Current Protein and Peptide Science - Volume 11, Issue 6, 2010

Cell numbers are regulated by a balance between proliferation and apoptosis (programmed cell death), and an accurate coordination between these two processes are essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, dysregulation of proliferation and cell death processes are hallmarks that distinguish cancer from normal cells. In recent years, a number of proteins and pathways have been identified to be esse Read More

Proteins and small peptides (growth factors and hormones) are key molecules in maintaining cellular homeostasis. To that end, Notch signaling pathway proteins are known to play critical roles in maintaining the balance between cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, and thus it has been suggested that Notch may be responsible for the development and progression of human malignancies. Therefore, the Notch sign Read More

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has attracted substantial attention because of its involvement in a variety of diseases, such as cancer, cardiac hypertrophy, diabetes and obesity. Current knowledge indicates that mTOR functions as two distinct multiprotein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. mTORC1 phosphorylates p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) binding protein 1 (4E-B Read More

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3Ks) are a group of lipid kinases that coordinate various fundamental cellular responses including mitogenic signaling, cell survival and proliferation, vesicular trafficking, cytoskeletal rearrangement and metabolism. Overexpression caused by genetic alterations such as the amplification or gain of copy numbers was frequently observed for various PI3Ks in different human cancers. In r Read More

Cells of the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa are subject to a constant process of renewal which, in normal adults, reflects a balance between the rates of cell production and cell loss. Detailed knowledge of these events is, therefore, essential for a better understanding of the normal aging processes as well as many GI diseases, particularly malignancy, that represent disorders of tissue growth. In general, many GI dysfunctions, includi Read More

The androgen receptor (AR) plays a critical role in proliferation and viability of prostate cancer cells. Therefore, suppressing AR activity by androgen deprivation or anti-androgen treatment has been the frontline therapy for over six decades. However, these treatment strategies are not curative and patients succumb to castration-resistant disease. Although AR is evidently critical for proliferation of prostate cancer cells, Read More

Proteasomes are large multicatalytic proteinase complexes located in the cytosol and the nucleus of eukaryotic cells. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is responsible for the degradation of most intracellular proteins and therefore plays an essential regulatory role in critical cellular processes including cell cycle progression, proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis and apoptosis. Besides involving in normal cellular functions a Read More

Genetic alterations of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) gene lead to the development of schwannomas, meningiomas, and ependymomas. Mutations of NF2 gene were also found in thyroid cancer, mesothelioma, and melanoma, suggesting that it functions as a tumor suppressor in a wide spectrum of cells. The product of NF2 gene is merlin (moesinezrin- radixin-like protein), a member of the Band 4.1 superfamily proteins. Read More

Protein phosphorylation is the most ubiquitous post-translational modification (PTM), and plays important roles in most of biological processes. Identification of site-specific phosphorylated substrates is fundamental for understanding the molecular mechanisms of phosphorylation. Besides experimental approaches, prediction of potential candidates with computational methods has also attracted great attention for its conv Read More