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GIPC2 is a 315 aa protein which is restricted to the cytoplasm and holds one PDZ domain. GIPC2 is expressed in large quantities in colon and kidney and in small quantities in adult liver. GIPC2 has a vital part in human gastric cancer by control of growth factor signaling or cell adhesion.

Podoplanin is a small mucin-like type-1 transmembrane protein, typically expressed in various specialized cell types throughout the body. Podoplanin is a type-I integral membrane glycoprotein with diverse distribution in human tissues. PDPN physiological function is related to its mucin-type character. The homologous protein in other species has been described as a differentiation antigen and influenza-virus receptor.
PDPN is expressed in lymphatic progenitor cells and afterwards during mouse development in lymphatic endothelial cells. Podoplanin is a specific marker for lymph vessel endothelial cells. Over-expression of podoplanin significantly elevates endothelial cell adhesion, migration, and tube formation. Inhibition of Podoplanin expression decreases cell adhesion in human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells. Podoplanin is used as a specific marker for lymphatic endothelium in histopathology.
Podoplanin expression is increased in nearly all human colon, rectum, and small intestine tumors. AGGRUS may serve as a diagnostic marker that distinguishes seminomas, the majority of which over express the protein, from embryonal carcinoma in testicular germ cell tumors.

CCL-20 is a chemotactic factor that draws lymphocytes & neutrophils, rathar than monocytes. MIP-3 alpha inhibits proliferation of myeloid progenitors in colony formation assays. MIP3A plays a role in the formation and function of the mucosal lymphoid tissues by attracting lymphocytes and dendritic cells towards epithelial cells. C-terminal processed forms have been shown to be equally chemotactically active for leukocytes. CCL-20 holdes antibacterial activity e.coli atcc 25922 and s.aureus atcc 29213. CCL-20 gene transcription is activated by H. pylori, which activates NF-kappaB through intracellular signal pathway which involves IkappaB kinase and NF-kappaB-inducing kinase. MIP-3 alpha is invloved in chemokine-mediated lymphocyte trafficking during gastric inflammation in Helicobacter infection. CCL-20 expression is involved in the recruitment of CD45R0-positive T cell subsets into the intestinal lamina propria. MIP-3A is in charge of the advancement of pulpal inflammation through the recruitment of C-C motif Receptor 6-expressing lymphocytes Vaginal epithelial cells respond to factors present in semen by secreting MIP-3 alpha, which increases langerhans cells recruitment during HIV transmission.

Ras-related protein Rab-5B (RAB5B) belongs to the Rab family of small (monomeric) G proteins. RAB5B is involved in endocytosis and recycling of cell surface molecules. RAB5B interacts with RIN2 and RIN3, which regulate its function, possibly by acting as GEFs. Knockdown of RAB5B abolished group I metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR)-mediated neuroprotection.

CCL23 (MIP-3) is a ligand for the CCR1chemokine receptor. CCL23 is one of several cytokine genes clustered on the q-arm of chromosome 17, in a locus containing several other CC chemokines. MIP-3 chemoattracts monocytes, resting T-lymphocytes and neutrophils, but not activated lymphocytes. Furthermore, it was shown that MIP-3 inhibits colony formation of bone marrow myeloid immature progenitors. MIP-3 is mainly expressed in lung and liver tissue, but can be also found in bone marrow and placenta, as well as in some cell lines of myeloid origin.
Alternative splicing of the CCL23 gene produces 2 mRNAs which encode a short (CK?8) and a long (CK?81) isoform of the MIP-3. CK?8 cDNA encodes a 120 amino acid residue precursor protein with a putative 21 a.a. residue signal peptide which is cleaved to generate a 99 a.a. residue mature CK?8 (a.a. 22-120). Further N-terminal processing of the 99 a.a. residue variant can produce a 75 a.a. residue CK?8 (a.a. 46-120) which is considerably more active than the 99 a.a. residue variant.
MIP-3 may be involved in the malignant progression of certain human cancer cells which overexpress ErbB2 through the transactivation of ErbB2 tyrosine kinase. MIP-3 may also be involved in angiogenesis via upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2 expression.

BMP2 belongs to the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFB) superfamily. Bone morphogenic protein induces bone formation. BMP2 is a candidate gene for the autosomal dominant disease of fibrodysplasia (myositis) ossificans progressiva.

Prolactin inducible protein (PIP) is a 17kDa glycoprotein existing in human seminal plasma. PIP is synthesized as a 146 amino acid long polypeptide exhibiting high sequence similarity with mouse submaxillary gland with a single glycosylation site. The precise biological functions of PIP are still ambiguous but various functions have been assigned to PIP due its existence at high concentration in biological fluids. PIP binds to various proteins such as fibrinogen, actin, keratin, myosin and tropomyosin. PIP is also expressed in pathological conditions of the mammary gland and in some exocrine tissues, such as the lacrimal, salivary and sweat glands. Due to PIP’s association with secretory cell differentiation, it has been used in diagnostic evaluation of tumors of breast, salivary gland, and skin.

PBX/Knotted 1 Homeobox 1 (PKNOX1) is a DNA-binding factor which takes part in the regulation of the transcriptional activity of AP-1 containing promoters. PKNOX1, which is also known as UEF3, PRP-1 and p64, is a Hmeobox protein. PKNOX1 forms stable complexes containing PBX proteins which synergize with AP-1 binding factors.

LAMTOR4 is implicated in amino acid sensing and activation of mTORC1, which is a signaling complex promoting cell growth in response to growth factors, energy levels, and amino acids. LAMTOR4 is activated by amino acids via a mechanism which involves the lysosomal V-ATPase, the Ragulator functions as a guanine nucleotide exchange factor activating the small GTPases Rag. Activated Ragulator and Rag GTPases both function as a scaffold recruiting mTORC1 to lysosomes where it is sequentially activated.

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.

Tumor protein p53 responds to various cellular stresses by regulating target genes that induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, senescence, DNA repair, or changes in metabolism. p53 is a tumor suppressor gene expressed in a wide variety of tissue types and is involved in regulating cell growth, replication, and apoptosis. p53 is a DNA-binding protein containing transcription activation, DNA-binding & oligomerization domains.
p53 binds to mdm2, SV40 T antigen and human papilloma virus E6 protein p53 senses DNA damage and possibly facilitating repair. p53 protein is a transcription factor which is encoded in humans by the TP53 gene. Alterations of TP53 occur not only as somatic mutations in human malignancies, but also as germline mutations in some cancer-prone families with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. p53 mutants that often occur in many different human cancers fail to bind the consensus DNA binding site, and hence cause the loss of tumor suppressor activity. Mutation involving p53 is found in a wide variety of malignant tumors, including breast, ovarian, bladder, colon, lung, and melanoma. The p53 expression in normal cells is low and in an assortment of transformed cell lines is high, which may contribute to transformation and malignancy. Multiple p53 variants encode distinct isoforms, which can regulate p53 transcriptional activity. p53’s significance in multicellular organisms is in cell cycle regulation therefore it functions as a tumor suppressor that is involved in preventing cancer. p53’s role in conserving stability by preventing genome mutation has earned it descriptions such as "the guardian of the genome," "the guardian angel gene," and the "master watchman.” The name p53 refers to its evident molecular mass: it migrates as a 53kDa protein on SDS-PAGE. However, based on calculations from its amino acid residues, p53's mass is in fact only 43.7kDa. This difference is attributed to the high number of proline residues in the protein which slow its migration on SDS-PAGE, consequently making it appear larger than it actually is.

TCL1A (T-cell leukemia/lymphoma 1A) is a protein with a possible role in intracellular regulation of T cell signaling. TCL1A enhances cell proliferation, stabilizes mitochondrial membrane potential and promotes cell survival. TCL1A is restricted in the T-cell lineage to immature thymocytes and activated peripheral lymphocytes. TCL1A is preferentially expressed early in T and B-lymphocyte differentiation. Chromosomal anomalies activating TCL1A are found in chronic T-cell leukemias (T-CLL).
TCL1A enhances the phosphorylation and activation of AKT1, AKT2 and AKT3. TCL1A promotes nuclear translocation of AKT1. TCL1A binds to the pleckstrin homology domain of Akt (protein kinase B) family proteins, which facilitates Akt dimerization and activity. By increasing Akt activity, TCL1A can enhance the serine/threonine phosphorylation of major Akt signaling substrates, for example Ikk complex, mTOR, BAD, p70S6 kinase, FOXO transcription factors and GSK3b. These substrates regulate cellular differentiation, growth, survival, and metabolism.

PI3Ka plays a specific role in apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. Injection of neutralizing antibodies specific to PI3Ka into adenocarcinoma cells induced apoptosis, a response that was reverted by treating cells with caspase inhibitor. It was also shown that PI3Ka mediated phosphorylation of the p85a adapter reduces the lipid kinase activity of the heterodimer and this gives hints for PI3K-dependent signaling events not requiring production of 3’-phosphorylated phosphoinositides.
PI3Ka is a key regulator of the initiation of keratinocyte differentiation. A decrease in PI3Ka activity results in a loss of keratinocyte adhesion to the extracellular membrane and the initiation of early phase differentiation.

Ras-related protein M-Ras (MRAS) is a member of the RAS superfamily. These family members are membrane-anchored, intracellular signal transducers in charge of various normal cellular functions. They are oncogenically stimulated in a substantial fraction of tumors. MRAS serves as a significant signal transducer for novel upstream stimuli in controlling cell proliferation.

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 19 (CCL19) is a small cytokine belonging to the CC chemokine family that is also known as EBI1 ligand chemokine (ELC) and macrophage inflammatory protein-3-beta (MIP-3-beta). CCL19 is expressed abundantly in thymus and lymph nodes, with moderate levels in trachea and colon and low levels in stomach, small intestine, lung, kidney and spleen. The gene for CCL19 is located on human chromosome 9. This chemokine elicits its effects on its target cells by binding to the chemokine receptor chemokine receptor CCR7. It attracts certain cells of the immune system, including dendritic cells and antigen-engaged B cells.

EPGN is an EGF-related polypeptide growth factor that signals through the ErbB receptor-1. EPGN is produced in numerous tissues, including the testis, liver, heart and in certain tumor cells. EPGN is mitogenic for fibroblasts and epithelial cells. Human EPGN is originally synthesized as a glycosylated 14.7 kDa transmembrane precursor protein, which is processed by proteolytic cleavage to produce a mature soluble sequence.

RhoA is a member of the small GTPase superfamily, Rho family, whose members are involved in the regulation and timing of cell division. RHOA is a small GTPase protein which acts to regulate the actin cytoskeleton in the formation of stress fibers and also upon 2 known effector proteins: ROCK1 (Rho-associated, coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1) and DIAPH1 (diaphanous homolog 1 (Drosophila).

OVCA2 is a member of the UPF0483 family. Universally expressed, the OVCA2 expression is regulated by retinoids. OVCA2 cooperates with apoptosis-related protein Bag-1, which indicates that OVCA2 takes part in cell proliferation. OVCA2 is thought to perform as a serine-hydrolase due to its catalytic and structural characteristics. Additionally, OVCA2 is believed to be involved in tumor suppression because of its reduced expression in ovarian and other tumor cell lines.

Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) belongs to the Tdpoz family containing one N-terminal MATH (Meprin and TRAF homology) domain and one C-terminal BTB/POZ domain. SPOP inhibits IPF1/PDX1 transactivation of established target promoters, may be by recruiting a repressor complex. SPOP is involved in ubiquitinylation and protein degradation as a result of an interaction with CUL-3.

MORC Family CW-Type Zinc Finger 3 (MORC3) localizes to the nuclear matrix. MORC3 takes part in the regulation of the tumor suppressor protein p53. MORC3may indicate on dermatomyositis (DM) as autoantibodies against this protein have been found in patients.

The Melanoma Inhibitory protein (MIA) was identified as an inhibitor of in vitro growth of malignant melanoma cells. The protein contains a SH3 domain.
MIA acts as a potent tumor cell growth inhibitor for malignant melanoma cells and some other neuroectodermal tumors, including gliomas, in an autocrine fashion. In a study of human melanoma cell lines with different metastatic capacity MIA mRNA expression appeared to be inversely correlated with pigmentation. MIA has been shown to represent a very sensitive and specific serum marker for systemic malignant melanoma that might be useful for staging of primary melanomas, detection of progression from localized to metastatic disease during follow-up, and monitoring therapy of advanced melanomas.

Phosphomevalonate kinase (PMVK) is a cytosolic enzyme. PMVK is expressed highly in the heart, liver, skeletal muscle, kidney and pancreas and slightly lower in the brain, placenta, and lung. PMVK catalyzes the conversion of mevalonate 5-phosphate into mevalonate 5-diphosphate in the fifth reaction of the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway. Induced by sterol, PMVK participates in isopentenyl diphosphate biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway.

The bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptors are a family of transmembrane serine/threonine kinases that include the type I receptors BMPR1A and BMPR1B and the type II receptor BMPR2. These receptors are also closely related to the receptors, ACVR1 and ACVR2. The ligands of these receptors are members of the TGF-beta superfamily. TGF-betas transduce their signals through the formation of heteromeric complexes with 2 different types of serine (threonine) kinase receptors: type I receptors of about 50-55 kD and type II receptors of about 70-80 kD. Type II receptors bind ligands in the absence of type I receptors, but they require their respective type I receptors for signaling, whereas type I receptors require their respective type II receptors for ligand binding.

Wingless-Type MMTV Integration Site Family, Member 7A also known as WNT7A belongs to the WNT gene family, this family consists of structurally related genes which encode secreted signaling proteins. These proteins have been implicated in oncogenesis and in several developmental processes, including regulation of cell fate and patterning during embryogenesis. WNT7A is involved in the development of the anterior-posterior axis in the female reproductive tract, and also plays an essential role in uterine smooth muscle pattering and maintenance of adult uterine function. In addition, Mutations in WNT7A have been associated with Fuhrmann and Al-Awadi Raas-Rothschild Schinzel phocomelia syndromes.