Neuroscience

The Wnt gene family is made up of structurally related genes encoding secreted signaling proteins. These proteins have been implicated in oncogenesis and developmental processes, such as cell fate regulation and embryogenesis patterning. There is high evolutionary conservation among species for the Wnt5A protein.

Cell death via apoptosis is a basic cellular function occurring through the cell death receptor family and their ligands which signal through downstream adaptor molecules and the caspase protease family. Caspases have a precursor form composed of a prodomain, and large and small catalytic subunit, and are activated through a cleavage adjacent to an aspartate to liberate units and allow formation of an a2b2 tetramer. Caspase 3 is a cytoplasmic caspase with two isoforms (one acts as a dominant negative inhibitor), and is involved in the activation cascade for apoptosis execution.

Beta-actin belongs to a large family of highly conserved structural cell proteins that regulate cell motility, structure, and integrity. Beta-actin is expressed in all eukaryotic cells making it the ideal internal quantitative control for protein comparative assays. This feature has made it uniquely a historical and heavily-utilized standard, as the public record of scientific publication literature can attest to.

The CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4) protein is one member of the G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR1) family. As a multipass membrane protein that is found in several tissues, it is the receptor for the C-X-C chemokine CXCL12/SDF-1. The CXCR4 ligand works by modulating intracellular calcium ion levels and activating the MAPK1/MAPK3 signal pathways. CXCR4 is also a receptor for extracellular ubiquitin, which produces enhanced levels of intracellular calcium and reduced levels of cellular cAMP.

Cell death via apoptosis is a key cellular function triggered by the cell death receptor family and their ligands which signal through downstream adaptor molecules and the caspase protease family. Among the subclass of initiator caspases that include subtypes -2, -8 and -9, caspase 9 is expressed in a variety of human tissues.

CD4, also known as Cluster of Differentiation 4, interacts with major histocompatibility complex class II antigens, acts as a receptor for the human immunodeficiency virus and induces the aggregation of lipid rafts. It is expressed in T lymphocytes, B cells, macrophages, granulocytes, dendritic cells and specific regions of the brain.

Kif2a belongs to the Kinesin-13 microtubule depolymerase family that includes members Kif2a, Kif2b, and Kif2c. These proteins are capable of depolymerizing microtubules (MTs) at their ends. During mitotic cell division, Kif2a specifically localizes to centrosomes and is essential for chromosome organization at the metaphase plate, spindle dynamics and turnover, and bipolar mitotic spindle formation.

MTH1 (human MutT Homolog 1) is a purine nucleoside triphosphatase enzyme and belongs to the Nudix hydrolase family. In mammalian systems, MTH is a major detoxifier of the oxidized DNA precursors, 8-oxo-dGTP, 8-oxo-dATP, and 2-OH-dATP and prevents the misincorporation of these purine nucleoside triphosphates into DNA and the subsequent occurrence of A:T pairs to C:G and G:C to T:A pair transversions. The MTH enzyme can also hydrolyze the corresponding ribonucleotides, 8-oxo-GTP, 8-oxo-ATP, and 2-OH-ATP.

NeuN is a RNA-binding protein that modulates alternative splicing and is localized both to the nucleus and cytoplasm. It is a member of the RNA-binding FOX (RBFOX) family of splicing regulators which includes RBFOX1 (Fox-1/A2BP1) and RBFOX2 (Fox-2/RBM9). Each FOX family member is differentially expressed – RBFOX1 in neurons, heart, and muscle while RBFOX3 is exclusively limited to neurons.

Tyrosine hydroxylase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis pathway of the catecholamines dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.