Current Chemical Biology - Volume 5, Issue 2, 2011

Post-transcriptional control in the cytoplasm is an important arm of gene expression. Regulation of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) largely occurs in specialized structures collectively termed RNA granules. These large ribonucleoproteins are microscopically visible, although hard to purify biochemically, and are believed to serve as the functional units for mRNA transport, storage, repression and decay. It was during the stu Read More

Control of protein synthesis and quality are critical steps to support eukaryotic cells' maintenance and survival. Two very distinctive mechanisms emerge as key checkpoints of protein synthesis regulation. The first one is the delivery of mRNA molecules, packed into ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) granules, to specific subcellular regions in order to restrict protein synthesis to distinct cytoplasmic domains. In the presence of cellular Read More

RNA metabolism is a vital process through which RNA is produced, transported, regulated, stored, and translated or degraded. Recently, the discoveries of mutations in key RNA binding proteins involved in several human neuronal based diseases have firmly placed the process of RNA metabolism as central to disease etiology. This review first recaps the process of RNA metabolism in the mammalian neuron and describ Read More

Neurons are highly polarized cells, often with very long processes, which can comprise up to 95% of the cytoplasm. This raises the issue of transporting and turnover of proteins transport. In addition to fast axonal transport, axonal translation has been proposed to be responsible for producing at least some axonal proteins. In multiple experimental models, local synthesis of several proteins has been demonstrated in Read More

Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites responsible for recalcitrant infectious diseases such as Sleeping sickness and Chagas disease in Africa and America, respectively. Their complex life-cycles are accompanied by alternation of forms specific of the insect vectors and vertebrate hosts, each with different metabolic and structural requirements. Unlike most other eukaryotes, these single-cell microorganisms seem to control th Read More

Although membrane proteins constitute more than 20% of the total proteins, the structures of only a few are known in detail. An important group of integral membrane proteins are ion-transporting ATPases of the P-type family, which share the formation of an acid-stable phosphorylated intermediate as part of their reaction cycle. There are several crystal structures of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump (SERCA) reve Read More

Neurabin 1 and neurabin 2/spinophilin were discovered in late 1990s on the basis of their F-actin-binding and protein phosphatase 1 catalytic subunit (PP1c) modulation activities. The neurabins are proteins with modular domains, such as one F-actin-, a receptor- (not found in neurabin 1) and a PP1c-binding domains, a PSD95/DLG/zo-1, three coiledcoil domains and a sterile alpha motif (not found in spinophilin) that govern Read More

Anionic antimicrobial peptides (AAMPs) are important components of the innate immune system and here, we review recent research into these peptides. As examples, we refer to two major families of AAMPs: those that adopt cysteine stabilized β-sheet structure, such as plant cyclotides, and those that are encrypted in larger proteins, such as bovine kappacins. This review shows that AAMPs use a diverse range of antimic Read More