This gene encodes glycyl-tRNA synthetase, one of the aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases that charge tRNAs with their cognate amino acids. The encoded enzyme is an (alpha)2 dimer which belongs to the class II family of tRNA synthetases. It has been shown to be a target of autoantibodies in the human autoimmune diseases, polymyositis or dermatomyositis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008]

CD40 ligand (CD40L) is a 33 kDa type II membrane glycoprotein expressed mainly on the cell surface of activated T lymphocytes, but also exists as a soluble form extracellularly. CD40L is the ligand for CD40, a member of the TNF superfamily, which is expressed on the cell surface of B cells, macrophages/monocytes, dendritic cells, vascular endothelial cells, and epithelial cells. CD40L plays an important role in B cell proliferation, antibody class switching, modulation of apoptosis in the germ

Luciferase from the firefly has become one of the more widely used reporter proteins for the study of gene expression. Luciferase catalyzes a bioluminescent reaction which requires the substrate luciferin as well as Mg2+ and ATP. Mixing these reagents with the cell extract containing luciferase, results in a flash of light that decays rapidly. This light can be detected by a luminometer. The total light emission is proportional to the luciferase activity of the sample.