Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription$nfactor which regulates the expression of many detoxification and$nantioxidant enzymes. Nrf2 can potentially play a significant role in adaptive responses to oxidative stress. Nrf2 belongs to the Cap N Collar (CNC-bZIP) subfamily of basic /leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors.

The caspase family of cysteine proteases play a key role in apoptosis. Caspase 3 is the most extensively studied apoptotic protein among caspase family members. Caspase 3 is synthesized as inactive pro enzyme that is processed in cells undergoing apoptosis by self proteolysis and/or cleavage by other upstream proteases (e.g. Caspases 8, 9 and 10). The processed form of Caspase 3 consists of large (17kDa) and small (12kDa) subunits which associate to form an active enzyme. Caspase 3 is cleaved

Beclin 1 is the first identified mammalian gene to mediate autophagy and also has tumor suppressor and antiviral function. Autophagy, a process of bulk protein degradation through an autophagosomic lysosomal pathway, is important for differentiation, survival during nutrient deprivation, and normal growth control, and is often defective in tumor cells. Beclin 1 was originally isolated in a yeast two hybrid screen to identify Bcl 2 binding partners and maps to a tumor susceptibility locus o

Ribosomes, the organelles that catalyze protein synthesis, consist of a small 40S subunit and a large 60S subunit. Together these subunits are composed of 4 RNA species and approximately 80 structurally distinct proteins. This gene encodes a ribosomal protein that is a component of the 40S subunit. The protein belongs to the S19E family of ribosomal proteins. It is located in the cytoplasm. Mutations in this gene cause Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), a constitutional erythroblastopenia charact

phosphorylated at the Thr-Pro-Tyr phosphorylation motif instead of the characteristic MAP kinase Thr-Glu-Tyr motif. JNK2 (p54a, SAPK1a), along with JNK1 and JNK3, is thought to play an important role in nuclear signal transduction through its environmental stress activation and subsequent phosphorylation of the nuclear transcription factor p53.

This gene encodes a member of the neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) family. This kinase is a membrane-bound receptor that, upon neurotrophin binding, phosphorylates itself and members of the MAPK pathway. Signalling through this kinase leads to cell differentiation. Mutations in this gene have been associated with obesity and mood disorders. Alternate transcriptional splice variants encoding different isoforms have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].