Cancer

Inositol Requiring Enzyme 1 alpha (IRE1 alpha) is a transmembrane-RNase with an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) luminal sensor domain and cytosolic kinase and ribonuclease domains. IRE1 also plays a central role in the ER stress response (1).

Centromere protein F (CENPF), also named mitosin, is a large human protein of 3113 amino acid residues. Its expression and localization are cell cycle-dependent. The protein levels are low in G1 phase but elevated from S to early M phase. CENPF is a nuclear matrix protein in interphase but is relocated to the kinetochore, the major site of microtubule attachment on chromosome, in M phase (1).

Beclin 1 is the mammalian orthologue of the yeast Apg6/Vps30 gene. Beclin 1 can complement the defect in autophagy present in apg6 yeast strains and stimulate autophagy when overexpressed in mammalian cells (1) and can bind to Bcl2, an important regulator of apoptosis (2) suggesting a role in two fundamentally important cellular pathways: autophagy and apoptosis.

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) is a membrane-associated carbonic anhydrase, strongly induced by hypoxia. CA IX is overexpressed by several cancer cells from many tumor types, and is a component of the pH regulatory system invoked by these cells to combat the deleterious effects of a high rate of glycolytic metabolism.

c-Myc is a well-characterized transcription factor encoded by the c-Myc gene on human chromosome 8q24. This cellular proto-oncogene, also known as p62, is commonly activated in a variety of tumor cells and plays a crucial role in cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression.

Actins are highly conserved, commonly found and abundant proteins involved in several types of cell motility as well as cytoskeleton maintenance. In vertebrate species, three main groups of actin isoforms, the alpha, beta and gamma, have been identified. Alpha actins are found in muscle tissues and are a major constituent of the contractile apparatus.

Vimentin is a fundamental 10 nm type III intermediate filament (IF) protein found in many mesenchymal and epithelia tissues, tissue culture cells, and developing neuronal and astrocytic precursor cells of the central nervous system.

Neutrophins and their receptors play an important role in regulating the development of both the central and peripheral nervous systems. Neurotrophin ligand binding to each of their respective Trk cellular receptors is essential for the growth and survival of neurons.

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is a member of the toll-like receptor family that plays a key role in pathogen recognition and activation of innate immunity. Scientists using TLR9 antibodies have found the protein is highly conserved from Drosophila to humans, with a high degree of structural and functional homology (1,2).