mTOR is one of a family of proteins involved in cell cycle progression, DNA recombination, and DNA damage detection. In rat, it is a 289-kDa protein (symbolized RAFT1) with significant homology to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae protein TOR1 and has been shown to associate with the immunophilin FKBP12 in a rapamycin dependent fashion. The FKBP12-rapamycin complex is known to inhibit progression through the G1 cell cycle stage by interfering with mitogenic signaling pathways involved in G1 progre

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) produce mitogenic and angiogenic effects in target cells by signaling through the cellular surface tyrosine kinase receptors. There are four members of the FGF receptor family: FGFR-1 (flg), FGFR-2 (bek, KGFR), FGFR-3 and FGFR-4. Each receptor contains an extracellular ligand binding domain, a transmembrane region and a cytoplasmic kinase domain (1). Following ligand binding and dimerization, the receptors are phosphorylated at specific tyrosine residues (2)

Modulation of the chromatin structure plays an important role in the regulation of transcription in eukaryotes. The nucleosome, made up of four core histone proteins (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), is the primary building block of chromatin. The N-terminal tail of core histones undergoes different posttranslational modifications including acetylation, phosphorylation and methylation. These modifications occur in response to cell signal stimuli and have a direct effect on gene expression. In most spec

Modulation of the chromatin structure plays an important role in the regulation of transcription in eukaryotes. The nucleosome, made up of four core histone proteins (H2A, H2B, H3 and H4), is the primary building block of chromatin. The N-terminal tail of core histones undergoes different posttranslational modifications including acetylation, phosphorylation and methylation. These modifications occur in response to cell signal stimuli and have a direct effect on gene expression. In most spec

May be involved in collagen fiber assembly.

Fibrinogen is the main protein of blood coagulation system. It is a large protein and it consists of two identical subunits that contain three polypeptide chains: alpha, beta and gamma. All chains are connected with each other by a number of disulfide bonds. Fibrinopeptides A (1 to 16 amino acids) and B (1 to 17 amino acids) are released by thrombin from the N terminal parts of alpha and beta chains, respectively. In this way fibrinogen is converted into fibrin, which by means of polymeriza