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Tropomyosin alpha-3 chain (TPM3) belongs to the tropomyosin family of actin-binding proteins involved in the contractile system of striated and smooth muscles and the cytoskeleton of non-muscle cells. Tropomyosins are dimers of coiled-coil proteins which polymerize end-to-end along the major groove in most actin filaments. Tropomyosins give stability to the filaments and regulate access of other actin-binding proteins. In muscle cells, tropomyosins regulate muscle contraction by controlling the binding of myosin heads to the actin filament. Mutations in the TPM3 gene cause autosomal dominant nemaline myopathy, and oncogenes formed by chromosomal translocations involving this locus are linked with cancer.

TSLP protein is a hemopoietic cytokine which signals throughout a heterodimeric receptor complex composed of the thymic stromal lymphopoietin receptor & the Interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain. TSLP impacts myeloid cells thus induces the discharge of T cell-attracting chemokines from monocytes & increases the growth of CD11c(+) dendritic cells. TSLP is mainly expressed in the heart, liver and prostate. TSLP is related in its biological activities with IL-7 and binds with the heterodimeric receptor complex consisting of the Interleukin-7 receptor alpha chain & the TSLPR. Similar to IL-7, TSLP enhances phosphorylation of STAT3 and STAT5, though uses kinases excluding JAKs for its activation. TSLP induces the release of T cell-attracting chemokines such asTARC & MDC from monocytes & triggers CD11c(+) dendritic cells. TSLP activated dendritic cells primes naive T cells to manufacture pro-allergic cytokines such as Iinterleukin-4, Interleukin-5, Interleukin-13 and TNF-alpha whereas down-regulating Interleukin-10 and IFN-gamma play a role in the initiation of allergic inflammation.

Procalcitonin is a peptide hormone mainly produced by the C cells of the thyroid and certain endocrine cells of the lung. Under normal expression conditions, procalcitonin is immediately cleaved into three specific fragments, an N terminal residue, calcitonin and katacalcin. Levels of unprocessed procalcitonin rise significantly after bacterial infection, trauma or shock.

Pregnancy Specific Beta-1-Glycoprotein 1 (PSG1) is a member of a subgroup of transcription factors which are phosphorylated upon binding to promoter sequences. PSGs belong to the carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) family and function as early biochemical markers of syncytiotrophoblast formation. Furthermore, PSG1 is assumed to mediate placental vascular morphogenesis by enhancing VEGF-A production and endothelial tube formation. PSG1 is a major product of the syncytiotrophoblast, reaching concentrations of 100- 290 mg/l at term in the serum of pregnant women.

GPT catalyzes the reversible transamination between alanine and 2-oxoglutarate to create pyruvate and glutamate. GPT has a crucial part in the intermediary metabolism of glucose and amino acids. GPT is broadly used as an indicator of liver reliability or hepatocellular destruction in clinical tests.

MAPT is a neuronal microtubule associated protein localized mostly on axons.
MAPT promotes tubulin polymerisation and stabilizes microtubules, however it also serves to connect certain signalling pathways to the cytoskeleton. MAPT, in its hyperphosphorylated form, is the main part of paired helical filaments (PHF) and neurofibrillary lesions in Alzheimer''s disease (AD) brain.

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.

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.

Cystatins are a superfamily of cysteine proteinase inhibitors found in both plants and animals. They comprise a group of proteinase inhibitors, widely distributed in tissues and body fluids, and form tight complexes with cysteine proteases such as cathepsin B, H, L and S. Cystatin C, a secreted molecule of this family, is of interest from biochemical, medicine and evolutionary points of view. Cystatin C, with molecular weight of 13260 Da, is composed of 120 amino acids, lacks carbohydrate and has two disulfide bridges located near the carboxyl terminus. Cystatin C is increased in patients with malignant diseases, and is related to the insufficiency of renal function and appears to be a better marker than creatinine. On the other hand, low levels of cystatin C involve cause the breakdown of the elastic laminae and, subsequently, the atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Cyclophilin-D is a member of the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) family. PPIases catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides and speeds up the protein folding. Cyclophilin-D possess PPIase activity and binds to the immunosuppressant cyclosporin-A. Cyclophilin-D is very well known that its overexpression suppresses the apoptosis in cancer cell. Cyclophilin-D suppresses apoptotic cell death by the use of mitochondrial hexokinase-2 dependent mechanism in cancer cells.

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.

Synaptotagmin-3 (SYT3) is a member of the synaptotagmin family. SYT3 is involved in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis of secretory vesicles through Ca(2+) and phospholipid binding to the C2 domain or may function as Ca(2+) sensors in the process of vesicular trafficking and exocytosis.

Recombinant Fatty Acid Binding Protein is a newly introduced plasma marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The plasma kinetics of FABP (15kD) closely resemble those of myoglobin in that elevated plasma concentrations are found within 2 hours after AMI and return to normal generally within 18 to 24 hours. But the concentration of FABP in the skeletal muscle is 20 times lower than in cardiac tissue (for myoglobin the same content for cardiac and skeletal tissue), that makes FABP to be more cardiac specific than myoglobin. This makes FABP a useful biochemical marker for the early assessment or exclusion of AMI. FABP also appears to be a useful plasma marker for the estimation of myocardial infarct size.

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.

Transcription elongation factor A protein-like 1 (TCEAL1) is a member of the transcription elongation factor A (SII)-like (TCEAL) family, which may function as nuclear phosphoproteins that modulate transcription in a promoter context-dependent manner. TCEAL1 is involved in transcriptional regulation. TCEAL1 is expressed in all tissues, especially highly expressed in the heart, ovary, prostate and skeletal muscle.

PFKM is a regulatory glycolytic enzyme that converts fructose 6-phosphate and ATP into fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (through PFK-1), fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (through PFK-2) and ADP. Three phosphofructokinase isozymes exist in humans: muscle, liver and platelet. Mutations in PFKM gene have been related with glycogen storage disease type VII, also identified as Tarui disease.

PPA1 is a member of the PPase family. PPA1 catalyzes the conversion of one molecule of pyrophosphate to two phosphate ions. Many biochemical pathways use the hydrolysis of PPi to two phosphate ions to make the reactions permanently irreversible. A prominent illustration of this phenomenon is the inorganic pyrophosphatase catalyzation in the hydrolysis reaction at the beginning of lipid degradation. Inorganic pyrophosphatase provides the motivation for the activation of fatty acids destined for oxidation by stimulating the rapid hydrolysis of pyrophosphate.

Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR/NTR), an enzyme belonging to the flavoprotein family of pyridine nucleotide-disulfide oxidoreductases. Thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), a component of the thioredoxin system, including thioredoxin (Trx) and NADPH, catalyzes the transfer of electrons from NADPH to Trx, acts as a reductant of disulfide-containing proteins and participates in the defense system against oxidative stresses.

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.

IFIH1 is a DEAD box protein which is upregulated in response to treatment with beta-interferon and a protein kinase C-activating compound, mezerein. Irreversible reprogramming of melanomas can be attained by therapy with both these agents; treatment with either agent alone only achieves reversible differentiation. DEAD box proteins are implicated in several cellular processes involving alteration of RNA secondary structure such as translation initiation, nuclear and mitochondrial splicing, and ribosome and spliceosome assembly.

TFAM is a mitochondrial transcription factor which is a main activator of mitochondrial transcription and is also a participant in mitochondrial genome replication. TFAM is situated primarily in the nuclei of elongated spermatids and takes part in the regulation of gene expression of the haploid male genome. TFAM is linked to mitochondrial disorder in humans characterized by ocular myopathy, exercise intolerance and muscle wasting.

Progastricsin-C (PGC) is an aspartic proteinase which is synthesized in the gastric mucosa as inactive precursors. PGC is a part of the peptidase family A1 and contains a prosegment which is responsible for stabilizing the inactive form and preventing the entrance of the substrate to the active site. PGC is used as a biomarker for various gastric diseases including Helicobacter pylori related gastritis. PGC is also hydrolyzes various proteins.

PPP1R14A is a phosphorylation-dependent inhibitor of smooth muscle myosin phosphatase. Inhibition of PPP1R14A results to increased myosin phosphorylation and enhances smooth muscle contraction in the absence of increased intracellular Ca(2+) concentration. Myosin phosphatase can reverse MYL (myosin light chain) phosphorylation to induce a state of relaxation. However, during agonist-induced contraction at constant Ca2+ concurrent inhibition of myosin phosphatase leads to increases in MYL phosphorylation and tension. These calcium-independent increases in myosin phosphorylation and tension are termed calcium sensitization. Human pregnancy is characterized by the increases of PKN1 expression and CPI-17 phosphorylation in the myometrium. PPP1R14A is mapped to chromosome 19q13.13-q13.2. PPP1R14A binds directly to protein kinase C and casein kinase I. PPP1R14A siRNA decreased the level of merlin phosphorylation and consequently Ras and ERK activity in human tumor cell lines. PKC/CPI-17 medi

Pyridoxine-5'-phosphate oxidase (PNPO) is the rate-limiting enzyme in vitamin B6 synthesis. Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxal 5-prime-phosphate or PLP) is vital for normal cellular function, and some cancer cells have notable differences in vitamin B6 metabolism compared to their normal counterparts.Vitamin B6 is an essential co-factor for enzymes involved in both homocysteine metabolism and synthesis of neurotransmitters such as catecholamine. Mutations in the PNPO gene result in PNPO deficiency, a form of neonatal epileptic encephalopathy.