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Adiponectin, also referred to as Acrp30, AdipoQ and GBP-28, is a recently discovered 244 amino acid protein, the product of the apM1 gene, which is physiologically active and specifically and highly expressed in adipose cells (Adipokine). The protein belongs to the soluble defense collagen super family; it has a collagen-like domain structurally homologous with collagen VIII and X and complement factor C1q-like globular domain. APM-1 forms homotrimers, which are the building blocks for higher order complexes found circulating in serum.

Histone deacetylase 8 (HDAC8) is a member of the class 1 of the histone deacetylase/acuc/apha family. HDAC8 is biologically involved in skull morphogenesis and metabolic control of the ERR-alpha/PGC1-alpha transcriptional complex. Histones play a key role in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle progression, and developmental events. Histone acetylation/deacetylation modifies chromosome structure and affects transcription factor access to DNA.

SDCBP2 has two class II PDZ domains. PDZ domains assist protein-protein interactions by attaching to the cytoplasmic C-terminus of transmembrane proteins, and PDZ-containing proteins mediate cell signaling and the organization of protein complexes. SDCBP2 attaches to phosphatidylinositol 4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and take part in nuclear PIP2 arrangement and cell division.

HPCAL1, participates in neuron-specific calcium-binding proteins family found in the retina and brain. HPCAL1 is extremely comparable to human hippocalcin protein and almost equal to the rat and mouse hippocalcin like-1 proteins. HPCAL1 takes part in the calcium-dependent regulation of rhodopsin phosphorylation and can have importance in neuronal signalling in the central nervous system.

Dynein light chain roadblock-type (DYNLRB1) belongs to the roadblock dynein light chain family and encodes a cytoplasmic protein which is capable of binding intermediate chain proteins. Upregulation of the DYNLRB1 gene is linked with hepatocellular carcinomas, suggesting that DYNLRB1 may be involved in tumor progression.

Endonuclease III (nth) is a DNA repair enzyme which has both DNA N-glycosylase activity and AP-lyase activity. The DNA N-glycosylase activity releases numerous damaged pyrimidines from DNA by cleaving the N-glycosidic bond and leaving an AP (apurinic/apyrimidinic) site. This AP-lyase activity cleaves the phosphodiester bond 3' to the AP site by a beta-elimination, thus leaving a 3'-terminal unsaturated sugar and a product with a terminal 5'-phosphate.

Oligonucleotide Binding Fold Containing 1 (OBFC1) is a part of the CST complex, a complex which binds to single-stranded DNA and is essential to defend telomeres from DNA degradation. The CST complex binds single-stranded DNA with high affinity in a sequence-independent way, whereas isolated subunits bind DNA with low affinity by themselves. The role of the CST complex is less specific in DNA metabolism at non-telomeric sites.

Low affinity immunoglobulin gamma Fc region receptor III-A (FCGR3A) is a receptor for the Fc portion of immunoglobulin G, and is involved in the elimination of antigen-antibody complexes from the circulation, as well as other antibody-dependent responses. FCGR3A needs to associate with the gamma subunit of Fc epsilon. The FCGR3A receptor is expressed on natural killer (NK) cells as an integral membrane glycoprotein anchored through a transmembrane peptide, while FCGR3B is expressed on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) where the receptor is anchored through a phosphatidylinositol (PI) linkage. In addition, FCGR3A is expressed on macrophages, subpopulation of T-cells, immature thymocytes and placental trophoblasts. FCGR3A mediates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and other antibody-dependent responses, such as phagocytosis. FCGR3A gene mutations are linked with susceptibility to recurrent viral infections, susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus, and alloimmune neonatal neutropenia.

TIE-1 (tyrosine kinase with Ig and EGF homology domains 1) and TIE-2/Tek comprise a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) subfamily with unique structural characteristics: two immunoglobulin-like domains flanking three epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like domains and followed by three fibronectin type III-like repeats in the extracellular region and a split tyrosine kinase domain in the cytoplasmic region. These receptors are expressed primarily on endothelial and hematopoietic progenitor cells and play critical roles in angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and hematopoiesis. Human TIE-1 cDNA encodes a 1122 amino acid (aa) residue precursor protein with an 18 residue putative signal peptide, a 726 residue extracellular domain and a 353 residue cytoplasmic domain. Two ligands, angiopoietin-1 (Ang1) and angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), which bind TIE-2 with high-affinity have been identified. Ang2 has been reported to act as an antagonist for Ang1. Mice engineered to overexpress Ang2 or to lack Ang1 or Tie-1 display similar angiogenic defects.

Calcium-activated nucleotidase 1 (CANT1) is a member of the apyrase family. The CANT1 protein is calcium-dependent nucleotidase with a preference for UDP. The order of activity with different substrates is as follows: UDP > GDP > UTP > GTP. Moreover, CANT1 has a very low activity towards ADP and an even lower activity towards ATP. As well as it doesn’t hydrolyze AMP and GMP. CANT1’s specific function is yet unknown, nevertheless its substrates are involved in several key signaling functions, including Ca2+ release, through activation of pyrimidinergic signaling. Mutations in the CANT1 gene are linked with Desbuquois dysplasia with hand anomalies.

TKT is a thiamine-dependent enzyme that takes part in the channeling of leftover sugar phosphates to glycolysis in the pentose phosphate pathway. Multiple alternatively spliced variants are known that encode the same protein.

T-cell surface glycoprotein CD3 zeta chain (CD247) is a member of the CD3Z/FCER1G family. CD247 is T-cell receptor zeta, which along with T-cell receptor alpha/beta and gamma/delta heterodimers, and also with CD3-gamma, -delta and -epsilon, creates the T-cell receptor-CD3 complex. The zeta chain has a central role in coupling antigen recognition to several intracellular signal-transduction pathways. Low expression of the CD247 antigen causes impaired immune response.

CD84 belongs to the signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) family which forms a subset of the greater CD2 cell-surface receptor Ig superfamily. CD84, a membrane glycoprotein, is a homophilic adhesion molecule found in various immune cells types and takes part in regulating receptor-mediated signaling in those cells.

Procalcitonin is a peptide hormone mainly produced by the C cells of the thyroid and certain endocrine cells of the lung. Under normal expression conditions, procalcitonin is immediately cleaved into three specific fragments, an N terminal residue, calcitonin and katacalcin. Levels of unprocessed procalcitonin rise significantly after bacterial infection, trauma or shock.

Granulocyte/Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factors are cytokines that act in hematopoiesis by controlling the production, differentiation, and function of 2 related white cell populations of the blood, the granulocytes and the monocytes-macrophages. CSF-1 induces cells of the monocyte/macrophage lineage. It plays a role in immunological defenses, bone metabolism, lipoproteins clearance, fertility and pregnancy.

Ras-related protein Rab-21 (RAB21) belongs to the Ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins. Rab21 is an integrin-associated protein and a positive regulator of integrin traffic. Rab21 associates with the cytoplasmic domains of alpha-integrin chains and their expression influences the endo/exocytic traffic of integrins. This function of Rab21 depends on its GTP/GDP cycle and right membrane targeting.

Renin is a highly specific endopeptidase which generates angiotensin I from angiotensinogen in the plasma. angiotensin I is an important regulator of blood pressure and electrolyte balance. Renin initiates a cascade of reactions that produce an elevation of blood pressure and increased sodium retention by the kidney.

Plasma fibronectin level is elevated in severe coronary artery disease. Increased plasma fibronectin levels are related with venous thromboembolism (VTE) particularly in males, and extend the probable association between biomarkers and risk factors for arterial atherothrombosis and VTE. Fibronectin plays a role in several cellular processes, including tissue repair, embryogenesis, blood clotting, and cell migration/adhesion. Fibronectin consists in two main forms: 1) as an insoluble glycoprotein dimer that serves as a linker in the extracellular matrix and 2) as a soluble disulphide linked dimer found in the plasma. The plasma form is produced by hepatocytes, and the ECM form is synthesized by fibroblasts, chondrocytes, endothelial cells, macrophages, as well as certain epithelial cells. Fibronectin also takes part as a general cell adhesion molecule by anchoring cells to collagen or proteoglycan substrates. Fibronectin organizes cellular interaction with the ECM by binding to different components of the extracellular matrix and to membrane-bound Fibronectin receptors on cell surfaces.

CTACK is a chemotactic factor that attracts skin-associated memory T-lymphocytes. CTACK is involved in mediating homing of lymphocytes to cutaneous sites. CTACK Binds to CCR10.

Dendritic cell and monocyte chemokinelike protein (DMC/CXCL17/VEGF-correlated chemokine 1/VCC1), is a secreted molecule with a size and predicted 3-dimensional folding pattern similar to that of chemokines CXCL8/IL8 and CXCL14/BRAK. CXCL17 is constitutively generated by airway and intestinal epithelium. CXCL17 induces the chemotaxis of quiescent, but not LPS-activated peripheral blood monocytes and dendritic cells, and it also binds these cells specifically. The expression of CXCL17 is increased in endothelial cells when they are induced to form tubes in vitro. CXCL17, CXCL1/GRO and CXCL8/IL8 which have roles in angiogenesis, show significantly correlated expression with that of VEGF in primary lung, breast and esophageal tumors. Therefore, CXCL17 is suggested to have a role in tumor angiogenesis. The mature Rat CXCL17 shares 82%, 71% amino acid sequence identity with mouse, human CXCL17, respectively.

NDRG2 belongs to the N-myc downregulated gene family that is a part of the alpha/beta hydrolase superfamily. NDRG2 takes part in dendritic and neuronal cell differentiation and outgrowth and is found in large quantities in heart, dendritic cells, brain, salivary gland and skeletal muscle and in small quantities in kidney and liver. In Alzheimer Disease (AD)-affected patients NDRG2 is found in brain lesions and is believed to be related to the progression of AD.

ADP-ribosylation factor 5 (ARF5) is a small guanine nucleotide-binding protein which enhances the enzymatic activities of cholera toxin. ARF-dependent regulatory mechanisms include the coordination of spectrin interactions with golgi membranes and the connection of actin to the golgi via rho family-dependent G-protein localization and WASP/Arp2/3 complexes. ARF5 is involved in vesicular transport and functioning via phospholipase D activation.

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.

Dynein light chain roadblock-type 2 (DYNLRB2) functions as one of several non-catalytic accessory components of the cytoplasmic dynein complex which are considered to be involved in linking dynein to cargos and to adapter proteins that regulate dynein function. Cytoplasmic dynein functions as a motor for the intracellular retrograde motility of vesicles and organelles along microtubules.