NFATc-Down's Syndrome

After observing the other projects that were completed this semester other important interacting proteins were uncovered that were not observed in the original analysis.  These proteins were FOXP2, which is involved in development of normal speech patterns, and GSK3B, a protein involved in pathways important to normal cardiovascular development.  A STRING analysis was used to create a interaction network of these three proteins including calcineurin.  Here NFATc is described as NFATC2, however, it is the same protein just under another name.  It is clear in the above diagram that all three of the proteins interact with NFATc, but it shows nothing of how they might interact on a larger scale.  To observe what role Down's Syndrome may play in all of this, a second interaction was created including DSCR1 as shown below.  Here DSCR1 interacts with NFATC2, CALN, and GSK3B suggesting that overexpression of DSCR1 plays an integral role in the heart defects that are seen in many Down's Syndrome individuals.