CD1b is a 43kD member of the immunoglobulin superfamily also known as R1. It is a type I membrane glycoprotein with structural similarities to MHC class I and is non-covalently associated with B2-microglobulin. In humans, CD1 family consists of group I proteins (CD1a, CD1b, CD1c), group II (CD1d), and group III...

Adiponectin, also termed AdipoQ, Acrp30, apM1 and GBP28, is an adipokine expressed exclusively in brown and white adipocytes (1). It is secreted into the blood and exists in three major forms: a low molecular weight trimer, a medium molecular weight hexamer and a high molecular weight multimer (1). Adiponectin...

Bax is a member of the Bcl-2 family of proteins which act as anti- or pro-apoptotic regulators. Bax forms a heterodimer with Bcl-2 and functions as an apoptotic activator by accelerating programmed cell death. Bax expression is regulated by the tumor suppressor p53 and has been shown to be involved in p53-mediated...

The calcitonin family of bioactive peptides comprises of calcitonin, amylin, two calcitonin-gene related peptides (CGRP1, and CGRP2) and adrenomedullin (ADM). Calcitonin is 32 aa peptide found in the parafollicular "C" cells of the thyroid in mammals. It is also found in a number of non-mammals. It regulated the...