The HSPD1 gene encodes a protein known as HSP60 or Hsp60, also commonly referred to as Cpn60. This protein is a molecular chaperone typically localized inside mitochondria where it forms a chaperoning machine with HSP10 (encoded by the HSPE1 gene), also called Cpn10, to assist protein folding inside the organelle. Hsp60 also occurs in the cytosol, plasma-cell membrane, intercellular space, and blood. Its functions in all these extramitochondrial locations are poorly understood. While the canonical functions of Hsp60 are considered to be cytoprotective, anti-stress and maintenance of protein homeostasis, other roles are currently being investigated. For example, Hsp60 participates in the pathogenesis of diseases in various ways in certain types of cancer, and chronic inflammatory and autoimmune pathological conditions. These are considered chaperonopathies by mistake, in which a normal chaperone (normal at least as far as it can be determined by current methods to study the structure of a molecule available only at extremely low concentrations and quantities) turns against the organism instead of protecting it, favouring the growth and dissemination of cancer cells, or the initiation-progression of inflammation, for instance. In addition, Hsp60 mutations cause at least two types of severe genetic chaperonopathies. All this knowledge is expanding nowadays clearly pointing to Hsp60 as a potential target for chaperonotherapy by replacement when it is defective or by inhibition when it is pathogenic....

The BIRC6 gene (BRUCE/APOLLON) encodes the cytoplasmic protein BIRC6 in mammals, consisting of a single N-terminal baculoviral IAP repeat (BIR) domain and a C-terminal ubiquitin-conjugating (UBC) domain. Of the huge protein size at 528 kDa, BIRC6 demonstrated pleiotropic functions including inhibition of apoptosis, cytoprotection, regulation of cytokinesis, mitosis, autophagy and neutrophil differentiation. With the BIR domain, BIRC6 is defined as a member of the Inhibitor of Apoptosis (IAP) family. Through its BIR domain, BIRC6 binds to active caspases, including caspases-3, 6, 7 and 9 and accounts for its ability to inhibit the caspase cascade and ultimately apoptosis. The UBC domain has chimeric E2/E3 ubiquitin ligase activity where it facilitates proteosomal degradation of various proteins, including pro-apoptotic proteins p53, caspases, Smac and mitotic regulator cyclin A. More importantly, the UBC domain plays an indispensable role in embryonic development in mammals and spermatogenesis in Drosophila. Increasing evidence supports the cancer promoting role of BIRC6. Elevated BIRC6 expression has been found in a variety of cancers and was shown to contribute to treatment resistance....

Review on CXCL12, with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated....

Review on AKAP1, with data on DNA, on the protein encoded, and where the gene is implicated....

Growing evidence in mice, primary human tumors, and mammalian cell culture models indicate that CHFR may function as a potent tumor suppressor. CHFR functions as part of an early G2/M checkpoint, more specifically in antephase. Antephase refers to late G2 when chromosome condensation starts. This early mitotic checkpoint causes a delay in chromosome condensation in response to mitotic stresses. The human CHFR gene was originally identified during a search for novel cell cycle checkpoint proteins that have fork-head associated domains. Initial analysis indicated that the CHFR-associated G2/M checkpoint was inactivated in a subset of cancers as demonstrated by high mitotic indices (a high percentage of cells that have condensed chromosomes) in response to exposure to the microtubule poison, nocodazole, due to lack of CHFR expression or CHFR mutations in various cancers. Many other studies showed promoter hypermethylation leading to low/no expression of CHFR....