The role of cystatins in cells of the immune system |
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Authors: | Kopitar-Jerala Natasa |
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Affiliation: | Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. natasa.kopitar@ijs.si |
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Abstract: | The cystatins constitute a large group of evolutionary related proteins with diverse biological activities. Initially, they were characterized as inhibitors of lysosomal cysteine proteases - cathepsins. Cathepsins are involved in processing and presentation of antigens, as well as several pathological conditions such as inflammation and cancer. Recently, alternative functions of cystatins have been proposed: they also induce tumour necrosis factor and interleukin 10 synthesis and stimulate nitric oxide production. The aim of the present review was the analysis of data on cystatins from NCBI GEO database and the literature, and obtained in microarray and serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) experiments. The expression of cystatins A, B, C, and F in macrophages, dendritic cells and natural killer cells of the immune system, during differentiation and activation is discussed. |
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Keywords: | BCR, B cell receptor DC, dendritic cells FDC, follicular dendritic cells GC, germinal centres SAGE, serial analysis of gene expression MHC, major histocompatibility complex PKC, protein kinase C TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha IL-4, interleukin-4 IL-10, interleukin-10 IFN-γ, interferon-gamma NK, natural killer cells |
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