MIC-B (MHC class I chain-related gene B) is a single-pass type I member protein. A closely related protein, MICA, shares 85% amino acid identity with MICB. It is widely expressed in many, but not all, epithelial tumors of lung, breast, kidney, ovary, prostate and colon. In addition to this, it is produced by hepatocellular carcinomas, […]

MIC-A (MHC class I chain-related gene A) is a single-pass type I member protein. It is expressed on the cell surface in gastric epithelium, endothelial cells and fibroblasts and in the cytoplasm in keratinocytes and monocytes. Additionally, MIC-A can be induced by bacterial and viral infections. A closely related protein, MICB, shares 85% amino acid […]

Melanoma Inhibitor Activity Protein 2 (MIA-2) encoded by MIA2 gene in humans, is a secreted cytokine that is highly expressed in liver and weakly in testis. The patients with severe fibrosis or inflammation and chronic hepatitis have higher level of MIA2 than other. Levels of MIA2 may severe as a clinically utility marker for diagnosis […]

Melanoma Inhibiting Activity (MIA), also known as cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP), is an approximately 11-15 kDa protein that is secreted as a noncovalent homodimer and is structurally related to OTOR/Otoraplin and MIA-2. Mature human MIA contains a SH3 domain and shares 90% and 92% amino acid sequence identity with mouse and rat MIA, respectively. […]

Human High-mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1), previously known as HMG-1 or amphoterin, is a member of the high mobility group box family of non-histone chromosomal proteins. Human HMGB1 is expressed as a 30 kDa, 215 amino acid (a.a.) single chain polypeptide containing three domains: two N-terminal globular, 70 a.a. positively charged DNA-binding domains (HMG […]

Members of Lipocalin family share a highly conserved fold with an eight-stranded antiparallel beta barrel, and act as a transporters, carrying small molecules to specific cells. Lipocalin-2, also known as Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), was originally identified as a component of neutrophil granules. It is a 25 kDa protein existing in monomeric and homo- and […]

The hedgehog (hh) gene encoding a secreted protein was originally identified in Drosophila as a segment polarity gene. The vertebrate homologues of Hh comprise several proteins including sonic hedgehog (Shh), Indian hedgehog (Ihh), and Desert hedgehog (Dhh). Hedgehog proteins are important signaling molecules during embryonic development and are highly conserved within and across species. Mouse […]

Galectin-1, a polypeptidic factor that can have major effects on cell growth and apoptosis, is an important regulator of leukocyte function and tumor angiogenesis. Galectin-1 belongs to a family of 15 structurally related β-galactoside binding proteins that are able to control a variety of cellular events, including cell cycle regulation, adhesion, proliferation, and apoptosis. Human […]

Fatty acid binding protein-6 (FABP6), also known as ileal bile acid binding protein (I-BABP) and gastrotropin, is a 15 kDa cytoplasmic protein that belongs to the FABP family. It is expressed in ileal epithelium and multiple other tissues. Alternate transcription promoters generate two transcript variants, encoding a 128 aa and a 177 aa residue protein. […]

Galectin-3, is classified as a chimeric member of the Galectin superfamily. Nuclear Galectin-3 can modulate gene expression, while cytosolic Galectin-3 can inhibit apoptosis. Galectin-3 contributes to the innate immune response against Candida albicans and Streptococcus pneumoniae, and it can facilitate acute inflammatory responses via neutrophil activation and opsonization, macrophage recruitment, and mast cell activation.