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Recombinant Human Lipocalin-2 also called Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) belongs to a family of lipocans which include 25 proteins (including a1-microglobulin and b-lactoglobulin), which are characterized by their ability to bind small lipophilic substances in their hydrophobic core.
They thereby serve as transporters of substances like retinal, biliverdins & prostaglandins. There are indications that NGAL is involved in modulation of the inflammatory response and is found in the plasma of patients after stroke.

RAB6A is a member of the small GTPase superfamily. RAB6A may be involved in protein transport. RAB6A is a regulator of membrane traffic from the Golgi apparatus towards the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and has a low GTPase activity.

Osteoclast-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor isoform 6 or OSCAR, is a receptor for surfactant protein D that can be found on human myeloid cells. OSCAR is part of the TNF-α release from human CCR2+ inflammatory monocytes process. The protein is involved in antigen presentation and activation of dendritic cells. Preosteoclasts or mature osteoclasts express the OSCAR protein. Patients that suffer from RA (rheumatoid arthritis) has upregulations on monocytes which present increased proosteoclastogenic potential.

OTOR proteins is also known as fibrocyte-derived protein (Fdp) and Melanoma inhibitory activity-like (MIAL). Otoraplin is a member of the melanoma-inhibiting activity gene family. Otoraplin is a secreted 16 kDa globular protein that is expressed in the inner ear by periotic mesenchyme and developing and mature fibrocytes. OTOR is highly homologous to MIA/cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP), which is a cartilage-specific protein that is also expressed in malignant melanoma cells. The 111 amino acid mature human otoraplin contains 1 SH3 domain (46 – 107 amino acids) and a Tyr at position 50 that is reportedly sulfated. Otoraplin takes pasrt in the initiation of periotic mesenchyme chondrogenesis.
Otoraplin is secreted through the Golgi apparatus and plays a role in cartilage development and maintenance. A frequent polymorphism in the translation start codon of OTOR can abolish translation and may be associated with forms of deafness.

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 activin receptors, ACVR1 and ACVR2. The ligands of these receptors are members of the TGF-beta superfamily. TGF-betas and activins 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.

PGAM1 is part of the phosphoglycerate mutase family. PGAM1 is an essential component of glucose and 2,3-BPGA (2,3-bisphosphoglycerate) metabolism and catalyzes the reversible reaction of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) to 2-phosphoglycerate (2-PGA) in the glycolytic pathway. PGAM1 is a dimeric enzyme containing, in different tissues, different proportions of a slow-migrating muscle (MM) isozyme, a fast-migrating brain (BB) isozyme, and a hybrid form (MB). PGAM1 mutations lead to muscle phosphoglycerate mutase deficiency, a.k.a. glycogen storage disease X.

GIPC1 is a PDZ domain protein that cooperates with RGS-GAIP and the viral oncoprotein TAX, which transactivates viral and cellular promoters throughout interactions with different transcription factors. GIPC1 particularly localizes to clusters of vesicles close to the plasma membrane and takes part in G protein-coupled signaling pathway participating in regulating Clathrin-coated vesicular trafficking. GIPC1 cooperates with membrane bound Semaphorin F, which is takes part in neuronal axon growth, and controls the subcellular distribution of M-SemF in the brain.

PTX-2 or Pentraxin-2 is a phylogenetically conserved protein, commonly moving with homopentameric blood protein or with a protein that recognizes receptors of the innate immune system. The protein’s specific binding abilities may show that PTX-2 is specially bound in sites where injury accrued, therefore helps to eliminate damaged tissue by ways that are not phlogistics.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF R) subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases comprises four members: EGF R (also known as HER1, ErbB1 or ErbB), ErbB2 (Neu, HER-2), ErbB3 (HER-3), and ErbB4 (HER-4). All family members are type I transmembrane glycoprotein that has an extracellular domain which contains two cysteine-rich domains separated by a spacer region that is involved in ligand-binding, and a cytoplasmic domain which has a membrane-proximal tyrosine kinase domain and a C-terminal tail with multiple tyrosine autophosphorylation sites. The human EGF R gene encodes a 1210 amino acid (aa) residue precursor with a 24 aa putative signal peptide, a 621 aa extracellular domain, a 23 aa transmembrane domain, and a 542 aa cytoplasmic domain. EGF R has been shown to bind a subset of the EGF family ligands, including EGF, amphiregulin, TGFa , betacellulin, epiregulin, heparin-binding EGF and neuregulin-2 in the absence of a co-receptor. Ligand binding induces EGF R homodimerization as well as heterdimerization with ErbB2, resulting in kinase activation, tyrosine phosphorylation and cell signaling. EGF R can also be recruited to form heterodimers with the ligand-activated ErbB3 or ErbB4. EGF R signaling has been shown to regulate multiple biological functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, motility and apoptosis. In addition, EGF R signaling has also been shown to play a role in carcinogenesis.

The cytokine Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) has been identified to be secreted by the pituitary gland and the monocyte/macrophage and to play an important role in endotoxic shock. MIF has the unique property of being released from macrophages and T cells in response to physiological concentrations of glucocorticoids. The secretion of MIF is tightly regulated and decreases at high, anti-inflammatory steroid concentration.

Adiponectin is an adipocyte specific secreted protein that circulates in the plasma. It is induced during adipocyte differentiation and its secretion is stimulated by insulin. Mouse adiponectin shares about 83% amino acid identity with that human. Adiponectin plays a role in various physiological processes such as energy homeostasis and obesity. Adiponectin is reduced in obese humans, and decreased level is associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia.

Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins (MIP) belong to the family of chemotactic cytokines known as chemokines. In humans, there are two major forms, MIP-1a and MIP-1b that are now officially named CCL3 and CCL4 respectively. Both are major factors produced by macrophages after they are stimulated with bacterial endotoxins. They activate human granulocytes (neutrophils, eosinophils and basophils) which can lead to acute neutrophilic inflammation. They also induce the synthesis and release of other pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6 and TNF-a from fibroblasts and macrophages. The genes for CCL3 and CCL4 are both located on human chromosome 17.

IFN-gamma produced by lymphocytes activated by specific antigens / mitogens.
IFN-gamma, on top of having antiviral activity, has important immunoregulatory functions, it is a potent activator of macrophages, and has antiproliferative effects on transformed cells and it can potentiate the antiviral and antitumor effects of the type I interferons.

TIGAR is a p53-inducible enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of fructose-2-6 bisphosphate (F-2-6-BP) to fructose-6-phosphate and inorganic phosphate. F-2-6-BP is an influential activator of 6-phosphofructose-1 kinase (the rate limiting enzyme of glycolysis). By lowering the intracellular level of F-2-6-BP, TIGAR expression leads to increased glucose processing through the pentose phosphate pathway, the main cellular source for NADPH.

Junctional Adhesion Molecule 2 (JAM2) is a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, and the junctional adhesion molecule (JAM) family. JAM2 is a type I membrane protein which is localized at the tight junctions of both epithelial and endothelial cells. JAM2 functions as an adhesive ligand for interacting with various immune cell types, and may have a role in lymphocyte homing to secondary lymphoid organs.

KISS1 is a metastasis suppressor protein that suppresses metastases of melanomas and breast carcinomas without affecting tumorigenicity.KISS1 functions to inhibit chemotaxis and invasion, attenuating metastasis in malignant melanomas. KISS1 is involved in the regulation of cell-matrix adhesion. KISS1 plays a role in cytoskeletal reorganization. A polymorphism in the terminal exon of KISS1 mRNA results in two protein isoforms. Expression of KiSS1 is localized to specific regions of the hypothalamus in numerous species and is regulated by gonadal steroids and across the estrous cycle..KISS1 generates a c-terminally amidated peptide, metastin which functions as the endogenous ligand of the g-protein coupled receptor gpr54. Activation of the receptor inhibits cell proliferation and cell migration, key characteristics of tumor metastasis.

LGALS8 is a prostate-specific antigen that is solely overexpressed in malignant tumors and thus is a supplementary specific identifier of malignancies. LGALS8 is part of the galectin gene family which facilitates both cell-cell and cell matrix interactions in a method parallel to the selectin subgroup of C-type lectins.

RAB4A is a member of the small GTPase superfamily. RAB4A interacts with STX4, RAB11FIP1, RABEP1, CD2AP and KIF3B. In addition, Rab4 is involved in the translocation of glucose transporter (Glu4) in adipocytes. Rab4 overexpression causes a redistribution of receptors on plasma membrane versus endocytic compartments.

Osteoprotegerin acts as decoy receptor for rankl and thereby neutralizes its function in osteoclastogenesis. OPG inhibits the activation of osteoclasts and promotes osteoclast apoptosis in vitro. Bone homeostasis seems to depend on the local rankl/opg ratio. Osteoprotegerin may also play a role in preventing arterial calcification. May act as decoy receptor for trail and protect against apoptosis. Trail binding blocks the inhibition of osteoclastogenesis.

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-2 (Serpine2) which inhibits thrombin, plasmin and plasminogen activators is a part of the Serpin superfamily of the serine protease inhibitors. Serpine2 is able to transform human embryonic kidney cells into neuron-like cells. Furthermore, Serpine2's over expression in mice leads to progressive neuronal and motor dysfunction.

MIA2 performs as a tumour suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma. MIA2is a novel acute phase protein which its expression is found in the liver and reacts to liver damage in chronic liver diseases and is considerably higher in severe fibrosis patients . MIA2 is induced by IL6, TGF-B & and conditioned medium from activated hepatic stellate cells. MIA2 is is mainly expressed in hepatocytes.

Adiponectin is a hormone exclusively expressed from adipose tissue. Many studies demonstrate that adiponectin has direct anti-diabetic, anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory functions. APM-1 can increase insulin sensitivity of skeletal muscle, attenuate hepatic lipogenesis and luconeogenesis, regulate NO production in endothelial cells, inhibit proliferation of smooth muscle cells and prevent lipid accumulation of macrophage cells.
In the circulation, adiponectin is present as three different oligomeric complexes, including the high molecular weight (HMW), the middle molecular weight (MMW, also called hexamer) and low molecular weigh (MMW, also called trimer) forms 8. Different oligomeric complex of adiponectin activates different signaling pathways and exerts distinct functions.

IFNI30 inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (IFI30), is a part of the GILT family. IFI30 is a lysosomal thiol reductase which at low pH is capable of decreasing protein’s disulfide bonds. IFI30 is expressed constitutively in antigen-presenting cells and induced by gamma-IFN in other cell types. Also, IFI30 plays an important role in MHC class II-restricted antigen processing. IFI30 facilitates the generation of MHC class II-restricted epitopes from disulfide bond-containing antigen by the endocytic reduction of disulfide bonds and Also facilitates MHC class I-restricted recognition of exogenous antigens containing disulfide bonds by CD8+ T-cells or cross-presentation.

Simian immunodeficiency virus, SIV, is a retrovirusthat is found in strains, having the HIV-1and HIV-2specific strains that infect humans. SIV strains may cause an AIDS-like immune deficiency known as SAIDS (simian acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) if they cross species boundaries. HIV-2 is more similar to SIV strains than to HIV-1, suggesting for the first time the simian origin of HIV. HIV-2 is derived from the SIV strain found in sooty mangabeys whereas HIV-1, the predominant virus found in humans, is derived from SIV strains infecting chimpanzees.