Current Protein and Peptide Science - Volume 15, Issue 3, 2014

During the last decade, network approaches became a powerful tool to describe protein structure and dynamics. Here, we describe first the protein structure networks of molecular chaperones, then characterize chaperone containing sub-networks of interactomes called as chaperone-networks or chaperomes. We review the role of molecular chaperones in short-term adaptation of cellular networks in response to stress, and in l Read More

Cardiomyocytes are best known for their spontaneous beating activity, large cell size, and low regenerative capacity during adulthood. The mechanical activity of cardiomyocytes depends on a sophisticated contractile apparatus comprised of sarcomeres whose rhythmic contraction relies on Ca2+ transients with a high level of energy consumption. Hence the proper folding and assembly of the sarcomeric and other Read More

Immunophilins comprise a family of intracellular proteins with peptidyl-prolyl-(cis/trans)-isomerase activity. These foldases are abundant, ubiquitous, and able to bind immunosuppressant drugs, from which the term immunophilin derives. Family members are found in abundance in virtually all organisms and subcellular compartments, and their amino acid sequences are conserved phylogenetically. Immunophilins po Read More

Homeostasis requires effective action of numerous biological pathways including those working along a genome. The variety of processes functioning in the nucleus is considerable, yet the number of employed factors eclipses this total. Ideally, individual components assemble into distinct complexes and serially operate along a pathway to perform work. Adding to the complexity is a multitude of fluctuating internal Read More

The most conserved cellular response to stress is the expression of heat shock proteins (hsp). These proteins participate in the repair of cellular damage after the stress, which is necessary for a positive recovery and confers further protection from subsequent insults. Since these proteins are expressed in subcellular compartments, it was thought that their function during stress conditions was circumscribed to the intracell Read More

Molecular chaperones, central to cellular protein homeostasis, are conserved within species. Hsp90 and its cochaperones participate in major cellular functions such as cell growth, response to biotic and abiotic stresses and differentiation, and are critical to the regulation of these functions. Regulation is done through their interacting with client proteins in various cellular compartments under specific conditions. Plant Hsp90 Read More

The HSP90 chaperone is a highly conserved protein from bacteria to higher eukaryotes. In eukaryotes, this chaperone participates in different large complexes, such as the HSP90 heterocomplex, which has important biological roles in cell homeostasis and differentiation. The HSP90-heterocomplex is also named the HSP90/HSP70 cycle because different co-chaperones (HIP, HSP40, HOP, p23, AHA1, immunophilins, PP Read More

This manuscript reviews published Hsp90 inhibitors and Hsp90-binding compounds. The main goal of the article is to overview the structures of existing Hsp90 inhibitors and to draw correlations between compound structure and binding affinity. Furthermore, it is important to emphasize all thermodynamic binding data especially the data that includes the enthalpies, entropies, heat capacities, and the volumes of binding. Thi Read More