Search results

Platelet factor-4 is a 70-amino acid protein that is released from the alpha-granules of activated platelets . Its major physiologic role appears to be neutralization of molecules on the endothelial surface of blood vessels, thereby inhibiting local antithrombin III activity and promoting coagulation. As a strong chemoattractant for neutrophils and fibroblasts, PF4 probably has a role in inflammation and wound repair. Oncostatin-A is a member of the CXC chemocinfamily. Human PF4 is used for the proof of induced thrombocytopenia. Furthermore it is used as an inhibitor in the angiogenesis during tumor therapy.

Fibrinogen gamma chain isoform gamma-A (FGG) is the gamma component of fibrinogen, which is a blood-borne glycoprotein, comprised of 3 pairs of nonidentical polypeptide chains. FGG along with fibrinogen alpha (FGA) and fibrinogen beta (FGB) polymerizes to form an insoluble fibrin matrix. Following vascular injury, FGG is cleaved by thrombin to create fibrin, which is the most abundant component of blood clots. FGG functions during the early stages of wound repair to stabilize the lesion and guide cell migration during re-epithelialization. Moreover, different cleavage products of fibrinogen and fibrin regulate cell adhesion and spreading, exhibit vasoconstrictor and chemotactic activities, and are mitogens for a number of cell types. Maternal fibrinogen is vital for successful pregnancy. FGG gene mutations lead to some disorders, including dysfibrinogenemia, hypofibrinogenemia and thrombophilia. Fibrin accumulation is also linked with infection, where it protects against IFNG-mediated hemorrhage.

Apoptosis-Inducing Factor, Mitochondrion-Associated, 1 (AIFM1) is a mitochondrial protein which translocates to the nucleus once apoptosis has been initiated. AIFM1 causes DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation and also triggers the release of cytochrome c and caspase-9 from mitochondria. Bcl-2 overexpression prevents the release of AIFM1 from mitochondria, but doesn’t block its apoptogenic activity.

IL18R1 (interleukin 18 receptor 1) is an interleukin receptor which is part of the immunoglobulin superfamily. IL18R1 comprises 3 Ig-like C2-type domains, on TIR domain IL18R1 shares many immuno-regulatory functions with IL12. IL12 and IFN-alpha are found to induce the expression of IL18 receptor in NK & T cells. Moreover, IL18R1 explicitly binds interleukin 18, and is vital for IL18 mediated signal transduction. IL18R1 does not bind IL1A or IL1B beta, however it does bind to the agonist which causes NF-kappa-B to become active.

ULBP1 together with at least ULBP2 and ULBP3, is ligand for the NKG2D receptor. ULBPs stimulate various signaling pathways in primary NK cells, which result in cytokines and chemokines production. In CMV infected cells, ULBP1 cooperates with soluble CMV glycoprotein UL16 to inhibit the interaction with the NKG2D receptor providing a mechanism by which CMV infected cells escape the immune system. Additionally, UL16 retains ULBP1 to the ER and cis-Golgi apparatus to prevent it from reaching cell surface.

The IL1RL1 gene is a member of the IL-1 receptor family, encoding a transmembrane protein with a structure similar to IL-1R1. IL1RL1 is a receptor for interleukin-33, its stimulation recruits MYD88, IRAK1, IRAK4, and TRAF6, followed by phosphorylation of MAPK3/ERK1 and/or MAPK1/ERK2, MAPK14, and MAPK8. IL1RL1 may possibly be involved in helper T-cell function. IL1RL1 is highly expressed in kidney, lung, placenta, stomach, skeletal muscle, colon and small intestine.A soluble form of the IL1RL1 is produced from the same gene by alternative splicing and was shown to be expressed in several cell types including fibroblasts and mast cells. Soluble IL1RL1 also acts as a negative regulator of Th2 cytokine production and high levels have been reported in several disease states and conditions including asthma, sepsis and myocardial infarction.Analysis of the similar gene in mouse suggested that the IL1RL1 receptor can be induced by proinflammatory stimuli, and may be involved in the function of helper T cells.

A human infecting coronavirus (viral pneumonia) called 2019 novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV was found in the fish market at the city of Wuhan, Hubei province of China on December 2019.

The 2019-nCoV shares an 87% identity to the 2 bat-derived severe acute respiratory syndrome 2018 SARS-CoV-2 located in Zhoushan of eastern China. 2019-nCoV has an analogous receptor-BD-structure to that of 2018 SARS-CoV, even though there is a.a. diversity so thus the 2019-nCoV might bind to ACE2 receptor protein (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) in humans.

While bats are possibly the host of 2019-nCoV, researchers suspect that animal from the ocean sold at the seafood market was an intermediate host. RSCU analysis proposes that the 2019-nCoV is a recombinant within the viral spike glycoprotein between the bat coronavirus and an unknown coronavirus.

TatD DNase Domain Containing 1, also known as TATDN1, is a protein coding gene which is a part of the TatD DNase family. TATDN1 which is a deoxyribonuclease binds two divalent metal cations per subunit.

HER-2/neu (erbB-2) encodes an 185-kDa orphan receptor tyrosine kinase that is constitutively active as a dimer and displays potent oncogenic activity when overexpressed. Herstatin, as the product of alternative HER-2 transcript, retains intron 8.
The herstatin mRNA is expressed in normal human fetal kidney and liver, but is at reduced levels relative to p185HER-2 mRNA in carcinoma cells that contain an amplified HER-2 gene. Herstatin appears to be an inhibitor of p185HER-2, because it disrupts dimers, reduces tyrosine phosphorylation of p185, and inhibits the anchorage-independent growth of transformed cells that overexpress HER-2.

Based on sequence similarity to VEGF-A, a gene encoding a VEGF homologue has recently been discovered in the genome of Orf virus (OV) (Lyttle et al., 1994). Different isolates of Orf virus show significant amino acid sequence similarity to VEGF-A and described as a viral virulence factor that appears to be derived from captured host genes. All eight cysteine residues of the central cysteine knot motif characteristic of members of the VEGF family are conserved among other residues in the VEGF-E proteins (Dehio et al., 1999; Wise et al., 1999). Alignment of all mammalian VEGF sequences indicated that VEGF-E is distinct from the previously described VEGFs but most closely related to VEGF-A. Like VEGF-A, VEGF-E was found to bind with high affinity to VEGF receptor-2 (KDR) resulting in receptor autophosphorylation, whilst in contrast to VEGF-A, VEGF-E can not bind to VEGF receptor-1 (Flt-1). Furthermore VEGF-E can also not bind to VEGF receptor-3 (FLT-4). Therefore VEGF-E is a potent angiog

TIMP2 belongs to the TIMP gene family. The proteins encoded by this gene family are natural inhibitors of the matrix metalloproteinases, a group of peptidases that take part in degradation of the extracellular matrix. Besides having an inhibitory role against metalloproteinases, the encoded protein has a exclusive part among TIMP family members in its capability to directly suppress the proliferation of endothelial cells. Consequently, the encoded protein is crucial to the conservation of tissue homeostasis by suppressing the production of quiescent tissues as an answer to angiogenic factors, and by inhibiting protease activity in tissues undergoing renovation of the extracellular matrix.

TIMP1 is a member of the TIMP family. TIMP1 is an inducible glycoprotein produced by various cell types. The TIMP1 glycoprotein is a natural inhibitor of the matrix metalloproteinases, which a group of peptidases involved in degradation of the extracellular matrix. TIMP1 binds in a reversible mode to MMPs, with regions in the N-terminal domain binding to the MMP substrate-binding site. On top of its inhibitory function against most of the known MMPs, TIMP1 is able to promote cell proliferation in a broad range of cell types, and may also have an anti-apoptotic role. Furthermore, TIMP1 has erthyroid-potentiating activity via translocation to the nucleus and also inhibits apoptosis in B-cells.
The TIMP1 gene is situated within intron 6 of the synapsin I gene and is transcribed in the opposite direction. TIMP1 activity is dependent on the existence of disulfide bonds.
TIMP1 transcription is extremely inducible in reaction to many cytokines and hormones.
Increased TIMP1 levels are connected with squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma. TIMP1 overexpression is linked to gastric cancer.

Poliovirus receptor, also known as PVR, is a Type I transmembrane glycoprotein which belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily. PVR catalyzes a big structural modification in the virus which exposes membrane-binding protein chains. PVR regulates helper T cell differentiation as well as allergic diseases. PVR is expressed in many kinds of human cells and has various functions. PVR is potentially functional as a biomarker for cancer development as well as progression. PVR takes a vital part through both immunological & non-immunological mechanisms in pancreatic cancer.

GroEL, HSP60 is a chaperonin located in the mitochondria which is responsible for the transportation & refolding of proteins from the cytoplasm directly into the mitochondrial matrix. GroEL is regulated by the HSP10 cochaperonin, which is a single heptameric protein ring having a molecular mass of 10 kDa which form a unique complex with HSP60. HSP10, GroES coordinates the ATPase activity of the HSP60 subunits in order to allow the release of bound polypeptide in a manner that is productive for its correct folding.

Synovial Sarcoma, X Breakpoint 2 (SSX2) is a part of the family of highly homologous synovial sarcoma X breakpoint proteins which play a role as transcriptional repressors. Homologous synovial sarcoma X breakpoint proteins are also able to bring out spontaneous humoral and cellular immune responses in cancer patients, and are effective targets in cancer vaccine-based immunotherapy.

GDF15 is part of the TGF-Beta superfamily which 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.

The Melanoma Inhibitory protein (MIA) was identified as an inhibitor of in vitro growth of malignant melanoma cells. The protein contains a SH3 domain.
MIA acts as a potent tumor cell growth inhibitor for malignant melanoma cells and some other neuroectodermal tumors, including gliomas, in an autocrine fashion. In a study of human melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity MIA mRNA expression appeared to be inversely correlated with pigmentation. MIA has been shown to represent a very sensitive and specific serum marker for systemic malignant melanoma that might be useful for staging of primary melanomas, detection of progression from localized to metastatic disease during follow-up, and monitoring therapy of advanced melanomas.

Autophagy Related 3 (ATG3) is a conjugating enzyme essential for the cytoplasm to vacuole transport (Cvt), autophagy, and mitochondrial homeostasis. ATG3 is localizes to the cytoplasm and is expressed in tissues with predominant levels found in kidney, placenta, liver, heart and skeletal muscle. ATG3 catalyzes a reaction which is necessary for autophagy. That reaction is the formation of the Atg8-phosphatidylethanolamine (ATG-PE) conjugate.

FGF8 is part of the fibroblast growth factor family. FGF family members have wide mitogenic and cell survival activities, and participate in a variety of biological processes, including embryonic development, cell growth, morphogenesis, tissue repair, tumor growth and invasion. FGF8 supports androgen and anchorage independent growth of mammary tumor cells. FGF8 over expression increases tumor growth and angiogensis. The adult expression of FGF-8 gene is restricted to testes and ovaries. FGF8 functions as an embryonic epithelial factor. FGF8 takes part in midbrain and limb development, organogenesis, embryo gastrulation and left-right axis determination.

Human norovirus is classified into two groups, group 1& group 2. Norwalk virus is the species which belongs to group 1 and was discovered in 1968 at Ohio. Norovirus is a familiar virus which causes human gastroenteritis with the following symptoms vomiting, diarrhea and sickness. CDC report revealed that there are 19-21 million Americans infected by Nororvirus annually with 800 deaths, 1 in 15 people with infection. Around the world, this virus affects about 267 million people and causes over 200,000 deaths each year; these losses are mostly in less developed countries and in the very young, elderly and immuno-suppressed population, though, most cases are self-limited with a full recovery within just a few days.Norovirus is extremely contagious and can spread from human to human through infected food, water or contaminated surfaces. The outbreaks usually occur from November-April, while the peak is in January. Norovirus is a positive sense RNA virus with 7.5 kb nucleotides, encoding a major structural protein VP1 with 50-55kDa. The full length of VP1 capsid comprises the internal N-terminal, Hinge, shell (S) and protruding (P) domains. P domain from 225 to 520 forms P1- P2-P1 structure. Moreover, P domain has a receptor binding region which recognizes human histo-blood group antigens (HBGAs). P domain expressed in bacteria can spontaneously form a P dime as well as a P particle aggregated by 12 P dimmers. P particle displays an increased binding activity to HBGAs higher than virus-like particle (VLP) formed by the full-length capsid. For norovirus vaccine development, we consider P domain as a good candidate.

SAA1 protein is an acute phase apolipoprotein reactant which is produced mostly by hepatocytes and under regulation of inflammatory cytokines. SAA1 (Serum amyloid A1) protein is produced mainly in the liver and circulates in low levels in the blood. The SAA1 seems to have a role in the immune system. SAA1 protein levels increase in the blood and other tissues under conditions of inflammation. SAA1 may facilitate the repair of injured tissues; it also acts as an antibacterial agent, and signals the migration of germ-fighting cells to sites of infection. SAA1 also functions as an apolipoprotein of the HDL complex.
Elevated levels of SAA1 ultimately affect secondary amyloidosis, extracellular amassing of amyloid fibrils, resulting from a circulating precursor, in a variety of tissues and organs. The most widespread type of amyloidosis appears secondary to chronic inflammatory disease, mainly rheumatoid arthritis. The SAA1 cleavage product a designated amyloid protein A is deposited systemically as amyloid in vital organs such as the liver, spleen, and kidneys in chronic inflammatory diseases patients. These deposits are extremely insoluble and resistant to proteolysis; they disrupt tissue structure and compromise performance.

Alpha crystallins are composed of two gene products ; alpha-A and alpha-B, for acidic and basic, respectively. Alpha crystallins can be induced by heat shock and are members of the small heat shock protein (sHSP also known as the HSP20). They act as molecular chaperones and hold them in in large soluble aggregates. These heterogeneous aggregates consist of 30-40 subunits; the alpha-A and alpha-B subunits have a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Two additional function of a-crystallins are an autokinase activity and participation in the intracellular architecture. Alpha-B is expressed widely in many tissues and organs and occurs in many neurological diseases.

Tumor necrosis factor is a cytokine involved in systemic inflammation and is a member of a group of cytokines that all stimulate the acute phase reaction. TNF is mainly secreted by macrophages.
TNF causes apoptotic cell death, cellular proliferation, differentiation, inflammation, tumorigenesis and viral replication, TNF is also involved in lipid metabolism, and coagulation. TNF's primary role is in the regulation of immune cells.
Dysregulation and, in particular, overproduction of TNF have been implicated in a variety of human diseases- autoimmune diseases, insulin resistance, and cancer.

Tropomodulin 3 (TMOD3) is a member of the tropomodulin family. TMOD3 prevents the elongation and depolymerization of the actin filaments at the pointed end. Actin cytoskeleton regulation by filament capping proteins is essential to many dynamic cellular functions. TMOD3 functions as a negative regulator of cell migration; nevertheless the processes behind its cellular functions are unknown. The Tmod/TM complex influences the formation of the short actin protofilament, which sequentially outlines the geometry of the membrane skeleton.