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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.

SCGN is a secreted calcium-binding protein which is found in the cytoplasm. It is related to calbindin D-28K and calretinin. Secretagogin is involved in KCL-stimulated calcium flux and cell proliferation.
Secretagogin plays a role in human non-functional pituitary adenomas.

E-selectin which is also called Endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1, ELAM1, ELAM belongs to a family of divalent cation-dependent carbohydrate-binding glycoproteins or adhesion molecules. Eselectin is expressed on the surface of endothelial cells and mediates the interaction of leukocytes and platelets with endothelial cells during an inflammatory response. E-selectin is present in single copy in the human genome and contains 14 exons spanning about 13 kb of DNA.

CAPG is part of the gelsolin/villin family of actin-regulatory proteins. CAPG reversibly blocks the barbed ends of F-actin filaments in a Ca2+ and phosphoinositide-regulated method, though it does not separate preformed actin filaments. By capping the barbed ends of actin filaments, CAPG contributes to the control of actin-based motility in non-muscle cells. CAPG is involved in macrophage function. CAPG is involved in regulating cytoplasmic and/or nuclear structures via possible interactions with actin. CAPG binds DNA. CAPG lacks a nuclear export sequence present in structurally related proteins. CAPG is a tumor suppressor protein that plays a role in the tumorigenic progression of certain cancers. Dysregulated expression of CAPG was found in premalignant and malignant oral carcinogenesis.

VAMP8 also called endobrevin, is the main component of a SNARE complex involved in the docking and fusion of synaptic vesicles with the presynaptic membrane. VAMP8 protein is involved in the regulatation of enzyme secretion in pancreatic acinar cells and plays a part in the abscission of the midbody during cell division, which leads to completely separate daughter cells. VAMP8 is essential for dense-granule secretion in platelets. VAMP8 is related with the perinuclear vesicular structures of the early endocytic compartment. VAMP8 interacts particularly with the soluble NSF-attachment protein (alpha-SNAP), through an VAMP8-containing SNARE complex.

Prefoldin subunit 3 (VBP1) is a member of the prefoldin subunit alpha family. VBP1 interacts with the Von Hippel-Lindau protein in order to create an intracellular complex. Since VBP1 serves as a chaperone protein, it is assumed to have a role in the transport of the Von Hippel-Lindau protein from the perinuclear granules to the nucleus or cytoplasm. VBP1 binds specifically to cytosolic chaperonin (c-CPN) and transfers target proteins to it. VBP1 also binds to nascent polypeptide chain and stimulates folding in an environment in which there are numerous competing pathways for nonnative proteins.

Based on sequence similarity to VEGF-A, a gene encoding a VEGF homologue has recently been discovered in the genome of Orf virus (OV) (Lyttle et al., 1994). Different isolates of Orf virus show significant amino acid sequence similarity to VEGF-A and described as a viral virulence factor that appears to be derived from captured host genes. All eight cysteine residues of the central cysteine knot motif characteristic of members of the VEGF family are conserved among other residues in the VEGF-E proteins (Dehio et al., 1999; Wise et al., 1999). Alignment of all mammalian VEGF sequences indicated that VEGF-E is distinct from the previously described VEGFs but most closely related to VEGF-A. Like VEGF-A, VEGF-E was found to bind with high affinity to VEGF receptor-2 (KDR) resulting in receptor autophosphorylation, whilst in contrast to VEGF-A, VEGF-E can not bind to VEGF receptor-1 (Flt-1). Furthermore VEGF-E can also not bind to VEGF receptor-3 (FLT-4). Therefore VEGF-E is a potent angiog

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 gluconeogenesis, 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.

Melanoregulin (MREG) takes part in membrane fusion and in regulating the biogenesis of disk membranes of photoreceptor rods. MREG is expressed in photoreceptor cells as two isoforms as a result of alternative splicing. MREG interacts with Peripherin-2, a photoreceptor specific tetraspanin protein which is required to preserve normal cell structure during the renewal process of membrane fusion. Moreover, MREG plays a part in the incorporation of pigments into hair.

Neurogranin (NRGN) is a calmodulin-binding protein which is expressed solely in the brain, mainly in dendritic spines. NRGN is also taking part in the protein kinase C signaling pathway by being a "third messenger" substrate of protein kinase C-mediated molecular cascades during synaptic development and remodeling. NRGN binds to calmodulin in the absence of calcium. NRGN protein’s phosphorylation by protein kinase C lowers its binding ability.

Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) is a proteoglycan secreted by endothelial cells (mostly in the human lung and kidney tissues) and its mRNA expression is regulated by inflammatory cytokines. ESM1 has potent implications in lung endothelial cell-leukocyte interactions. In addition, ESM1 expression is detected in various epithelia and in adipocytes. ESM1 is involved in angiogenesis and it also promotes angiogenic sprouting. ESM1 expression is upregulated by TNF alpha, IL1 beta, or lipopolysaccharide and downregulated by IFN gamma. Genetically engineered cells overexpressing ESM1 induce tumor formation, implying that ESM1 might be involved in the pathophysiology of tumor growth in vivo.

Alpha-cardiac actin belongs to the actin family which is comprised of three main groups of actin isoforms, alpha, beta, and gamma. The alpha actins are found in muscle tissues and are a major constituent of the contractile apparatus. Defects in the cardiac actin have been associated with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDC) and familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (FHC).

Bone Morphogenetic Protein 3 (BMP3) is one of the BMPs, some of which are members of the TGF-beta superfamily (BMP2-7). There are more than 13 BMPs, which are involved in inducing cartilage and bone formation, embryogenesis and morphogenesis of various tissues and organs. In addition, BMPs regulate the growth, differentiation, chemotaxis, and apoptosis of various cell types. Akin to most other TGF-beta family proteins, BMPs are extremely conserved across animal species. At the amino acid sequence level, mature human and rat BMP3 are 98% identical.

Limb Bud And Heart Development, (LBH) belongs to the LBH family.LBH is highly expressed in the heart, and expressed at low levels in placenta, lung, skeletal muscle, kidney and liver. In addition, LBH protein is a transcriptional activator which may act in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Among the diseases associated with LBH are celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor 39, also known as ARHGEF39, is a protein coding gene which owns one DH (DBL-homology) domain and one PH domain. ARHGEF39 encourages cell proliferation.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a dominant inherited syndrome characterized by the predisposition to develop various kinds of benign and malignant tumors, including clear cell renal carcinomas, pheochromocytomas and hemangioblastomas of the central nervous system and retina. VHL syndrome is caused by germline mutation in the VHL tumor suppressor, and VHL tumors are associated with loss or mutation of the remaining wild-type allele. VHL has two domains: a roughly 100-residue NH2-terminal domain rich in b sheet (b-domain) and a smaller a-helical domain (a-domain), held together by two linkers and a polar interface. VHL protein is also involved in the degradation of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF).

The Argonaute protein is part of the RISC or RNA-induced silencing complex, as so, the protein has a key part in the slicing processes of RNA. The RNA interference (RNAi) is being held by RISC. Small non-coding RNA fragments bond to the Argonaute proteins, through base pairing, eventually leads to the cleavage of messenger RNA or translation suppression.

GDF10 is a member of the BMP family and the TGF-beta superfamily. GDF10 is expressed in femur, brain, lung, skeletal, muscle, pancreas and testis, and has a role in head formation and possibly multiple roles in skeletal morphogenesis. In humans, GDF10 mRNA is found in the cochlea and lung of fetuses, and in testis, retina, pineal gland, and other neural tissues of adults. The BMP family members are regulators of cell growth and differentiation in both embryonic and adult tissues. These proteins are characterized by a polybasic proteolytic processing site which is cleaved to produce a mature protein containing 7 conserved cysteine residues.

MAGEA6 belongs to the MAGEA family, which directs the expression of tumor antigens which are seen on a human melanoma by autologous cytolytic T lymphocytes (CTL). Members of the MAGEA family encode proteins with 50 to 80% sequence identity to each other. The MAGE genes, which are clustered at chromosomal location Xq28, were originally isolated from separate kinds of tumors, and based on their practically exclusive tumor-specific expression in adult tissues; they are objects for cancer immunotherapy. MAGEA genes’ promoters and first exons exhibit substantial variability, implying that the existence of the MAGEA gene family enables the same function to be expressed under different transcriptional controls. MAGEA genes are implicated in several hereditary disorders, such as dyskeratosis congenita.

Galectin-3 mediates with the alpha-3, beta-1 integrin the stimulation by cspg4 of endothelial cells migration. Galectin-3 plays an necessary part during the acquisition of vasculogenic mimicry and angiogenic properties associated with melanoma progression. LGALS3 overexpression is highly expressed in early stages of papillary carcinoma, and its expression intensity declines during tumor progression. Serum levels of LGALS3 are high in patients with thyroid malignancy but there is considerable overlap in serum LGALS3 concentrations between those with benign and malignant nodular thyroid disease. LGLAS3 takes part as an immune regulator to inhibit T-cell immune responses and promote tumor growth, as a result providing a new mechanism for tumor immune tolerance.

Endothelial cells express three different vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, belonging to the family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). They are named VEGFR-1 (Flt-1), VEGFR-2 (KDR/Flk-1), VEGFR-3 (Flt-4). Their expression is almost exclusively restricted to endothelial cells, but VEGFR-1 can also be found on monocytes, dendritic cells and on trophoblast cells. The flt-1 gene was first described in 1990. The receptor contains seven immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains, a single transmembrane region and an intracellular splited tyrosine kinase domain. Compared to VEGFR-2 the Flt-1 receptor has a higher affinity for VEGF but a weaker signaling activity. VEGFR-1 thus leads not to proliferation of endothelial cells, but mediates signals for differentiation. Interestingly a naturally occuring soluble variant of VEGFR-1 (sVEGFR-1) was found in HUVE supernatants in 1996, which is generated by alternative splicing of the flt-1 mRNA. The biological functions of sVEGFR-1 still are not clear, but it seems to be an endogenous regulator of angiogenesis, binding VEGF with the same affinity as the full-length receptor.

ANXA3 is an inhibitor of phospholipase A2. ANXA3 possesses anti-coagulant properties. ANXA3 cleaves the cyclic bond of inositol 1,2-cyclic phosphate to form inositol 1-phosphate. ANXA3 is part of the annexin family which are members of the calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein family that are involved in the regulation of cellular growth and in signal transduction pathways. ANXA3 takes part as an anti-coagulation factor.