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Dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3) belongs to the DKK protein family including Dkk-1, 2, 3 and -4. DKK3 is a 350 amino acid secreted glycoprotein which is comprised of an N-terminal signal peptide and 2 conserved cysteine-rich domains that are separated by a 12 amino acid linker region. DKK3 is involved in embryonic development through its inhibition of the WNT signaling pathway. DKK3 gene expression is decreased in a variety of cancer cell lines and it may act as a tumor suppressor gene.

PTEN, a tumor suppressor, has been implicated in a large number of human tumors and is conserved from humans to worms. PTEN has a tensin like domain and a catalytic domain similar to that of the dual specificity protein tyrosine phosphatases. Characterization of PTEN protein showed that it is a phosphatase that acts on proteins and on 3-phosphorylated phosphoinositides, and can therefore modulate signal transduction pathways that involve lipid second messengers. In contrast to most of the protein tyrosine phosphatases, PTEN preferentially dephosphorylates phosphoinositide substrates. PTEN negatively regulates intracellular levels of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate in cells and acts as a tumor suppressor by negative regulation of AKT/PKB signaling pathway. Recent results indicate that at least part of its role is to regulate the activity of the serine/threonine kinase AKT/PKB, and thus influence cell survival signaling.

IL-36gamma belongs to the IL-1 family which includes IL-1b, IL-1a, IL-1ra, IL-18, IL-36 Ra (IL-1F5), IL-36a (IL-1F6), IL-36b (IL-1F8), IL-37 (IL-1F7) and IL-1F10. ). The IL-1 family members display a 12 b-strand, b-trefoil configuration, and are thought to have ascended from a mutual ancestral gene. IL-36g is an 18-22 kDa, 169aa intracellular and secreted protein which holds no signal sequence, no prosegment and no potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Human IL-36g shares 58%- 69% aa sequence homology with mouse, rat, bovine and equine IL-36g, and 23 - 57% aa sequence homology with other family members. The IL-36g receptor is a mixture of IL-1 Rrp2, mostly located in epithelia and keratinocytes, and the extensively expressed IL-1 RAcP. All IL-36 (a, b and g) activate N F-?B and MAPK pathways in an IL-1 Rrp2 dependent reaction. Additionally, IL-36g induces production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines like CXCL8/IL-8.

Charged Multivesicular Body Protein 5 (CHMP5) is a member of the chromatin-modifying protein/charged multivesicular body protein (CHMP) family. These proteins comprise the ESCRT-III (endosomal sorting complex required for transport III), a complex involved in degradation of surface receptor proteins and development of endocytic multivesicular bodies (MVBs). Certain CHMPs have both nuclear and cytoplasmic/vesicular distributions, and one such CHMP the CHMP1A, is essential for both MVB formation and regulation of cell cycle progression.

MCM7 is a highly conserved mini-chromosome maintenance protein (MCM) vital for eukaryotic genome replication initiation. The MCM proteins form a hexameric protein complex which is a key component of the pre-replication complex (pre_RC) which takes part in replication forks formation and in DNA replication related proteins recruitment. The MCM complex is comprised of MCM2, 4, 6 and 7 proteins and possesses DNA helicase activity, such as DNA unwinding.

Podocalyxin (PODXL) is a greatly glycosylated transmembrane sialoprotein in the CD34 and endoglycan family. The PODXL protein is involved in the regulation of both adhesion and cell morphology and cancer progression. PODXL functions as an anti-adhesive molecule, which retains an open filtration pathway between neighboring foot processes in the podocyte by charge repulsion. Moreover, PODXL serves as a pro-adhesive molecule, enhancing the adherence of cells to immobilized ligands, increasing the rate of migration and cell-cell contacts in an integrin-dependent manner.

Leukemia Inhibitory Factor also called LIF is a lymphoid factor that promotes long-term maintenance of embryonic stem cells by suppressing spontaneous differentiation. Leukemia Inhibitory Factor has several functions such as cholinergic neuron differentiation, control of stem cell pluripotency, bone & fat metabolism, mitogenesis of factor dependent cell lines & promotion of megakaryocyte production in vivo. Human and mouse LIF exhibit a 78% identity in its amino acid sequence.

MORF4L2 belongs to the mortality factor (MORF) family of transcriptional regulator which is involved in cell growth, regulation and senescence. MORF4L2 localizes to the nucleus, and it has a protein kinase C phosphorylation site as well as a tyrosine phosphorylation site. MORF4L2 interacts with the Rb tumor suppressor through its helix-loop-helix and leucine zipper regions. Furthermore, MORF4L2 has histone deacetylase activity and can either repress or promote the activity of the B-Myb promoter depending on the tissue.

Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from mice with experimentally induced allergic pulmonary inflammation contains a novel 9.4 kDa cysteine-rich secreted protein, RELM-alpha (FIZZ1, found in inflammatory zone). RELM-alpha is a secreted protein that has a restricted tissue distribution with highest levels in adipose tissue stroma. Murine RELM-alpha (FIZZ1) is the founding member of a new gene family including two other murine genes expressed, respectively, in intestinal crypt epithelium (RELM-beta) and white adipose tissue (Resistin), and two related human genes.
RELMalpha inhibits the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes but has no effect on proliferation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. RELMalpha is able to form heterooligomers with resistin but not RELMbeta. Since RELMalpha is expressed by adipose tissue and it is a secreted factor, our findings suggest that RELMalpha may be involved in the control of the adipogenesis as well as in the process of muscle differentiation.
In the lung, RELM-alpha is induced by hypoxia and was renamed as hypoxia-induced mitogenic factor (HIMF). HIMF strongly activated Akt phosphorylation. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002 (10 micromol/L) inhibited HIMF-activated Akt phosphorylation. It also inhibited HIMFstimulated RPSM proliferation. Thus, the PI3K/Akt pathway, at least in part, mediates the proliferative effect of HIMF. Further studies showed that HIMF had angiogenic and vasoconstrictive properties. HIMF increased pulmonary arterial pressure and vascular resistance. Further studies suggest that HIMF regulates apoptosis and may participate in lung alveolarization and maturation.

TXNDC12 is a member of the thioredoxin super family. This Family members have a thioredoxin fold with a consensus active-site sequence (CxxC) and take part in redox regulation, protection against oxidative stress, refolding of disulfide-containing proteins, and regulation of transcription factors.

Endoglin is a type I membrane glycoprotein located on cell surfaces and is part of the TGF beta receptor complex.The Endoglin protein consists of a homodimer of 180 kDA with disulfide links. Endoglin has been found on endothelial cells, activated macrophages, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, Endoglin has been found to be part of the TGF-beta1 receptor complex. Endoglin thus may be involved in the binding of TGF-beta1, TGF-beta3, activin-A, BMP-2, and BMP-7. Beside TGF-beta signaling endoglin may have other functions. It has been postulated that endoglin is involved in the cytoskeletal organization affecting cell morphology and migration. Endoglin has a role in the development of the cardiovascular system and in vascular remodeling. Endoglin expression is regulated during heart development . Experimental mice without the endoglin gene die due to cardiovascular abnormalities.

BP-1 gene, a member of the DLX homeobox gene family, is overexpressed in 80% of breast cancer patients, and thus represents a potential new target for diagnosis and treatment.
Members of the Dlx gene family contain a homeobox that is related to that of Distal-less (Dll), a gene expressed in the head and limbs of the developing fruit fly (Drosophila). The Distal-less (Dlx) family of genes comprises at least 6 different members, DLX1-DLX6. The DLX proteins are postulated to play a role in forebrain and craniofacial development. Three transcript variants have been described for this gene, however, the full length nature of one variant has not been described. Studies of the two splice variants revealed that one encoded isoform functions as a repressor of the beta-globin gene while the other isoform lacks that function.

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.

Neuralized Homolog 2 (NEURL2) takes part in the process of myofiber differentiation and maturation. NEURL2 is probable substrate-recognition component of a SCF-like ECS E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase complex, which mediates the ubiquitination of proteins. NEURL2 contributes to catalysis through recognition and positioning of the substrate and the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme. NEURL2 regulates the ubiquitin-mediated degradation of beta-catenin during myogenesis.

Cysteine protease ATG4B (ATG4B) belongs to the autophagin protein family. Autophagy is the manner by which endogenous proteins and damaged organelles are destroyed intracellularly. Autophagy is vital for cell homeostasis and cell remodeling during differentiation, metamorphosis, non-apoptotic cell death, and aging. ATG4B is a cysteine protease necessary for autophagy, which cleaves the C-terminal part of either MAP1LC3, GABARAPL2 or GABARAP, allowing the liberation of form I. A subpopulation of form I is then transformed to a smaller form (form II). Form II, with an exposed C-terminal glycine, is deemed to be the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE)-conjugated form, and is capable of binding to autophagosomes. Reduced levels of autophagy are seen in some malignant tumors; therefore autophagy may have a role in controlling the unregulated cell growth linked to cancer.

The PARK7 is a ubiquitously expressed protein involved in various cellular processes including spermatogenesis and fertilization, cancer, RNA-binding, androgen-receptor signaling and oxidative stress. Mutations in the PARK7 are the cause of autosomal recessive early-onset Parkinson’s disease 7 (Park7).

UFD1L forms a complex with two other proteins, nuclear protein localization-4 and valosin-containing protein, and this complex is necessary for the degradation of ubiquitinated proteins. In addition, this complex controls the disassembly of the mitotic spindle and the formation of a closed nuclear envelope after mitosis. Mutations in this gene have been associated with Catch 22 syndrome as well as cardiac and craniofacial defects. Alternative splicing results in multiple transcript variants encoding different isoforms. A related pseudogene has been identified on chromosome 18.

Protein MIS12 Belongs to the mis12 family. MIS12 is an element of the MIS12 complex, which is necessary for kinetochore formation during mitosis and normal chromosome alignment and segregation. The MIS12 complex which comprised of MIS12,DSN1 , NSL1 and PMF-1. MIS12 is section of a network of complexes that supply microtubule attachment and generates pulling forces from depolymerization.

Porphobilinogen deaminase (HMBS) belongs to the hydroxymethylbilane synthase superfamily. HMBS is a cytoplasmic enzyme found in the heme synthesis pathway. HMBS is the 3rd enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway and catalyzes the head to tail condensation of 4 porphobilinogen molecules into the linear hydroxymethylbilane. HMBS gene mutations cause errors in pyrrole metabolism which in turn lead to the autosomal dominant disease acute intermittent porphyria.

60S ribosome subunit biogenesis protein NIP7 homolog (NIP7) belongs to NIP7 family and contains 1 PUA domain. NIP7 interacts with pre-ribosome complex and may bind to RNA. NIP7 is vital for proper 27S pre-rRNA processing and 60S ribosome subunit assembly.

HSP90B1 is an abundant molecular chaperone resident endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumenal stress protein which is part of the Hsp90 family. HSP90B1 is involved in maintaining protein homeostasis in the secretory pathway as well as functioning in the intracellular trafficking of peptides from the extracellular space to the MHC class I antigen processing pathway of antigen presentation cells. HSP90B1 has key roles in signal transduction, protein folding, protein degradation, and morphologic evolution. HSP90B1 protein associates with numerous cochaperones and involved in folding of newly synthesized proteins or stabilizing and refolding denatured proteins after stress. HSP90B1 is highly expressed in human gastric carcinoma BGC-823 cells during the whole cell cycle.

LIN28 plays an important role as a 'translational enhancer', leading specific mRNAs to polysomes and therefore increasing the competence of protein synthesis. LIN28 is a marker of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells and it enhances the efficiency of the formation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from human fibroblasts. LIN28 binds to the let-7 pre-miRNA and blocks production of the mature let-7 microRNA in mouse embryonic stem cells. Overexpression of LIN28 is associated with human germ-cell tumors.

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.