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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.

NAT1 is a member of the arylamine N-acetyltransferase family. NAT1 catalyzes N- or O-acetylation of heterocyclic and arylamine substrates in the detoxification of a large number of drugs. Several alleles triggering high levels of N-acetyltransferase activity were linked to colon and urinary bladder cancers, since NAT1 also bioactivate numerous known carcinogens. NAT1 aids metabolize drugs and other xenobiotics, and takes part in the detoxification of a plethora of hydrazine and arylamine drugs.

Heat Shock Protein B9 (HSPB9) is a member of the small heat shock protein (HSP20) family. HSPB9 is found in the cytoplasm as well as in the nucleus. HSPB9 is expressed specifically in the testis.

ATPase Transporting Beta 1 (ATP1B1) is a part of the family of Na+/K+ and H+/K+ ATPases beta chain proteins, and the subfamily of Na+/K+ -ATPases. Na+/K+ -ATPase is an essential membrane protein accountable for establishing and maintaining the electrochemical gradients of Na and K ions over the plasma membrane. These gradients are vital for osmoregulation, for sodium-coupled transport of a range of organic and inorganic molecules, and for electrical excitability of muscle and nerve. ATP1B1is combined of 2 subunits, a large catalytic subunit (alpha) and a smaller glycoprotein subunit (beta). The beta subunit regulates the number of sodium pumps transported to the plasma membrane through assembly of alpha/beta heterodimers. ATP1B1 is a beta 1 subunit.

BID is a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein having only the BH3 domain. In reaction to apoptotic signaling, BID interacts with another Bcl-2 family of cell death regulators, called Bax, they form a heterodimer resulting to the insertion of Bax into the outer mitochondrial membrane. Bax induces the opening of the mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel which lead to the release of cytochrome c and other pro-apoptotic factors from the mitochondria resulting in activation of caspases. BID is a mediator of mitochondrial damage induced by caspase-8 (CASP8). CASP8 cleaves BID, and the COOH-terminal part translocates to mitochondria where it triggers cytochrome c release. The major proteolytic product p15 BID releasea cytochrome c. Isoform 1, Isoform 2 and Isoform 4 induce ice-like proteases and apoptosis while Isoform 3 does not induce apoptosis.

Tubulointerstitial Nephritis Antigen Like 1 also known as TINAGL1 is similar in sequence to tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen, a secreted glycoprotein which is identified by antibodies in several types of immune-related tubulointerstitial nephritis. Three transcript variants encoding different isoforms are known for TINAGL1.

UBE2D3 enzymes are human homologs of the yeast UBC4/5 family and play many important regulatory roles in inflammation and cancer. UbcH5a mediates the degradation of a myriad of short-lived regulatory proteins (such as p53 in the presence of E6/E6-AP or MDM2, c-Fos, I?B?, p105) and abnormal proteins. UBE2D3 has 88% and 89% sequence identity with UbcH5a and UbcH5b respectively.

PSMB4 is a member of the peptidase T1B family. The 20S Proteasome chamber holds structural alpha subunits and predominantly catalytic beta subunits. The two external rings in the proteasome contain seven alpha subunits each and the two internal rings contain of seven beta subunits each. PSMB4 is a beta subunit of the 20S Proteasome that is spread all over the eukaryotic cells in large quantities and cleaves peptides in an ATP/ubiquitin-dependent process in a non-lysosomal pathway.

Haptoglobin or HP is encoded by the HP gene in humans. Haptoglobin binds free hemoglobin (which is released from erythrocytes) in the blood plasma, therefore inhibits the Hb oxidative activity. The complex that contains Haptoglobin and hemoglobin will then be eliminated mostly through the spleen.

MX2 is a member of 2 protein families: the dynamin family and the large GTPases family. MX2 has a cytoplasmic and nuclear structure which is found in a granular pattern in the heterochromatin region under the nuclear envelope. The nuclear form has a NLS (nuclear localization signal) at the amino terminal end however it is missing in the cytoplasmic form as a result of the use of a different translation start codon. MX2 is upregulated by IFN-a, but unlike myxovirus resistance protein 1 has no antiviral activity.

IL-1 alpha is produced by activated macrophages, stimulates thymocyte proliferation by inducing il-2 release, b-cell maturation and proliferation, and fibroblast growth factor activity. IL1A proteins are involved in the inflammatory response, being identified as endogenous pyrogens, and are reported to stimulate the release of prostaglandin and collagenase from synovial cells.

Human interleukin family 1, member 10 (IL1F10) belongs to the interleukin 1 cytokine family. IL1F10 is expressed in the fetal skin, spleen and tonsil, generally in the basal epithelia of skin and in proliferating B-cells of the tonsil. IL1F10 binds soluble IL1 receptor type 1 and may be implicated in the regulation of adapted and innate immune responses.

CBR3 catalyzes the reduction of a large number of biologically and pharmacologically active carbonyl compounds to their corresponding alcohols. CBR3 is one of several monomeric NADPH-dependent oxidoreductases. Furthermore, CBR3 contains 3 exons spanning 11.2 kilobases and is strongly linked to another carbonyl reductase gene, the CBR1. It was suggested that CBR3 mediates 9-cis-retinoic acid-induced cytostatis and is a potential prognostic marker for oral malignancy.
CBR3 is identified in the ovary, pancreas, intestine, colon, kidney, brain, thymus, lung, heart, liver, spleen, leukocyte, prostate and the testis.

Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) is a multifunctional growth factor which regulates both cell growth and cell motility. It exerts a strong mitogenic effect on hepatocytes and primary epithelial cells. HGF synergizes with Interleukin-3and GM-CSFto stimulate colony formation of hematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro and may, therefore, also modulate hematopoiesis.

Protein modification with ubiquitin is an essential cellular mechanism for targeting abnormal or short-lived proteins for degradation. Ubiquitination involves at least 3 classes of enzymes: ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1s) ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) and ubiquitin-protein ligases (E3s). Ubiquitin-Conjugating Enzyme E2G (UBE2G1) belongs to the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme family and catalyzes the covalent attachment of ubiquitin to other proteins. UE2G1 protein is involved in degradation of muscle-specific proteins.

Antioxidant enzyme Glutathione S- Transferase (GST) is thought to do the primary cellular defense mechanism against reactive oxygen species. GST reduces lipid hydroperoxides through its Se-independent glutathione peroxidase activity. The enzyme also detoxifies lipid peroxidation end products such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE).
The soluble GST is a 26 kDa protein which occurs as a dimer in all aerobic organisms. Each monomer has two domains, one that binds GSH and is an /-structure similar to thioredoxin and the other, all helical, that binds the hydrophobic substrate. The GST -fusion protein expression system is a widely used recombinant protein expression system that allows a peptide or a regulatory protein domain to be expressed as a fusion to the C-terminus of Schistosoma japonicum GST. Fusion proteins also possess GST -enzymatic activity and can undergo dimerization similar to in vivo. The fusion protein can be purified via GST -affinity column chromatography. In most cases, the desired peptides or domains are removed from GST by applying a specific protease that recognizes and cleaves the linker between the protein domain and GST. The technique has been widely used to generate different kinds of proteins for crystallization, molecular immunology studies, the production of vaccines and studies involving protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions.

Il-6 is a cytokine with a wide variety of biological functions: it plays an essential role in the final differentiation of b-cells into ig-secreting cells, it induces myeloma and plasmacytoma growth, it induces nerve cells differentiation, in hepatocytes it induces acute phase reactants.

CTLA-4 is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily and encodes a protein which transmits an inhibitory signal to T cells. The protein contains a V domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail. Alternate transcriptional splice variants, encoding different isoforms, have been characterized. The membrane-bound isoform functions as a homodimer interconnected by a disulfide bond, while the soluble isoform functions as a monomer. Mutations in this gene have been associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, Graves disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, celiac disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, thyroid-associated orbitopathy, and other autoimmune diseases.

Adenosine deaminase-like protein (ADAL) is a putative nucleoside deaminase. ADAL catalyzes the hydrolytic deamination of adenosine or some similar substrate and has a role in purine metabolism.

Cytochrome b5 reductase 1 (CYB5R1) is a part of the flavoprotein pyridine nucleotide cytochrome reductase family. CYB5R1 is engaged in desaturation and elongation of fatty acids, cholesterol biosynthesis, drug metabolism, and, in erythrocyte, methemoglobin decrease.

DBI, also known as Acyl-CoA-binding protein isoform 2, is a binding inhibitor, which is regulated by hormones. DBI participates in lipid metabolism and in the displacement of beta-carbolines & benzodiazepines, which modulate signal transduction at type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors located in brain synapses. Moreover, during adipocyte differentiation the expression of DBI is significantly induced. DBI preforms as an acyl-CoA pool former and regulates LCFA (long-chain fatty acids) metabolism in peripheral tissues.

Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I C (HLA-C) belongs to the HLA class I heavy chain paralogues. The HLA-C (class I molecule) is a heterodimer comprised of a heavy chain and a light chain (beta-2 microglobulin). The heavy chain is anchored in the membrane. Class I molecules have a key role in the immune system by presenting peptides derived from endoplasmic reticulum lumen. Class I molecules are expressed in virtually all cells.

Major histocompatibility complex, class II, DR alpha (HLA-DRA) belongs to the MHC class II family. HLA-DRA binds peptides derived from antigens which access the endocytic route of antigen presenting cells (APC) and presents them on the cell surface for identification by the CD4 T-cells. The peptide binding cleft accommodates peptides of 10-30 residues. The peptides presented by MHC class II molecules are generated mainly by degradation of proteins which access the endocytic route, where they are processed by lysosomal proteases and other hydrolases.

Neuroblastoma suppressor of tumorigenicity 1 (NBL1) is a part of the evolutionarily conserved CAN (Cerberus and DAN) family of proteins, which contain a domain resembling the CTCK (C-terminal cystine knot-like) motif found in several signaling molecules. NBL1 is a is a tumor suppressor of neuroblastoma and takes part in preventing cells from entering the final stage (G1/S) of the transformation process. NBL1 is produced in small neurons of the dorsal root ganglion. The expression of NBL1 is triggered by MATH-1.