cytokine that controls the production, differentiation, and function of granulocytes and macrophages. The active form of GMCSF is found extracellularly as a homodimer. GMCSF has been localized to a cluster of related genes at chromosome region 5q31, which is known to be associated with interstitial deletions in the 5q- syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia. Other genes in the cluster include those encoding interleukins 4, 5, and 13.
GM-CSF stimulates the growth and differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells from various lineages, including granulocytes, macrophages, eosinophils and erythrocytes.

Src-Like-Adaptor 2, also known as SLA2, is a part of the SLAP family of adapter proteins. SLA2 acts as a significant receptor-proximal in downregulating T and B cell-mediated responses and inhibits antigen receptor-induced calcium mobilization. SLA2 interacts with Cas-Br-M (murine) ecotropic retroviral transforming sequence c.

Ring Finger Protein 114 (RNF114) is expressed in various tissues, including skin, CD4 lymphocytes and dendritic cells. RNF114, which contains 1 RING-type zinc finger, takes part in spermatogenesis.

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.

Interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL1R1) associates with the co-receptor IL1RAP to form the high affinity interleukin-1 receptor complex, which mediates interleukin-1-dependent activation of NF-kappa-B, MAPK and other pathways. IL1R1 is a central mediator involved in numerous cytokine induced immune and inflammatory responses.

CNTF is a polypeptide hormone whose actions appear to be restricted to the nervous system where it promotes neurotransmitter synthesis and neurite outgrowth in certain neuronal populations. The protein is a potent survival factor for neurons and oligodendrocytes and may be relevant in reducing tissue destruction during inflammatory attacks. A mutation in this gene, which results in aberrant splicing, leads to ciliary neurotrophic factor deficiency, but this phenotype is not causally related to neurologic disease. In addition to the predominant monocistronic transcript originating from this locus, the gene is also co-transcribed with the upstream ZFP91 gene. Co-transcription from the two loci results in a transcript that contains a complete coding region for the zinc finger protein but lacks a complete coding region for ciliary neurotrophic factor.
CNTF is a survival factor for various neuronal cell types. Seems to prevent the degeneration of motor axons after axotomy.

Signal-Regulatory Protein Alpha, SIRPA belongs to the signal-regulatory-protein (SIRP) family, as well as the immunoglobulin super family. The members of the SIRP family are receptor-type transmembrane glycoproteins which are involved in the negative regulation of receptor tyrosine kinase-coupled signaling processes.
SIRPA can be phosphorylated by tyrosine kinases. The phospho-tyrosine residues of this PTP have been shown to recruit SH2 domain containing tyrosine phosphatases (PTP), and perform as substrates of PTPs. SIRPA take part in signal transduction mediated by a variety of growth factor receptors. CD47 has been shown to be a ligand for SIRPA.

EPH Receptor A2 (EPHA2) is a member of the ephrin receptor subfamily of the protein-tyrosine kinase family. EPHA2 is a protein which binds ephrin-A ligands. EPH and EPH-related receptors are associated with mediating developmental events, particularly in the nervous system. Receptors in the EPH subfamily normally have a single kinase domain and an extracellular region containing a Cys-rich domain and 2 fibronectin type III repeats. The ephrin receptors are divided into two groups based on the similarity of their extracellular domain sequences and their affinities for binding ephrin-A and ephrin-B ligands. EPHA2 gene mutations are the cause of certain genetically-related cataract disorders.

Basic fibroblast growth factor is a member of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family. FGF family members possess broad mitogenic and cell survival activities, and are involved in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. This protein functions as a modifier of endothelial cell migration and proliferation, as well as an angiogenic factor. It acts as a mitogen for a variety of mesoderm- and neuroectoderm-derived cells in vitro, thus is thought to be involved in organogenesis. Three alternatively spliced variants encoding different isoforms have been described. The HPR -binding growth factors are angiogenic agents in vivo and are potent mitogens for a variety of cell types in vitro. There are differences in the tissue distribution and concentration of these 2 growth factors.

GMCSF is a cytokine that controls the production, differentiation, and function of granulocytes and macrophages. The active form of the protein is found extracellularly as a homodimer. This gene has been localized to a cluster of related genes at chromosome region 5q31, which is known to be associated with interstitial deletions in the 5q- syndrome and acute myelogenous leukemia. Other genes in the cluster include those encoding interleukins 4, 5, and 13. GM-CSF stimulates the growth and differentiation of hematopoietic precursor cells from various lineages, including granulocytes, macrophages, eosinophils and erythrocytes.

CD36 is an integral membrane protein found in a variety cell types of mammals, it is part of the class B scavenger receptor family. In humans it is encoded by the CD36 gene. The protein binds to ligands such as native lipoproteins, collagen, long-chain fatty acids, thrombospondin etc. CD36 plays a crucial role in transporting fatty acids into the cell.