Search results

The 14-3-3 family of proteins plays a key regulatory role in signal transduction, checkpoint control, apoptotic and nutrient-sensing pathways. 14-3-3 proteins are highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed. There are at least seven isoforms, β, γ, ε, σ, ζ, τ and η that have been identified in mammals. The 14-3-3 tau, a subtype of the 14-3-3 family of proteins, was found in T Cells, brain and testes. This 14-3-3 tau is upregulated in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

CST6 belongs to the type 2 cystatin family. Unlike other family members that act as active cysteine protease inhibitors, CST6 restrain the inhibition of cathepsin B but is not active against cathepsin C. CST6 are secretable proteins that influence osteogenesis and bone resorption, regulation of the hepatocyte growth factor receptors, and the response to systemic inflammation.

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.

Cytosolic and membrane-bound types of GST are encoded by 2 different supergene families. There are 8 classes of the soluble cytoplasmic mammalian GST: alpha, kappa, mu, omega, pi, sigma, theta and zeta. The mu class of enzymes functions in the detoxification of electrophilic compounds, including carcinogens, therapeutic drugs, environmental toxins and products of oxidative stress, by conjugation with glutathione. The genes encoding the mu class of enzymes are arranged in a gene cluster on chromosome 1p13.3 and aare highly polymorphic. These genetic differences can change an individual's resistance to carcinogens and toxins as well as affect the toxicity and efficacy of certain drugs. Null mutations of this class mu gene have been linked with the rise in a number of cancers.

AASDHPPT is a member of the P-Pant transferase superfamily. AASDHPPT catalyzes the post-translational modification of target proteins by phosphopantetheine and can transfer the 4'-phosphopantetheine moiety from coenzyme A to a serine residue of a broad range of acceptors, such as the acyl carrier domain of FASN (in vitro). AASDHPPT is similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae LYS5, which is required for the activation of the alpha-aminoadipate dehydrogenase in the biosynthetic pathway of lysine. AASDHPPT is found in the heart, skeletal muscle, placenta, testis, brain, pancreas, liver and kidney. It’s been suggested that defects in the human AASDHPPT gene result in pipecolic acidemia.

MTHSFD, also known as Methenyltetrahydrofolate Synthetase Domain Containing protein, is linked to Pancreas, Annular and Gastrointestinal Defects. It has also been associated with Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Some of the Gene Ontology annotations that are related to the MTHSFD gene are nucleic acid binding and nucleotide binding.

Dual specificity phosphatase 18 (DUSP18) belongs to the dual-specificity phosphatase (DSP) family, which catalyzes dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosine and phosphothreonine residues. DUSP18 has a preferential enzymatic activity for phosphorylated tyrosine residues over threonine residues, in addition DUSP18 dephosphorylates p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP) in vitro. Furthermore, DUSP18 is inhibited by iodoarectic acid and is activated by manganese ions. DUSP18 is extensively expressed with the highest levels in the liver, brain, ovary and testis.

UBE2D1 is a member of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family. Ubiquitination involves at least 3 classes of enzymes: ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1s), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) and ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s). UBE2D1 is strongly related to a stimulator of iron transport (SFT), and is up-regulated in hereditary hemochromatosis. In addition, UBE2D1 functions in the ubiquitination of the tumor-suppressor protein p53 and the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF1alpha by interacting with the E1 ubiquitin-activating enzyme and the E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases.

UBE2E3 or Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 E3 is part of the E2 ubiquitinconjugating enzyme family. UBE2E3 is needed for the destruction of mitotic cyclins and for cell cycle progression. The ubiquitination process covalently attaches to a short protein of 76 amino acids called ubiquitin, to a lysine residue on the target protein. When a protein has been tagged with one ubiquitin molecule, other rounds of ubiquitination form a polyubiquitin chain that is recognized by the proteasome's 19S regulatory particle, triggering the ATP-dependent unfolding of the target protein which grants passage into the proteasome's 20S core particle, where proteases degrade the target into short peptide fragments for recycling by the cell.

Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI) is a part of the GPI family whose members encode multifunctional phosphoglucose isomerase proteins involved in energy pathways. GPI is a dimeric enzyme which catalyzes the reversible isomerization of glucose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate. Mammalian GPI also functions as a tumor-secreted cytokine and an angiogenic factor (AMF) which stimulates endothelial cell motility. In addition, GPI is a neurotrophic factor (Neuroleukin) for spinal and sensory neurons. GPI performs in different capacities inside and outside the cell. In the cytoplasm, GPI is involved in glycolysis and gluconeogenesis, while outside the cell it acts as a neurotrophic factor for spinal and sensory neurons.
Defects in the GPI gene cause the nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia and a severe enzyme deficiency can be linked to hydrops fetalis, immediate neonatal death and neurological impairment.

ME2 catalyzes the oxidative decarboxylation of malate to pyruvate, malat + NAD(P)+? pyruvate + CO2 + NAD(P)H+, and is found both in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Three different isoforms of ME are known to be in mammalian tissues: a strictly cytosolic NADP+-dependent enzyme, an NADP+-dependent mitochondriail isoform, and a mitochondrial isoenzyme that is able to use both NAD+ and NADP+ but is more effective with NAD+. The mammalian isoforms size is about 62-64 kDa. A native size of 240,000 Da proposes a tetrameric structure for the active enzyme.
Mitochondrial NAD+-dependent ME 2 activity is seen in tissues that experience many cell divisions, like spleen, thymus, and the basal cells of the small intestinal mucosa. ME2 is also expressed all through the rapid cleavage stages of early Xenopus development. Activity for this isoform is low or nonexistent in brain, muscle, and normal and regenerating liver tissue from rat but was observed in rat adrenal cortex, pigeon and human skeletal muscle, and in heart muscle of some species. In addition, it is expressed in mitochondria of all tumor cells inspected to detain ascites tumors, hepatoma cells, and a variety of other tumors and transformed cell lines.

SEPSECS catalyzes the last step of sec synthesis by converting O-phosphoseryl-tRNA(sec) to selenocysteinyl-tRNA(sec) using selenophosphate as the selenium donor. Furthermore, SEPSECS protein is considered a specific marker of autoimmune hepatitis.

DUSP23 is a member of the protein-tyrosine phosphatase family. DUSP23 is a protein phosphatase which facilitates dephosphorylation of phosphorylated proteins on Tyr and Ser/Thr residues. In vitro, DUSP23 dephosphorylate p44-ERK1 (MAPK3) but not p54 SAPK-beta (MAPK10). In addition, DUSP23 enhances activation of JNK and p38(MAPK14).

Gastrokine-1 (GKN1) is a member of the gastrokine family. GKN1 has mitogenic activity and is involved in preserving the integrity of the gastric mucosal epithelium. GKN1 is down-regulated in human gastric cancer tissue in comparison to normal gastric mucosa. GKN1 is expressed in the stomach; however no expression is detected in cancer tissue or gastric cancer cell lines.

BETV6.0102 allergen is one of Isoflavone reductases which were found in pear, orange, apple, mango, lychee and other plants. Isoflavone reductases are plant defense proteins which induced by plant stress, e.g. high salinity, freeze or drought.

TNNT2 is the tropomyosin-binding subunit of the troponin complex, which is situated on the thin filament of striated muscles and regulates muscle contraction in response to alterations in intracellular calcium ion concentration. Mutations in TNNT2 gene can lead to familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as well as dilated cardiomyopathy. TNNT2 mutation takes part in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

NAT6 is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of acetyl groups from acetyl-CoA to acrylamines. NAT6 is located mainly in the cytoplasm and its activity has been recognized by its feasibility to acetylate the N-terminus of proteins using a ping-pong-like mechanism and by its substrate specificity. Given that the NAT6 gene maps to the chromosomal region 3p21.3, which includes at least one tumor suppressor gene, the function of NAT6 plays an important role in cancer.

ECHS1 is part of the hydratase/isomerase superfamily. ECHS1 is localized in the mitochondrial matrix and Expressed in muscle, liver and fibroblasts, with low expression in kidney and spleen, ECHS1 exists as a homohexamer that takes part in the second phase of the mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation pathway.

Collagen, a major component of the extracellular matrix, is a fibrous protein that provides tensile strength to tissues giving them structural integrity. Collagen and its derivative, gelatin, have been widely used in medical, pharmaceutical and consumer products for more than 100 years. The supply of these materials, created from animal remains, is both abundant and inexpensive. However, most formulations are not highly purified and have the potential to cause an inflammatory reaction in some product users. In addition, concerns have been raised over the last several years about the potential for contamination of bovine products with the agent that causes mad cow disease and its human variant, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Animal collagens are subject to extensive modifications that continue over the life of the molecule in the extracellular space. These differences influence both the extractability of collagens from tissue and the biophysical characteristics of these collagens. As a result, collagens isolated from tissues exhibit significant lot-to-lot variability and, as bulk materials, are often analytically intractable. Products that contain animal-derived collagen can induce potentially harmful inflammatory or immune responses in humans and pose risk of contamination with viruses or prions, potentially life-threatening pathogens. Recombinant collagens are essentially identical to the native collagen protein thereby reducing the risk of inflammation, immune response, and disease as compared to animal-sourced collagen.

Natriuretic Peptide A (NPPA) is a part of the natriuretic peptide family and is involved in cardiovascular homeostasis through regulation of natriuresis, diuresis, and vasodilation. NPPA is synthesized as a great precursor which releases a peptide from the N-terminus with similarity to vasoactive peptide, cardiodilatin, and another peptide from the C-terminus with natriuretic-diuretic activity. In female pregnancy, NPPA is promoting trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling in uterus.

PPIF is a part of the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase (PPIase) family. PPIF accelerates the folding of proteins. It catalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides. PPIF is key component of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Activation of this pore is thought to be involved in the induction of apoptotic and necrotic cell death.

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative bacillus-shaped bacterium, which is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Y.Enterocolitica is motile at temperatures between 22-29°C, however becomes non-motile at normal human body temperature. Y. Enterocolitica infection causes the yersiniosis disease, which is an animal-borne disease occurring in humans, as well as in a various groups of animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, and birds. Yersinia enterocolitica is a heterogeneous group of strains, which are conventionally classified by bio-typing into six bio-groups on the basis of phenotypic characteristics, and by serotyping into more than 57 “O” serogroups, on the basis of their O (lipopolysaccharide or LPS) surface antigen. Five of the six biogroups (1B and 2–5) are considered as pathogens. Nevertheless, only a few of these serogroups have been linked with disease in either humans or animals. Strains which belong to serogroups O:3 (biogroup 4), O:5,27 (biogroups 2 and 3), O:8 (biogroup 1B), and O:9 (biogroup 2) are most frequently isolated worldwide from human samples. Still, the main Y. enterocolitica serogroup in many European countries is serogroup O:3 followed by O:9, whereas the serogroup O:8 is mostly detected in the United States.