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Alarelin (Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone) is a synthetic LH-RH agonist that is found in higher amounts than that of LH-RH in rat hypophyseal stimulation of gonadotropin secretion in vivo and in vitro and in ovulation inductions. Alarelin is known for its induction of ovulation. Alarelin acetate is the acetate form of a hypothalamic peptide that stimulates the release of FSH and LH from the pituitary gland.

RARRES2 is a secreted chemotactic protein that initiates chemotaxis through the ChemR23 G protein-coupled seven-transmembrane domain ligand. RARRES2 is upregulated by the synthetic retinoid tazarotene and found in a vast variety of tissues. RARRES2 acts as an adipokine, and is truncated on both termini from the proprotein. RARRES2 is structurally related to the cathelicidin precursors, cystatin C and kininogens. RARRES2 promotes calcium mobilization and chemotaxis of immature dendritic cells and macrophages. RARRES2 is secreted as a precursor of little biological activity, which requires proteolytic cleavage of its COOH-terminal domain to be exchangeed into a potent and highly specific agonist of ChemR23. RARRES2 signals via its receptor, ChemR23 (CMKLR1), as a positive regulator of adipocyte differentiation and metabolic function. The Chemerin receptor acts as a coreceptor for SIV and some primary HIV-1 strains. The Chemerin receptor has another ligand, called tazarotene-induced gene.

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.

Type 1 cystatins are also called stefins which function as intracellular thiol protease inhibitors. Cystatin-B protein is able to form a dimer stabilized by noncovalent forces, inhibiting papain and cathepsins l, h and b. CSTB protein protects proteases leakage from lysosomes. Mutations in Stefin-B gene cause primary defects in patients with progressive myoclonic epilepsy (EPM1), a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. CSTB is overexpressed & elevated in the serum of HCC patients. Cystatin-B in vivo has a polymeric structure which is sensitive to the redox environment. Cystatin-B inhibits bone resorption by down-regulating intracellular cathepsin K activity despite increased osteoclast survival. Protein and mRNA levels of stefin B are significantly lower in atypical benign meningiomas. Stefins-A & Stefin-B which belong to the type-1 Cystatins, are up-regulated in lung tumours and thus able to counteract harmful tumour-associated proteolytic activity. Human stefin-A & Stefin-B form amyloid fibrils. Copper binding by stefin-B reduces amyloid fibril formation. A number of alternatively spliced CSTB isoforms were recognized in patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy. Decreased CSTB activity in EPM1 pathogenesis is controled by cathepsins through increased activity of cathepsin-S & cathepsin-L.

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.

E-selectin (SELE) is a part of a family of divalent cation-dependent carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins or adhesion molecules. E-selectin is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and mediates the interaction of leukocytes and platelets with endothelial cells during an inflammatory response. E-selectin is present in single copy in the human genome and contains 14 exons spanning about 13 kb of DNA.

Dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3) belongs to the DKK protein family including Dkk-1, 2, 3 and -4. DKK3 is a 350 amino acid secreted glycoprotein which is comprised of an N-terminal signal peptide and 2 conserved cysteine-rich domains that are separated by a 12 amino acid linker region. DKK3 is involved in embryonic development through its inhibition of the WNT signaling pathway. DKK3 gene expression is decreased in a variety of cancer cell lines and it may act as a tumor suppressor gene.

IFT20 is a fragment of intraflagellar transport (IFT) elements which takes part in ciliary process assembly. IFT20 is involved in the transferring of ciliary membrane proteins from the Golgi complex to the cilium and is expressed in virtually all tissues.

Biglycan (BGN) is a small cellular or pericellular matrix proteoglycan which takes part in assembly of collagen fibrils and muscle regeneration. BGN is closely correlated in structure to two other small proteoglycans, decorin and fibromodulin. BGN interacts with several proteins involved in muscular dystrophy, including alpha-dystroglycan, alpha- and gamma-sarcoglycan and collagen VI. BGN is also critical for the assembly of the dystrophin-associated protein complex.

Sulfotransferase 1A2 (SULT1A2) belongs to the sulfotransferase family. Sulfotransferase enzymes catalyze the sulfate conjugation of many hormones, neurotransmitters, drugs, and xenobiotic compounds. SULT1A2 mediates the metabolic activation of carcinogenic N-hydroxyarylamines to DNA binding products and might thus participate as a modulating factor of cancer risk.

Prohibitin 2, also known as PHB2, mediates transcriptional repression by nuclear hormone receptors via recruitment of histone deacetylases by similarity. PHB2 functions as an estrogen receptor (ER)-selective coregulator which potentiates the inhibitory activities of antiestrogens and represses the activity of estrogens. PHB2 which is involved in regulating mitochondrial respiration activity and in aging, competes with NCOA1 for modulation of ER transcriptional activity.

Furin is a member of the peptidase S8 family. Furin signifies the ubiquitous endoprotease activity within constitutive secretory pathwaysas well as capable of cleavage at the RX (K/R) R consensus motif.Furin is considered to be one of the proteases responsible for the activation of HIV envelope glycoproteins gp160 as well as gp140 and might take part in tumor progression. Among the diseases associated with FURIN are dementia, familial british and plague.

GTP Cyclohydrolase I Feedback Regulator, also known as GCHFR, is a Protein coding gene which includes a homodimer. GCHFR binds and mediates tetrahydrobiopterin inhibition of GTP cyclohydrolase I. GCHFR also regulates phenylalanine metabolism in the liver and in the production of biogenic amine neurotransmitters and nitric oxide.

Thioredoxins are small disulphide-containing redox proteins (within the conserved Cys-Gly-Pro-Cys active site) that have been found in all the kingdoms of living organisms. Thioredoxin contains a single disulfide active site and serves as a general protein disulphide oxidoreductase. Thioredoxins are involved in the first unique step in DNA synthesis. It interacts with a broad range of proteins by a redox mechanism based on reversible oxidation of two cysteine thiol groups to a disulphide, accompanied by the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The net result is the covalent interconversion of a disulphide and a dithiol. It has been suggested that thioredoxin may catalyze the formation of correct disulfides during protein folding because of its ability to act as an efficient oxidoreductant. Trx also provides control over a number of transcription factors affecting cell proliferation and death through a mechanism referred to as redox regulation.

Recoverin is a member of the recoverin family of neuronal calcium sensors. Recoverin is a heterogeneously acylated calcium-binding and intracellular signal transduction 23kDa protein in the photoreceptor cells of retina. Recoverin contains four EF-hands, of which two bind Ca. Ca-induced extrusion of the acyl group from a hydrophobic cleft in the protein drives the translocation of recoverin from solution to the disc membrane. Recoverin may prolong the termination of the phototransduction cascade in the retina by blocking the phosphorylation of photo-activated rhodopsin. Recoverin plays a key role in the inhibition of rhodopsin kinase, a molecule that regulates the phosphorylation of rhodopsin. This in due course controls the ability of the eye to adapt to, and recover from, exposure to the presence of light. Recoverin is a detectable serologic protein that is expressed in patients with cancer-associated retinopathy, a paraneoplastic syndrome.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from mice with experimentally induced allergic pulmonary inflammation contains a novel 9.4 kDa cysteine-rich secreted protein, RELM-alpha (FIZZ1, found in inflammatory zone). RELM-alpha is a secreted protein that has a restricted tissue distribution with highest levels in adipose tissue stroma. Murine RELM-alpha (FIZZ1) is the founding member of a new gene family including two other murine genes expressed, respectively, in intestinal crypt epithelium (RELM-beta) and white adipose tissue (Resistin), and two related human genes.
RELMalpha inhibits the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes but has no effect on proliferation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. RELMalpha is able to form heterooligomers with resistin but not RELMbeta. Since RELMalpha is expressed by adipose tissue and it is a secreted factor, our findings suggest that RELMalpha may be involved in the control of the adipogenesis as well as in the process of muscle differentiation.
In the lung, RELM-alpha is induced by hypoxia and was renamed as hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF). HIMF strongly activated Akt phosphorylation. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 (10 micromol/L) inhibited HIMF-activated Akt phosphorylation. It also inhibited HIMF stimulated RPSM proliferation. Thus, the PI3K/Akt pathway, at least in part, mediates the proliferative effect of HIMF. Further studies showed that HIMF had angiogenic and vasoconstrictive properties. HIMF increased pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance. Further studies suggest that HIMF regulates apoptosis and may participate in lung alveolarization and maturation.

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.

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) is a part of the 1-acyl-sn-glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase family. LPCAT1 is a key enzyme for remodeling phospholipids, including phosphatidylcholine. LPCAT1 possesses both acyltransferase and acetyltransferase activities and also mediates the conversion of 1-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (LPC) into phosphatidylcholine (PC). LPCAT1 presents a clear preference for saturated fatty acyl-CoAs, and 1-myristoyl or 1-palmitoyl LPC as acyl donors and acceptors, respectively. LPCAT1 synthesizes phosphatidylcholine in pulmonary surfactant and therefore playing an important role in respiratory physiology.

Cartilage-associated protein (CRTAP) is a secreted protein localizing to the extracellular space which takes part in collagen post-translational modifications, extracellular fibril assembly and intracellular trafficking. CRTAP which is mainly expressed with predominant expression in articular chondrocytes is essential for efficient 3-hydroxylation of fibrillar collagen prolyl residues. Mutations in the gene encoding CRTAP might cause to autosomal recessive osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) type 7 and type 2B.

Dickkopf-related protein 1 (DKK1) antagonizes canonical Wnt signaling by inhibiting LRP5/6 interaction with Wnt and by creating a ternary complex with the transmembrane protein KREMEN which promotes internalization of LRP5/6. DKKs have a significant role in vertebrate development, where they locally inhibit Wnt controlled processes for instance antero-posterior axial patterning, limb development, somitogenesis and eye formation. Furthermore, Dkks are involved in bone formation and bone disease, cancer and Alzheimer disease in Adults.

EIF2B1 is one of five subunits of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (EIF2B), which is a GTP exchange factor for eukaryotic initiation factor 2 and an essential regulator for protein synthesis. Phosphorylation of eIF2 inhibits GEF activity of EIF2B, an inhibition which requires the eIF2B1 subunit. Defects in eIF2B1 are a cause of leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM), a brain disease which is characterized by head trauma and motor deterioration.

Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 (IGFBP7) is a member of the IGFBP family. IGFBP family members are all cysteine rich proteins with conserved cysteine and have an IGFBP domain, a Kazal-like domain and an Ig-like C2-type domain. IGFBP7 is expressed in a broad range of normal human tissues and it mostly shows reduced expression in cancer cell lines of prostate, breast, colon, and lung origin. IGFBP7 has a role in skeletal myogenesis by binding to IGF in a manner which inhibits IGF induced differentiation of skeletal myoblasts, without disturbing IGF induced proliferation. Moreover, IGFBP7 suppresses growth and colony formation of prostate and breast cancer cell lines via an IGF independent mechanism, which triggers a delay in the G1 phase of the cell cycle, and increased apoptosis.

Chromosome 7 Open Reading Frame 49 (C7ORF49) is affiliated with the lncRNA class. C7ORF49 characterizes the hamster ortholog and suggests that it may modulate the ability of the proteasome to degrade retroviral cores upon cellular infection.

POGLUT1 is a homologue of Rumi from Drosophila, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-retaining glucosyltransferase which catalyzes the transfer of glucose and xylose from UDP-glucose and UDP-xylose, respectively, to EGF repeats on the consensus sequence C-X-S-X-P-C. POGLUT1 positively regulates Notch signaling without affecting Notch ligand binding.