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NEUROG3 is a common helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor which takes part in neurogenesis. NEUROG3 functions as a heterodimer with another bHLH protein. Mutations in this gene can result in congenital malabsorptive diarrhea 4 (DIAR4).

NEDD8 is part of the ubiquitin family. Human NEDD8 shares 60% amino acid sequence homology to ubiquitin. The NEDD8 system is essential for the regulation of protein degradation pathways involved in cell cycle progression, morphogenesis and tumorigenesis. NEDD8 is involved in cell cycle control and embryogenesis. Covalent attachment to its substrates requires prior activation by the E-1 complex UbE1c- appbp1 and linkage to the E-2 enzyme UbE2m. Attachment of NEDD8 to cullins activates their associated E-3 ubiquitin ligase activity, and thus promotes polyubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of cyclins and other regulatory proteins.

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

THAP domain-containing protein 1 (THAP1) is a 213 amino acid protein which is restricted to the nucleoplasm and contains one THAPtype zinc finger, a conserved DNA-binding domain. THAP1 is a DNA-binding transcription regulator which regulates endothelial cell proliferation and G1/S cell-cycle progression. In addition, THAP1 has a pro-apoptopic activity by potentiating both serum-withdrawal and TNF-induced apoptosis. THAP1 protein colocalizes with the apoptosis response protein PAWR/PAR-4 in promyelocytic leukemia (PML) nuclear bodies, and serves as a proapoptotic factor which connects PAWR to PML nuclear bodies.

HNRNPC is a member of the subfamily of ubiquitously expressed heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) which are related to pre mRNAs in the nucleus and effect pre mRNA processing and other aspects of mRNA metabolism and transport. Although all of the hnRNPs are present in the nucleus, several hnRNPs travel between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The hnRNP proteins have specific nucleic acid binding properties.

HOMER2 belongs to the homer family of dendritic proteins which are immediate early gene products who bind to group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs), proteins associated to triggering intracellular calcium release. Additionally, HOMER2 conect mGluRs to the inositol triphosphate receptors (IP3R).

APTX is a DNA-binding protein which participates in single-strand DNA break repair, double-strand DNA break repair and base excision repair. APTX determines abortive DNA ligation intermediates created each at base excision sites, or while DNA ligases attempt to restore non-ligatable breaks induced by reactive oxygen species. APTX catalyzes the release of adenylate groups covalently linked to 5''-phosphate termini, resulting in the production of 5''-phosphate termini that can be efficiently rejoined. APTX hydrolyzes adenosine 5''-monophosphoramidate (AMP-NH(2)) and diadenosine tetraphosphate (AppppA), but with lower catalytic activity.

HOMER3 belongs to the HOMER family of postsynaptic density scaffolding proteins which have an analogous domain structure consisting of an N-terminal Enabled/vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein homology 1 domain that facilitates protein-protein relations, and two leucine zipper and a carboxy-terminal coiled-coil domain motifs which take part in self-oligomerization.

Albumin is synthesized in the liver as preproalbumin which has an N-terminal peptide that is removed before the nascent protein is released from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The product, proalbumin, is in turn cleaved in the Golgi vesicles to produce the secreted albumin. Albumin is a soluble, monomeric protein which comprises about one-half of the blood serum protein. Albumin functions primarily as a carrier protein for steroids, fatty acids, and thyroid hormones and plays a role in stabilizing extracellular fluid volume. Mutations in this gene on chromosome 4 result in various anomalous proteins. Albumin is a globular unglycosylated serum protein of molecular weight 65,000. The human albumin gene is 16,961 nucleotides long from the putative 'cap' site to the first poly (A) addition site. It is split into 15 exons which are symmetrically placed within the 3 domains that are thought to have arisen by triplication of a single primordial domain.
HSA is widely used to stabilize blood volume generally from donors but the fear of contamination such as HIV & Hepatitis has enticed great interest in the recombinant form which is identical to the natural blood.

Salmonella Typhi is a pathogen causing typhoid fever, affecting over 17 million people with approximately 600,000 deaths annually worldwide. If untreated, typhoid fever cases result in mortality rates ranging from 12-30%.

a-Synuclein (amino acids 1-140), an acidic neuronal protein of 140 amino acids, is extremely heat-resistant and is natively unfolded with an extended structure primarily composed of random coils. a-synuclein has been suggested to be implicated in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders, and more recently, to be an important regulatory component of vesicular transport in neuronal cells. Moreover, recent studies have shown that a-synuclein has chaperone activity and that this activity is lost upon removing its C-terminal acidic tail (amino acids 96-140).

Ganglioside GM2 activator (GM2A) is a small glycolipid transport protein which functions as a substrate specific co-factor for the lysosomal enzyme beta-hexosaminidase A. GM2A participates in lipid metabolism. GM2A protein is localized in lysosomes. The GM2A protein forms a large binding pocket for a number of single chain phospholipids and fatty acids. GM2A demonstrates calcium-independent phospholipase activity. GM2A stimulates ganglioside GM2 degradation by presenting GM2 to beta-hexosaminidase A. The Beta-hexosaminidase A, along with GM2A, catalyzes the degradation of the ganglioside GM2, and other molecules containing terminal N-acetyl hexosamines. GM2A gene mutations result in GM2-gangliosidosis type AB or the AB variant of Tay-Sachs disease.

The gamma globin genes which are HBG1 and HBG2, usually expressed in the fetal liver, spleen and bone marrow. 2 gamma chains together along with 2 alpha chains comprise fetal hemoglobin (HbF) which is normally replaced by mature hemoglobin (HbA) at birth. Gamma chain production continues into adulthood in several beta-thalassemias and linked situations. The two types of gamma chains differ at residue 136 where glycine is found in the G-gamma product (HBG2) and alanine is found in the A-gamma product (HBG1). The former is predominant at birth.

NHP2 belongs to the H/ACA snoRNPs (small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins) gene family. snoRNPs are involved in various aspects of rRNA processing and modification and have been organized into 2 families: C/D and H/ACA. NHP2 (NOLA2) forms a small ribonucleoprotein particle with GAR1 (NOLA1), Nop10 for the isomerization of uridine to pseudouridine. NHP2 is involved in a variety of aspects of rRNA processing and modification. NHP2 localizes to the dense fibrillar component of the nucleolus and in nuclear Cajal bodies.

Vanin 1 (VNN1) belongs to the vanin family of proteins, which share extensive sequence similarity with each other, and also with biotinidase. This family includes secreted and membrane-associated proteins, a few of which have been described to participate in hematopoietic cell trafficking. No biotinidase activity has been established for any of the vanin proteins; nevertheless, they possess pantetheinase activity, which may have a role in oxidative-stress response. VNN1 protein, like its mouse homolog, is probably a GPI-anchored cell surface molecule. The mouse VNN1 protein is expressed by the perivascular thymic stromal cells and regulates migration of T-cell progenitors to the thymus. VNN1 is an amidohydrolase which hydrolyzes specifically one of the carboamide linkages in D-pantetheine thus recycling pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

HAX1 associates with hematopoietic cell-specific Lyn substrate 1, which is a substrate of Src family tyrosine kinases. HAX1 also interacts with the product of the polycystic kidney disease 2 gene, mutations in which are associated with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease, and with the F-actin-binding protein, cortactin. It was earlier thought HAX1 is mainly localized to the mitochondria, however, recent studies indicate it to be localized in the cell body. Mutations in the HAX1 gene result in autosomal recessive severe congenital neutropenia, aka Kostmann disease.

RAC1 is a GTPase which belongs to the RAS superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins. Members of this superfamily appear to regulate a diverse array of cellular events, including the control of cell growth, cytoskeletal reorganization, and the activation of protein kinases. RAC-1 regulates the actin cytoskeleton but also other cellular processes. RAC1 have been shown to be involved in the regulation of cell-cell adhesion.

CNTF is a polypeptide hormone whose actions appear to be restricted to the nervous system where it promotes neurotransmitter synthesis and neurite outgrowth in certain neuronal populations. The protein is a potent survival factor for neurons and oligodendrocytes and may be relevant in reducing tissue destruction during inflammatory attacks. A mutation in this gene, which results in aberrant splicing, leads to ciliary neurotrophic factor deficiency, but this phenotype is not causally related to neurologic disease. In addition to the predominant monocistronic transcript originating from this locus, the gene is also co-transcribed with the upstream ZFP91 gene. Co-transcription from the two loci results in a transcript that contains a complete coding region for the zinc finger protein but lacks a complete coding region for ciliary neurotrophic factor.
CNTF is a survival factor for various neuronal cell types. Seems to prevent the degeneration of motor axons after axotomy.

NT5E, also known as CD73, is a plasma membrane protein which catalyzes the conversion of extracellular nucleotides into membrane-permeable nucleosides. NT5E is functions as a determinant of lymphocyte differentiation. Defects in NT5E can cause the calcification of joints and arteries.

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.

Neurotensin (NTS) is a common precursor for 2 peptides, neuromedin N and neurotensin. Neurotensin is a secreted tridecapeptide, which is generally distributed throughout the central nervous system, and may serve as a neurotransmitter or a neuromodulator. NTS is involved in dopamine-associated pathophysiological events, in the maintenance of gut structure and function, and in the regulation of fat metabolism. Tissue-specific processing may initiate the formation in some tissues of larger forms of neuromedin N and neurotensin. The large forms may embody more stable peptides which are also biologically active.

DHH is part of the Hedgehog family which encodes signaling molecules that are involved in regulating morphogenesis. DHH protein is a precursor that is autocatalytically cleaved, the N-terminal portion is soluble and contains the signalling activity while the C-terminal portion is involved in precursor processing. Additionally, the C-terminal product covalently attaches a cholesterol moiety to the N-terminal product, restricting the N-terminal product to the cell surface and preventing it from freely diffusing throughout the organism. Defects in DHH protein have been associated with partial gonadal dysgenesis (PGD) accompanied by minifascicular polyneuropathy. DHH plays a role both male gonadal differentiation and perineurial development.
DHH plays a role in intercellular signaling which is essential for a variety of patterning events during development. DHH functions as a spermatocyte survival factor in the testes & is essential for testes development.

Neurexophilin 1 (NXPH1) is a part of the neurexophilin family which encodes a secreted protein with a variable N terminal domain, an extremely conserved, N-glycosylated central domain, a short linker region, and a cysteine-rich Cterminal domain. NXPH1 shapes a very tight complex with alpha neurexins, a group of proteins which promote adhesion among dendrites and axons.