The protein encoded by this gene is a member of the MAPkinase family. MAP kinases, also known as extracellularsignal-regulated kinases (ERKs), act in a signaling cascade thatregulates various cellular processes such as proliferation,differentiation, and cell cycle progression in response to avariety of extracellular signals. This kinase is activated byupstream kinases, resulting in its translocation to the nucleuswhere it phosphorylates nuclear targets. Alternatively splicedtranscript variants

Histones are basic nuclear proteins that are responsible for the nucleosome structure of the chromosomal fiber in eukaryotes. Two molecules of each of the four core histones (H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) form an octamer, around which approximately 146 bp of DNA is wrapped in repeating units, called nucleosomes. The linker histone, H1, interacts with linker DNA between nucleosomes and functions in the compaction of chromatin into higher order structures. This gene encodes a member of the histone H2A

This gene encodes a DNA topoisomerase, an enzyme that controls and alters the topologic states of DNA during transcription. This nuclear enzyme is involved in processes such as chromosome condensation, chromatid separation, and the relief of torsional stress that occurs during DNA transcription and replication. It catalyzes the transient breaking and rejoining of two strands of duplex DNA which allows the strands to pass through one another, thus altering the topology of DNA. Two forms of t

The CD8 antigen is a cell surface glycoprotein found on most cytotoxic T lymphocytes that mediates efficient cell-cell interactions within the immune system. The CD8 antigen acts as a coreceptor with the T-cell receptor on the T lymphocyte to recognize antigens displayed by an antigen presenting cell in the context of class I MHC molecules. The coreceptor functions as either a homodimer composed of two alpha chains or as a heterodimer composed of one alpha and one beta chain. Both alpha and b

This gene is one of the PMS2 gene family members found in clusters on chromosome 7. The product of this gene is involved in DNA mismatch repair. It forms a heterodimer with MLH1 and this complex interacts with other complexes bound to mismatched bases. Mutations in this gene are associated with hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, Turcot syndrome, and are a cause of supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors. Alternatively spliced transcript variants have been observed for this gen

The Bcl-2 gene was isolated at the chromosomal breakpoint of t(14;18)-bearing follicular B cell lymphomas(1,2).Bcl-2 blocks cell death following a variety of stimuli and confers a death-sparing effect to certain hematopoietic cell lines following growth factor withdrawal (3,5).Bcl-2 appears to function in several subcellular locations yet lacks any known motifs that would confer insight into its mechanism of action (6,7).A more recently identified protein,designated Bax p21(i.e., Bcl-associate