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Carbonic Anhydrase XIII, also known as CA13 is a member of the alpha-carbonic anhydrase family, which catalyzes the rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide and water tobicarbonate and protons, a reversible reaction which occurs relatively slowly in the absence of catalyst. Furthermore, the active siteof nearly all carbonic anhydrases contains a zinc ion; they have been classified as metalloenzymes. At least fivedistinct CA families (?, ?, ?, ? and ?) have been found. These families have no significant a.a sequence resemblance and in just about allcases are considered to be an example of convergent evolution. The ?-CAs have been demonstrated in humans.

Murine IL-36a belongs to the IL-1 family that includes IL-1b, IL-1a, IL-1ra, IL-18, IL-36ra (IL1F5), IL-36b (IL1F8), IL-36g (IL1F9), IL-37 (IL1F7) and IL-38 (IL-1F10). The IL-1 family members display a 12 b-strand, b-trefoil configuration, and are thought to have ascended from a mutual ancestral gene. Murine IL-36a is a 160 amino acid intracellular and secreted protein which holds no signal sequence, no prosegment and no potential N-linked glycosylation sites. IL-36a is released as a reaction to LPS and the cell ATP-induced activation of the P2X7 receptor.
Mouse to human, full length IL-36a/IL-1F6 shares 54% aa sequence homology. IL-36a is mostly found in skin and lymphoid tissues, but also in fetal brain, trachea, stomach and intestine.

Carbonic anhydrase (carbonate dehydratase) is a family of metalloenzymes (enzymes that contain one or more metal atoms as a functional component of the enzyme) that catalyze the rapid (and reversible) conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate and protons, a reaction that occurs rather slowly in the absence of a catalyst. Carbonic anhydrase greatly increases the rate of the reaction, with typical catalytic rates of the different forms of this enzyme ranging between 104 and 106 reactions per second. The active site of most carbonic anhydrases contains a zincion. CAIII is a cytoplasmic isoenzyme, but is released into the circulation following injury.

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).

PPIL2 is part of the cyclophilin family of peptidylprolyl isomerases which are highly conserved ubiquitous proteins that play an important role in protein folding, immunosuppression by cyclosporin A, and infection of HIV-1 virions. PPIL2 interacts with the proteinase inhibitor eglin c and is localized in the nucleus. PPIL2 increases folding of proteins andcatalyzes the cis-trans isomerization of proline imidic peptide bonds in oligopeptides.

Gastric Inhibitory Polypeptide (GIP) which is a significant hormone of the enteroinsular axis has a functional profile of possible therapeutic value for type 2 diabetes. GIP is an important incretin hormone released into the circulation from endocrine K-cells of the duodenum and jejunum after ingestion of food1. GIP was evaluated for his ability to elevate cellular cAMP production. GIP promotes plasma triglyceride clearance in response to oral fat loading.

Creatine Kinase BB is a cytoplasmic enzyme involved in energy homeostasis. The encoded protein reversibly catalyzes the transfer of phosphate between ATP and various phosphogens such as creatine phosphate. It acts as a homodimer in brain as well as in other tissues, and as a heterodimer with a similar muscle isozyme in heart. The encoded protein is a member of the ATP:guanido phosphotransferase protein family. A pseudogene of this gene has been characterized.

MAEA is a 396aa widely expressed adhesion protein which has 5 alternatively spliced isoforms. MAEA holds one CTLH domain and one LisH domain. MAEA forms a complex with F-actin, which takes part in regulating actin distribution in erythroblasts and macrophages and is known to assist in cell division and nuclear architecture. MAEA is confined with condensed chromatin at prophase, nuclear spindle poles at metaphase and in the contractile ring throughout cytokinesis phase and telophase.

VEGF-C, also known as Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Related Protein (VRP), is a recently discovered VEGF growth factor family member that is most closely related to VEGF-D. The rat VEGFC cDNA encodes a pre-pro-protein of 416 amino acids residues.
It is almost identical to the mouse VEGF-C protein. Similar to VEGF-D, VEGF-C has a VEGF homology domain spanning the middle third of the precursor molecule and long N- and C-terminal extensions. In adults, VEGF-C is highly expressed in heart, placenta, ovary and small intestine. Recombinant rat VEGF-C, lacking the N- and C-terminal extensions and containing only the middle VEGF homology domain, forms primarily non-covalently linked dimers. This protein is a ligand for both VEGFR-2/KDR and VEGFR-3/FLT -4. Since VEGFR-3 is strongly expressed in lymphatic endothelial cells, it has been postulated that VEGF-C is involved in the regulation of the growth and/or differentiation of lymphatic endothelium. Although recombinant rat VEGF-C is also a mitogen for vascular endothelial cells, it is much less potent than VEGF-A.

Regulated upon Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed, and Secreted or RANTES is an 8 kDa protein classified as a chemotactic cytokine or chemokine. It has recently been renamed CCL5. RANTES is chemotactic for T cells, eosinophils and basophils and plays an active role in recruiting leukocytes into inflammatory sites. With the help of particular cytokines (i.e. IL-2 and IFN-?) that are released by T cells, RANTES also induces the proliferation and activation of certain natural killer (NK) cells to form CHAK (CC-Chemokine-activated killer) cells. It is also a HIV-suppressive factor released from CD8+ T cells. This chemokine has been localized to chromosome 17 in humans.

WIBG is a cooperateing partner of Mago-Y14. The Mago-Y14 heterodimer is a key protein of the EJC(exon junction complex) that is deposited on mRNAs as a consequence of splicing and influences postsplicing mRNA metabolism. WIBG is a cytoplasmic RNA-binding protein that is excluded from the nucleus by Crm1. WIBG relates directly with Mago-Y14 by means of its N-terminal domain.

Cysteine-Rich Secretory Protein 2 (CRISP2) regulates some ion channels activity and thereby regulates calcium fluxes during sperm capacitation. Amongst its related pathways are p53 signaling. Diseases related with CRISP2 include epididymitis and orchitis.

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.

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.

NECTIN3, also known as Nectin Cell Adhesion Molecule 3, is part of the nectin family. NECTIN3 is intended to initiate cell-cell adhesion to stimulate cell attachment and to allow subsequent formation of JAM-and cadherin-based intercellular junctions. NECTIN3 induces endocytosis-mediated down-regulation of PVR from the cell surface, which results in reduction of cell movement & proliferation. Following Nectin-3 activity adds strength to the junction through trans-interaction with various molecules.

Kidney associated antigen 1 (KAAG1) is expressed in testis and kidney, and, at lower levels, in urinary bladder and liver. KAAG1 is expressed by numerous tumors of various histologic origin, including melanomas, sarcomas and colorectal carcinomas.

Lipocalin-2 also called Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) belongs to a family of lipocans which include 25 proteins (including a1-microglobulin and b-lactoglobulin), which are characterized by their ability to bind small lipophilic substances in their hydrophobic core. They thereby serve as transporters of substances like retinal, biliverdins & prostaglandins. There are indications that NGAL is involved in modulation of the inflammatory response and is found in the plasma of patients after stroke.

Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1G) belongs to a large family of carboxylesterases that are liable for the hydrolysis of ester and amide bonds. CES1G is also participates in the detoxification of xenobiotics prodrugs. CES1G shares the serine hydrolase fold observed in other esterases. CES1G found in rats and mice and is expressed mainly in liver, but also in kidney and lung.

GDF15 is part of the TGF-Beta superfamily that is involved in regulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways in injured tissues and throughout disease processes. GDF15 is most abundant in the liver. Its expression in liver can be considerably up-regulated in during injury of organs such as liver, kidney, heart and lung. GDF-15 promotes proliferation or growth arrest and differentiation due to differences in cellular differentiation. GDF15 prevents apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons by activating Akt and inhibiting endogenously active ERK. GDF15 is a novel autocrine/endocrine factor that antagonizes the hypertrophic response and loss of ventricular performance.

HUS1 is a component of an evolutionarily conserved, genotoxin-activated checkpoint complex. HUS1 protein connects with Rad9 and Rad1 to form the 9-1-1(RAD9-RAD1-HUS1) complex, that confines to DNA lesions and promotes DNA damage signaling and repair or apoptosis, cell cycle arrest. The trimeric complex is structurally similar to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) sliding clamp and interacts with Rad17 as a clamp-clamp loader pair during the DNA damage response.

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram negative bacteria which colonizes in the human stomach and stimulates gastric mucosal inflammations leading to acute gastritis-associated diseases among them are atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric cancer.

H. pylori is found in half of the world’s population and is defined as a group I carcinogens. .

An important virulence factor of H. pylori is Cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) which is located at the end of an approximately 40-kb cluster of genes called cag pathoge¬nicity island (PAI).

Cag PAI encodes a type-IV secretion system and transfers CagA protein into the intracellular region of gastric epithelial cell.

This relocation induces cellular hyper proliferation, apoptosis and leading to failure of gastric epithelial cell in maintaining its normal cytoskeletal structure. Furthermore it increases the secretion of cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin (IL) 1, 6 and 8 by the epithelial cells.

The IL-8 leads to extreme inflammatory responses and also stimulates the production of oxygen free radicals that could cause DNA damage to adjacent cells and lead to genetic modifications of gastric epithelial cells which are carcinogenic.

Bee venom phospholipase A2 (PLA) is the main allergen in the bee sting allergy. Bee venom phospholipase A2 (BV-PLA2) is a hydrolytic enzyme which specifically cleaves the sn-2 acyl bond of phospholipids at the lipid/water interface. BV-PLA2 is a 14–16-kDa glycoprotein, consisting of 134 amino acids and displaying a single carbohydrate side chain at the residue Asn13. It is also held to be responsible for some systemic anaphylactic reactions in bee venom sensitized individuals. BV-PLA2 presents 3 peptide and a glycopeptide T cell epitopes, which are recognized by both allergic and non-allergic bee venom sensitized subjects. PLA is able to elicit both IgE mediated allergy and normal immunity to bee sting which usually is associated with high affinity IgG4 anti-PLA antibodies.

Adipogenesis Associated, Mth938 Domain Containing, also known as AAMDC is a member of the AAMDC family and takes part in preadipocyte differentiation andadipogenesis.

Chondrosarcoma Associated Gene 1 (CSAG1) belongs to a family of tumor antigens. The CSAG1 protein is expressed in chondrosarcomas, but may also be expressed in normal tissues such as testis.