The extensive family of COL gene products (collagens) is composed of several chain types, including fibril-forming interstitial collagens (types I, II, III and V) and basement membrane collagens (type IV), each type containing multiple isoforms. Collagens are fibrous, extracellular matrix proteins with high tensile strength and are the major components of connective tissue, such as tendons and cartilage. All collagens contain a triple helix domain and frequently show lateral self-associati

This gene encodes the alpha-1 chain of type II collagen, a fibrillar collagen found in cartilage and the vitreous humor of the eye. Mutations in this gene are associated with achondrogenesis, chondrodysplasia, early onset familial osteoarthritis, SED congenita, Langer-Saldino achondrogenesis, Kniest dysplasia, Stickler syndrome type I, and spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia Strudwick type. In addition, defects in processing chondrocalcin, a calcium binding protein that is the C-propeptide of th

This gene encodes the alpha-1 chain of type II collagen, a fibrillar collagen found in cartilage and the vitreous humor of the eye. Mutations in this gene are associated with achondrogenesis, chondrodysplasia, early onset familial osteoarthritis, SED congenita, Langer-Saldino achondrogenesis, Kniest dysplasia, Stickler syndrome type I, and spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia Strudwick type. In addition, defects in processing chondrocalcin, a calcium binding protein that is the C-propeptide of th

This gene encodes the alpha-1 chain of type II collagen, a fibrillar collagen found in cartilage and the vitreous humor of the eye. Mutations in this gene are associated with achondrogenesis, chondrodysplasia, early onset familial osteoarthritis, SED congenita, Langer-Saldino achondrogenesis, Kniest dysplasia, Stickler syndrome type I, and spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia Strudwick type. In addition, defects in processing chondrocalcin, a calcium binding protein that is the C-propeptide of th

This gene is a member of the type II keratin family clustered on the long arm of chromosome 12. Type I and type II keratins heteropolymerize to form intermediate-sized filaments in the cytoplasm of epithelial cells. The product of this gene typically dimerizes with keratin 18 to form an intermediate filament in simple single-layered epithelial cells. This protein plays a role in maintaining cellular structural integrity and also functions in signal transduction and cellular differentiation.

c-Kit is a transmembrane tyrosine kinase encoded by the cKit proto oncogene. c-Kit acts to regulate a variety of biological responses including cell proliferation, apoptosis, chemotaxis and adhesion. Ligand binding to the extracellular domain leads to autophosphorylation on several tyrosine residues within the cytoplasmic domain, and activation. Mutations in c-Kit have been found to be important for tumor growth and progression in a variety of cancers including mast cell diseases, gastrointe