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Muted homolog (MUTED) is a component of the BLOC-1 complex, a complex which is necessary for normal biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles (LRO), such as platelet dense granules and melanosomes. The BLOC-1 complex is needed to steer membrane protein cargos into vesicles assembled at cell bodies for release into neurites and nerve terminals. In addition, this complex, along with SNARE proteins, is suggested to be involved in neurite extension. MUTED also interacts with pallidin, dystrobrevin binding protein 1 and CNO/cappuccino. MUTED is ubiquitously expressed with higher levels in the brain, bone marrow, kidney, and liver and lower levels in the skeletal muscle.

Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) is a phosphotransferase (a kinase): 2'-deoxythymidine kinase, ATP-thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase. TK1 is present in 2 forms in mammalian cells, TK1 and TK2. Thymidine kinases hold a main function in the synthesis of DNA and thus in cell division, as they are part of the distinctive reaction chain to introduce deoxythymidine (present in the body fluids as a result of degradation of DNA from food and from dead cells) into the DNA. Thymidine kinase is necessary for the action of many antiviral drugs. Thymidine kinase is used to select hybridoma cell lines in production of monoclonal antibodies.

UCK1 is a uridine-cytidine kinase which catalyzes the phosphorylation of uridine and cytidine to uridine monophosphate and cytidine monophosphate. UCK1 does not phosphorylate deoxyribonucleosides or purine ribonucleosides. UCK1 is also phosphorylates uridine and cytidine analogs and uses ATP and GTP as a phosphate donor.

B9 domain-containing protein (B9D1) is one of the numerous proteins which take part in ciliogenesis. Alterations in expression of B9D1 have been found in a family with Meckel syndrome. The Meckel syndrome has been associated with at least six different genes. B9D1 is placed within the Smith-Magenis syndrome region on chromosome 17. Three alternatively spliced transcript variants which encode dissimilar proteins have been found for B9D1.

Treponema pallidum is a gram-negative spirochaete bacterium and is considered to be metabolically crippled. There are at least four known subspecies: T. pallidum pallidum, T. pallidum pertenue, T. pallidum carateum and T. pallidum endemicum. The helical structure of T. pallidum pallidum allows it to move in a corkscrew motion through viscous mediums such as mucus. Treponema pallidum sub sp. pallidum has one of the smallest bacterial genomes at 1.14 million base pairs (Mb) and has limited metabolic capabilities, reflecting its adaptation through genome reduction to the rich environment of mammalian tissue.

CRYGD is a member of the beta/gamma-crystallin family. Crystallins are the principal structural components of the vertebrate eye lens. The mammalian lens crystallins are divided into alpha, beta, and gamma families. Gamma-crystallins are involved in cataract formation. Defects in the CRYGD gene are responsible for cataract autosomal dominant (ADC), cataract congenital non-nuclear polymorphic autosomal dominant (CCP), cataract congenital cerulean type 3 (CCA3) and cataract crystalline aculeiform (CACA).

ETHE1 is a mitochondrial sulfur dioxygenase involved in catabolism of sulfide that accumulates to toxic levels in ethylmalonic encephalopathy. Mutations of ETHE1 were detected in all the typical ethylmalonic encephalopathy patients analysed, but no ETHE1 mutations were identified in patients presenting with early onset progressive encephalopathy with ethylmalonic aciduria.

Collapsin response mediator proteins (CRMPs) are cytosolic phosphoproteins involved in neuronal differentiation as well as axonal guidance. CRMP2 was previously shown to mediate the repulsive effect of Sema3A on axons and to participate in axonal specification. The X-ray crystal structure of murine CRMP1 was determined at 2.1 resolution and demonstrates that CRMP1 is a bilobed ‘lung-shaped’ protein forming a tetrameric assembly.

SPIN1 is a member of the SPIN/STSY family. SPIN1 is localized to nucleus, and expressed in several tissues and cells. SPIN1 takes part in cell-cycle regulation in the course of the transition from gamete to embryo.

Alpha-hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP) is an erythroid-specific protein that acts as a chaperone to prevent the aggregation of A-hemoglobin during normal erythroid cell development. AHSP specifically protects free A-hemoglobin from precipitation in live cells and in solution. AHSP is expected to modulate pathological states of alpha-hemoglobin excess such as beta-thalassemia. Furthermore, AHSP promotes alpha globin chain stability in human erythropoiesis. In addition, the AHSP stabilizes the alpha-Hb chain, thus avoiding its precipitation and its ability to generate ROS, which is implicated in cell death. AHSP is expressed in blood and bone marrow. AHSP subunit is a monomer, it forms a heterodimer with free alpha-hemoglobin. On the other hand, AHSP does not bind beta-hemoglobin nor alpha2beta2 hemoglobin A. AHSP is downregulated in TSEs (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies).

GMFB is part of the GMF subfamily of the larger actin-binding protein ADF family. GMFB is phosphorylated after phorbol ester stimulation, and is crucial for the nervous system. GMFB causes brain cell differentiation, stimulates neural regeneration and inhibits tumor cell proliferation. GMFB overexpression in astrocytes results in the increase of BDNF production. GMFB expression is increased by exercise, thus BDNF is important for exercise-induction of BDNF.

Members of the IFN regulatory factor (IRF) family regulate gene expression critical to immune response, hemopoiesis, and proliferation. IRF-3 is a member of the IRF family, and is distinct from other family members. Its transcriptional activity is regulated solely by posttranslational modifications. It plays a crucial role in activation of innate immunity and inflammation in response to viral infection. IRF-3 mediates IFN-stimulated response element (isre) promoter activation. Functions as a molecular switch for antiviral activity. Dsrna generated during the course of an viral infection leads to IRF3 phosphorylation on the c-terminal serine/threonine cluster. This induces a conformational change, leading to its dimerization, nuclear localization and association with creb binding protein (crebbp) to form dsrna-activated factor 1 (draf1), a complex which activates the transcription of genes under the control of isre. The complex binds to the ie and prdiii regions on the ifn-alpha and ifn-beta promoters respectively. IRF-3 does not have any transcription activation domains.

PRRX1 is part of the paired family of homeobox proteins. PRRX1 functions as a transcription co-activator, enhancing the DNA-binding activity of serum response factor, a protein required for the induction of genes by growth and differentiation factors. PRRX1 also regulates muscle creatine kinase, and therefore has a part in the establishment of diverse mesodermal muscle types. The protein binds to an A/T-rich element in the muscle creatine enhancer. Among the diseases associated with PRRX1 are agnathia-otocephaly complex, and pleomorphic liposarcoma.

FAM3C is a member of the FAM3 family and holds a GG domain. Pancreatic cancer-derived cells demonstrate a difference in expression of this protein. FAM3C is a downstream target gene for the Nkx5-1 transcription factor, and there for takes part in cell differentiation and proliferation through inner ear embryogenesis. In addition, FAM3C has a role in retinal laminar formation and promotes epithelial to mesenchymal transition.

Retinoblastoma (RB) is an embryonic malignant neoplasm of retinal origin. It almost always presents in early childhood and is often bilateral. Spontaneous regression ('cure') occurs in some cases. Retinoblastoma acts as a regulator of other genes and forms a complex with adenovirus e1a and with sv40 large t antigen. Retinoblastoma acts as a tumor suppressor and modulats functionally certain cellular proteins with which t and e1a compete for pocket binding. Retinoblastoma is potent inhibitor of e2f-mediated trans-activation, recruits and targets histone methyltransferase suv39h1 leading to epigenetic transcriptional repression, inhibits the intrinsic kinase activity of taf1.

Small Ubiquitin-like Modifiers (SUMOs) are a family of small, related proteins that can be enzymatically attached to a target protein by a post-translational modification process termed sumoylation. Unlike ubiquitination, which targets proteins for degradation, sumoylation participates in a number of cellular processes, such as nuclear transport, transcriptional regulation, apoptosis, and protein stability. All SUMO proteins share the conserved ubiquitin domain and the C-terminal diglycine cleavage/attachment site. Human SUMO2, also known as Sentrin2 and SMT3B is synthesized as a 95 amino acid (aa), 11 kDa propeptide that contains a two aa C-terminal prosegment, and an 18 aa N-terminal protein interacting region (aa 33 -50). Following prosegment cleavage, the C-terminal glycine is enzymatically attached to a lysine on a target protein. Human SUMO2 shares 100% sequence identity to SUMO-2 from mouse. SUMO2 also has very high sequence homology to SUMO3 and SUMO4, 86 % and 85%, respectively. SUMO2 shares only 44% sequence identity to SUMO1.

26S proteasome complex subunit DSS1 (SHFM1) has been suggested as a candidate gene for the autosomal dominant form of the heterogeneous limb developmental disorder split hand/split foot malformation type 1. SHFM1 is a subunit of the 26S proteasome which plays a part in ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis. SHFM1 binds and stabilizes BRCA2 and is therefore involved in the control of R-loop-associated DNA damage and thus transcription-associated genomic instability. Furthermore, SHFM1 may have a role in the completion of the cell cycle. SHFM1 is a component of the TREX-2 complex (transcription and export complex 2), comprised of at least ENY2, GANP, PCID2, DSS1, and either centrin CETN2 or CETN3.

PRND is a membrane glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored glycoprotein which exists mainly in testis. PRND is expressed during embryogenesis, although in the central nervous system it is expressed minimally .Mutations in PRND may cause neurological disorders. PRND located on chromosome 20, about 20 kbp downstream of the gene encoding cellular prion protein, to which it is biochemically and structurally analogous.

Transcriptional adapter 3 (TATD3) is a subunit of 2 histone acetyltransferase complexes, which functions as a component of the PCAF complex. TATD3 is a transcriptional activator adaptor that is also associates with the tumor suppressor protein p53 and is essential for full activity of p53 and p53-mediated apoptosis.

MRG-binding protein (MRGBP or C20ORF20) is a 204 amino acid protein which is a part of the NuA4 histone acetyltransferase (HAT) complex that functions to acetylate histone H2A and H4. The HAT complex may be essential for the activation of transcriptional programs linked with oncogene and proto-oncogene mediated growth induction, tumor suppressor mediated growth arrest and replicative senescence, apoptosis, and DNA repair. C20ORF20 also has a potential to interact with MORF4L1/MRG15 and MORF4L2/MRGX.

TPRKB is a member of the CGI121/TPRKB family. TPRKB is localized to nucleus and cytoplasm and is ubiquitously expressed. TPRKB is known to cooperate with TP53RK/PRPK.

Dystroglycan 1 (DAG1) is a laminin binding component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex which provides a connection between the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. The N-terminal domain of alpha-dystroglycan is secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid. The effect of DAG1 on the nervous system remains vague. The complete dystroglycan complex is expressed in a various tissues and has a role in processes such as laminin and basement membrane assembly, sarcolemmal stability, cell survival, peripheral nerve myelination, nodal structure, cell migration, and epithelial polarization. DAG1 is a candidate gene for the site of the mutation in autosomal recessive muscular dystrophies. The dramatic decrease of DAG1 in Duchenne muscular dystrophy leads to a loss of linkage between the sarcolemma and extracellular matrix, making muscle fibers more susceptible to necrosis.

ADP-ribosylation factor-like protein 5B (ARL5B) is a member of a family of proteins which are structurally similar to ADP-ribosylation factors. ARLs and ARFs belong to the RAS superfamily of regulatory GTPases. ARL5B is most closely related to ARL5, with which it shares 80% sequence identity. Furthermore, Human ARL5B shares 100% identity with mouse ARL8 and 71% identity with the Drosophila homolog.

BAG1 binds to BCL2 and is also called BCL2-associated athanogene. BAG1 increases the anti-apoptotic effects of BCL2 and is characterizes as a link between growth factor receptors and anti-apoptotic mechanisms. BAG1 inhibits the chaperone activity of HSP70/HSC70 by promoting substrate release. BAG1 inhibits the pro-apoptotic function of PPP1R15A, and has anti-apoptotic activity. BAG1 enhances the anti-cell death function of BCL2 induced by various stimuli.