| Type: | Family | Name: | Beta-thymosin |
| Description: | This entry represents beta-thymosin family. Its members include thymosin beta-4, -10, -15 from humans and their homologues (such as thymosin beta 11/12) from fish. Thymosin beta-4 (Tbeta) is a small protein that sequesters actin monomers to help maintain the high concentrations of unpolymerised actin in higher eukaryotic cells. Its structure has been resolved []. It is a multiple function protein that plays important roles in cellular processes such as wound healing, embryonic organ development and the pathogeneses of disease [, ]. It plays a role in anti-apoptotic response to an external stress [], paclitaxel-resistance via ROS production [, ] and HIF-1alpha stabilisation via Erk activation []. It also regulates cancer cell migration through various signalling pathways, and hence plays a role in malignant progression and invasion in colon adenocarcinoma [, ]. Thymosin beta-15 has been reported to be up-regulated in breast, brain, lung and head and neck cancer []. The expression of thymosin beta-10 is also associated with many cancers []. | Short Name: | Beta-thymosin |
