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Geminin is a 25 kDa nuclear protein, which inhibits DNA replication and is degraded during the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Geminin controls replication by binding to the licensing factor Cdt1, and is involved in neural differentiation. In addition, Geminin directly interacts with Six3 and Hox homeodomain proteins during embryogenesis and inhibits their functions. Geminin can also promote DNA replication. Geminin has 2 roles in 2 different stages of the cell cycle: Geminin is a negative regulator of DNA replication during the “S phase” of the cell cycle. Inhibition of Geminin during the “S phase” (by RNAi) results in an additional round of replication of portions of the genome. During the “M phase” of the cell cycle (mitosis) Geminin stabilizes the replication factor Cdt1 promoting DNA replication during the next cell cycle. Moreover, inhibition of Geminin during mitosis (by RNAi) causes destabilization of Cdt1 protein and impairment of DNA replication during the next cell cycle. G

Borrelia belongs to a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. Borrelia causes borreliosis, which is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted mainly by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. Of the 36 known species of Borrelia, 12 are distinguished to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The main Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. The Borrelia genus members have a linear chromosome which is about 900 kbp in length as well as an excess of both linear and circular plasmids in the 5-220 kbp size range. The plasmids are atypical, as compared to most bacterial plasmids, since they contain many paralogous sequences, a large number of pseudogenes and, in some cases, essential genes. Moreover, a number of the plasmids have features suggesting that they are prophages.

FAD-linked sulfhydryl oxidase ALR (GFER) is a member of the Erv1/ALR family of proteins, which is found in higher and lower eukaryotes. GFER is a hepatotrophic growth factor and flavin-linked sulfhydryl oxidase expressed in a variety of tissues. Moreover, GFER induces the expression of S-adenosylmethionine decarboxyl-ase and ornithine decarboxylases (ODC), which each have a central role in the synthesis of polyamines. The hepatotrophic factor designated augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is assumed to be one of the factors responsible for the exceptional regenerative capacity of mammalian liver. The GFER gene is located on chromosome 16 in the interval containing the locus for polycystic kidney disease (PKD1).

Matrix Metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13) is an enzyme that is a member of the MMP extracellular protease family. Extracellular protease enzymes, by virtue of their broad substrate specificities1, play a role in both normal and disease states of tissue proliferation. Among the targets of MMP-13 are collagen, gelatin, entactin, pro-TNF-a, and chemokine SDF-11-4.
MMP-13 is found in its latent form as a 52-56 kDa glycosylated proenzyme. Upon cleavage the 22-46 kDa5 MMP-1 becomes active in extracellular matrix remodeling.
Because of the prominent role that MMP-1 plays in cell migration and metastasis, it is an important target for inhibition screening.

Omentin is a recently recognized gene highly localized to the mental tissue (visceral adipose tissue). Omentin is present in the stromal vascular cells in the adipose tissue rather than in the adipocytes. Omentin is predominantly expressed in the visceral adipose tissue than the subcutaneous tissue, with the omentin mRNA being 150 times higher in the visceral adipose tissue. Omentin has also been detected in human blood using western blot analysis, and seems to increase INSstimulated glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in mice. Omentin seems to increase Akt phosphorylation irrespective of INS presence. Its role in glucose metabolism and obesity remains to be described; an INS-sensitizing action is possible.Differences in Omentin expression has been noted in adipose tissue from normals and patients with inflammatory bowel disease although its significance is unknown.

Recombinant Human Sonic Hedgehog is part of a small group of secreted proteins that are vital for development in both vertebrates and invertebrates. 3 mammalian hedgehog genes (sonic, desert, Indian) share about 60% homology. The Human Sonic Hedgehog is 99% homologous to the mouse gene. Sonic HedgeHog is a protein that is vital in guding the early embryo. It has been associated as the major inductive signal in patterning of the ventral neural tube, the anterior-posterior limb axis, and the ventral somites. Sonic HedgeHog binds to the patched receptor, which functions in association with smoothened, to activate the transcription of target genes. In the absence of sonic HedgeHog, patched receptor represses the constitutive signaling activity of smoothened. Sonic HedgeHog also regulates another factor, the gli oncogene. Sonic HedgeHog intercellular signal is essential for a various patterning events during development: signal produced by the notochord that induces ventral cell fate in the neural tube and somites, and the polarizing signal for patterning of the anterior-posterior axis of the developing limb bud. Sonic HedgeHog exhibits both floor plate- and motor neuron-inducing activity. Mutations in a long-range Sonic HedgeHog enhancer located in an intron of the limb region 1 gene result in preaxial polydactyly.

Leukocyte Cell-Derived Chemotaxin 2 (LECT2) functions as a chemotactic factor to neutrophils. LECT2 stimulates the proliferation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. LECT2 is strongly expressed in the liver and weakly in the testis. LECT2 is a secreted, 16kDa protein which serves as a chemotactic factor to neutrophils and stimulates the growth of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. LECT2 protein has a high sequence similarity to the chondromodulin repeat regions of the chicken myb-induced myeloid 1 protein. A polymorphism in the LECT2 gene is linked with rheumatoid arthritis.

SARS Coronavirus is an enveloped virus containing three outer structural proteins, namely the membrane (M), envelope (E), and spike (S) proteins. Spike (S)-glycoprotein of the virus interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into susceptible target cells. Accordingly, S-protein plays an important role in virus infection cycle and is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies.

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.

NDRG1 is a cytoplasmic protein that is involved in stress responses, hormone responses, cell growth, and differentiation. NDRG1 is one of 4 members of the NDRG ?/?-hydrolase family. NDRG1 is classified in databases as a tumor suppressor and heavy metal-response protein. NDRG1’s functions include cell-cycle regulation, cellular differentiation, apoptosis, hypoxia response and metal-ion sensing. NDRG1 is also essential for p53-mediated caspase activation and apoptosis. The NDRG1 is a Rab4a effector that is involved in vesicular recycling of E-cadherin. NDRG1 is ubiquitous; it is expressed most notably in placental membranes and prostate, kidney, small intestine, and ovary tissues. NDRG1 has reduced expression in adenocarcinomas compared to normal tissues.
NDRG1 gene mutations are reported to be the cause for hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy-Lom (HMSNL), which is a severe autosomal recessive form of Charcot- Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. In addition, decreased NDRG1 expression in glioma is linked to tumor progression. On the other hand, overexpression of NDRG1 is connected to malignant status of esophageal cancer. NDRG1 may also have a role in portal vein invasion and intrahepatic metastasis in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Oncostatin M is a member of a cytokine family that includes leukemia-inhibitory factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and interleukin 6. This gene encodes a growth regulator which inhibits the proliferation of a number of tumor cell lines. It regulates cytokine production, including IL-6, G-CSF and GM-CSF from endothelial cells.

The FGFs are a family of more than 20 small (~17–26 kDa) secreted peptides. The initial characterization of these proteins focused on their ability to stimulate fibroblast proliferation. This mitogenic activity was mediated through FGF receptors (FGFRs) 1, 2, or 3. A fourth closely related tyrosine kinase receptor (FGFR4) was able to bind the FGFs but did not lead to a mitogenic response.
FGFs modulate cellular activity via at least 5 distinct subfamilies of high-affinity FGF receptors (FGFRs): FGFR-1, -2, -3, and -4, all with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity and, except for FGFR-4, multiple splice isoforms, and FGFR-5, which lacks an intracellular kinase domain. There is growing evidence that FGFRs can be important for regulation of glucose and lipid homeostasis. The overexpression of a dominant negative form of FGFR-1 in ? cells leads to diabetes in mice, which thus implies that proper FGF signaling is required for normal ? cell function and glycemia maintenance. FGFR-2 appears to be a key molecule during pancreatic development. Moreover, FGFR-4 has been implicated in cholesterol metabolism and bile acid synthesis.
FGF-19, has been shown to cause resistance to diet-induced obesity and insulin desensitization and to improve insulin, glucose, and lipid profiles in diabetic rodents. Since these effects, at least in part, are mediated through the observed changes in metabolic rates, FGF-19 can be considered as a regulator of energy expenditure.
FGF-21 is preferentially expressed in liver, but an exact knowledge of FGF-21 bioactivity and its mode of action have been lacking to date. FGF-21 is a potent activator of glucose uptake on adipocytes, protects animals from diet-induced obesity when overexpressed in transgenic mice, and lowers blood glucose and triglyceride levels when therapeutically administered to diabetic rodents.

ILK1 (Integrin-linked kinase) is a serine/threonine protein kinase, containing 4 ankyrin-like repeats. ILK1 regulates a number of biological properties which include: anchorage-independent cell cycle progression, tumor cell invasion and apoptosis. ILK1 can also be implicated in mediating cell architecture, adhesion to integrin substrates and anchorage-dependent growth in epithelial cells. Furthermore, ILK1 phosphorylates beta-1 and beta-3 integrin subunit on serine and threonine residues, but also AKT1 and GSK3B.
ILK1 interacts with the cytoplasmic domains of integrin ?1 and ?3 subunits in addition to several adaptors and signaling proteins, it also acts as a proximal receptor kinase regulating integrin-mediated signal transduction. ILK1 is a focal adhesion protein part of the complex ILK-PINCH. This complex is deemed to be one of the convergence points of integrin- and growth factor-signaling pathway. ILK1 is stimulated rapidly but briefly by both cell fibronectin interactions in a PI3-K-dependent manner, probably through the binding of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 with a PH-like domain of ILK.
ILK1 over-expression has been documented in a wide variety of human malignancies.

CA19-9 Cancer Antigen , aka CA19-9, is a cell surface glycoprotein complex most commonly associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
The immunohistologic distribution of CA19-9 in tissues is consistent with the quantitative determination of higher CA19-9 concentrations in cancer than in normal or inflamed tissues. CA19-9 Cancer Antigen is a tumour marker raised in blood of patients with carcinoma of the gastro-intestinal tract.
A declining Cancer Antigen CA19-9 value may be indicative of a favorable prognosis and good response to treatment.

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.

Neurofilaments are type IV intermediate filament heteropolymers that are composed of light, medium, and heavy chains. Neurofilaments comprise the axoskeleton and functionally maintain neuronal caliber and may also have a role in intracellular transport to axons and dendrites.
NeuroFilament 160kDa is a medium neurofilament protein, which is commonly used as a biomarker of neuronal damage.

Maltose Binding Protein is a member of the maltose/maltodextrin system of E.Coli, which is accountable for the uptake and efficient catabolism of maltodextrins. The maltose/maltodextrin is a complex regulatory and transport system involving many proteins and protein complexes.
MBP elevates the yield of its fusion partner in many cases and is often able to promote the solubility of polypeptides to which it is fused.

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.

Major pollen allergen Bet v 1-A (Bet v 1.0101) causes an allergic reaction in humans. Bet v 1.0101 is a cause of type I allergic reactions in Europe, North America and the former Soviet Union states, observed in early spring.

Borrelia belongs to a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. Borrelia causes borreliosis, which is a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted mainly by ticks and some by lice, depending on the species. Of the 36 known species of Borrelia, 12 are distinguished to cause Lyme disease or borreliosis and are transmitted by ticks. The main Borrelia species causing Lyme disease are Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii, and Borrelia garinii. The Borrelia genus members have a linear chromosome which is about 900 kbp in length as well as an excess of both linear and circular plasmids in the 5-220 kbp size range. The plasmids are atypical, as compared to most bacterial plasmids, since they contain many paralogous sequences, a large number of pseudogenes and, in some cases, essential genes. Moreover, a number of the plasmids have features suggesting that they are prophages.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM1) induces susceptibility to atherosclerosis. PECAM1 averts phagocyte ingestion of closely apposed viable cells by transmitting detachment signals, and transforms function upon apoptosis, thus promoting tethering of dying cells to phagocytes. The encounter of a viable cell with a phagocyte via the homophilic interaction of PECAM1 on both cell surfaces as a result causing the viable cell's active repulsion from the phagocyte.

GLYAT is a mitochondrial acyltransferase that conjugates glycine with acyl-CoA substrates in the mitochondria. GLYAT is vital to the detoxification of endogenous and xenobiotic acyl-CoA's.

Art v 1, Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) is a common weed in the Mediterranean area. The significant allergen of mugwort pollen, is a secreted modular glycoprotein with a N-terminal defensin-like and a C-terminal hydroxyproline-rich domain. The reactivity of IgE antibodies is primarily aimed to epitopes located in the N-terminal domain.