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Prenylation
Prenylation (also known as isoprenylation or lipidation) is the addition of hydrophobic molecules to a protein or a biomolecule. It is usually assumed that prenyl groups (3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl) facilitate attachment to cell membranes, similar to lipid anchors like the GPI anchor, though direct evidence of this has not been observed. Prenyl groups (also called isoprenyl groups, having one hydrogen atom more than isoprene) have been shown to be important for protein–protein binding through specialized prenyl-binding domains. Protein prenylation Protein prenylation involves the transfer of either a farnesyl or a geranylgeranyl moiety to C-terminal cysteine(s) of the target protein. There are three enzymes that carry out prenylation in the cell, farnesyl transferase, Caax protease and geranylgeranyl transferase I. Farnesylation is a type of prenylation, a post-translational modification of proteins by which an isoprenyl group is added to a cysteine residue. It is an important pro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prenyl Group
Prenylation (also known as isoprenylation or lipidation) is the addition of hydrophobic molecules to a protein or a biomolecule. It is usually assumed that prenyl groups (3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl) facilitate attachment to cell membranes, similar to lipid anchored protein, lipid anchors like the GPI anchor, though direct evidence of this has not been observed. Prenyl groups (also called isoprenyl groups, having one hydrogen atom more than isoprene) have been shown to be important for protein–protein binding through specialized prenyl-binding domains. Protein prenylation Protein prenylation involves the transfer of either a farnesyl or a geranylgeranylation, geranylgeranyl moiety to C-terminal cysteine(s) of the target protein. There are three enzymes that carry out prenylation in the cell, farnesyl transferase, Caax protease and geranylgeranyl transferase I. Farnesylation is a type of prenylation, a post-translational modification of proteins by which an isoprenyl group is added ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lipid Anchored Protein
Lipid-anchored proteins (also known as lipid-linked proteins) are proteins located on the surface of the cell membrane that are covalently attached to lipids embedded within the cell membrane. These proteins insert and assume a place in the bilayer structure of the membrane alongside the similar fatty acid tails. The lipid-anchored protein can be located on either side of the cell membrane. Thus, the lipid serves to anchor the protein to the cell membrane. They are a type of proteolipids. The lipid groups play a role in protein interaction and can contribute to the function of the protein to which it is attached. Furthermore, the lipid serves as a mediator of membrane associations or as a determinant for specific protein-protein interactions. For example, lipid groups can play an important role in increasing molecular hydrophobicity. This allows for the interaction of proteins with cellular membranes and protein domains. In a dynamic role, lipidation can sequester a protein away f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Statins
Statins, also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are a class of lipid-lowering medications that reduce illness and mortality in those who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease. They are the most common cholesterol-lowering drugs. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carriers of cholesterol play a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease via the mechanisms described by the lipid hypothesis. Statins are effective in lowering LDL cholesterol and so are widely used for primary prevention in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as in secondary prevention for those who have developed cardiovascular disease. Side effects of statins include muscle pain, increased risk of diabetes mellitus, and abnormal blood levels of liver enzymes. Additionally, they have rare but severe adverse effects, particularly muscle damage. They inhibit the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase which plays a central role in the production of cholesterol. High cholester ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ras (protein)
Ras, from "Rat sarcoma virus", is a family of related proteins that are expressed in all animal cell lineages and organs. All Ras protein family members belong to a class of protein called small GTPase, and are involved in transmitting signals within cells (cellular signal transduction). Ras is the prototypical member of the Ras superfamily of proteins, which are all related in three-dimensional structure and regulate diverse cell behaviours. When Ras is 'switched on' by incoming signals, it subsequently switches on other proteins, which ultimately turn on genes involved in cell growth, differentiation, and survival. Mutations in Ras genes can lead to the production of permanently activated Ras proteins, which can cause unintended and overactive signaling inside the cell, even in the absence of incoming signals. Because these signals result in cell growth and division, overactive Ras signaling can ultimately lead to cancer. The three Ras genes in humans (''HRAS'', ''KRAS'', an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rab (G-protein)
The Rab family of proteins is a member of the Ras superfamily of small G proteins. Approximately 70 types of Rabs have now been identified in humans. Rab proteins generally possess a GTPase fold, which consists of a six-stranded beta sheet which is flanked by five alpha helices. Rab GTPases regulate many steps of membrane trafficking, including vesicle formation, vesicle movement along actin and tubulin networks, and membrane fusion. These processes make up the route through which cell surface proteins are trafficked from the Golgi to the plasma membrane and are recycled. Surface protein recycling returns proteins to the surface whose function involves carrying another protein or substance inside the cell, such as the transferrin receptor, or serves as a means of regulating the number of a certain type of protein molecules on the surface. Function Rab proteins are peripheral membrane proteins, anchored to a membrane via a lipid group covalently linked to an amino acid. Specifi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bisphosphonates
Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs that prevent the loss of bone density, used to treat osteoporosis and similar diseases. They are the most commonly prescribed drugs used to treat osteoporosis. They are called bisphosphonates because they have two phosphonate () groups. They are thus also called diphosphonates ('' bis-'' or '' di-'' + ''phosphonate''). Evidence shows that they reduce the risk of fracture in post-menopausal women with osteoporosis. Bone tissue undergoes constant remodeling and is kept in balance (homeostasis) by osteoblasts creating bone and osteoclasts destroying bone. Bisphosphonates inhibit the digestion of bone by encouraging osteoclasts to undergo apoptosis, or cell death, thereby slowing bone loss. The uses of bisphosphonates include the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, Paget's disease of bone, bone metastasis (with or without hypercalcemia), multiple myeloma, primary hyperparathyroidism, osteogenesis imperfecta, fibrous dysplasia, and other ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor
The farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) are a class of experimental cancer drugs that target protein farnesyltransferase with the downstream effect of preventing the proper functioning of the Ras (protein), which is commonly abnormally active in cancer. Background Studies have suggested that interference with certain post-translational modification processes seem to have quite a high selectivity for targeting cells displaying tumour phenotypes, although the reason for this is a matter of controversy. After translation, Ras goes through four steps of modification: isoprenylation, proteolysis, methylation and palmitoylation. Isoprenylation involves the enzyme farnesyltransferase (FTase) transferring a farnesyl group from farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to the pre-Ras protein. Also, a related enzyme geranylgeranyltransferase I (GGTase I) has the ability to transfer a geranylgeranyl group to K and N-Ras (the implications of this are discussed below). Farnesyl is necessary to attach Ras ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geranylgeranylation
Geranylgeranylation is a form of prenylation, which is a post-translational modification of proteins that involves the attachment of one or two 20-carbon lipophilic geranylgeranyl isoprene units from geranylgeranyl diphosphate to one or two cysteine residue(s) at the C-terminus of specific proteins. Prenylation (including geranylgeranylation) is thought to function, at least in part, as a membrane anchor for proteins. The process of geranylgeranylation can be catalyzed by either geranylgeranyl transferase I (GGTase I) or Rab GGTase (also GGTase II). GGTase I catalyzes the addition of one geranylgeranyl group onto the C-terminal consensus sequence CAAL (somewhat similar to farnesyltransferase reactions), where C=cysteine, A=any aliphatic amino acid, and L=leucine. Rab GGTase adds a total of two geranylgeranyl groups onto two cysteine residues at the C-terminal consensus sequence CXC or XXCC. The source of the geranylgeranyl group is geranylgeranyl diphosphate, which is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cysteine
Cysteine (symbol Cys or C; ) is a semiessential proteinogenic amino acid with the formula . The thiol side chain in cysteine often participates in enzymatic reactions as a nucleophile. When present as a deprotonated catalytic residue, sometimes the symbol Cyz is used. The deprotonated form can generally be described by the symbol Cym as well. The thiol is susceptible to oxidation to give the disulfide derivative cystine, which serves an important structural role in many proteins. In this case, the symbol Cyx is sometimes used. When used as a food additive, it has the E number E920. Cysteine is encoded by the codons UGU and UGC. The sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine are more easily oxidized than the other amino acids. Structure Like other amino acids (not as a residue of a protein), cysteine exists as a zwitterion. Cysteine has chirality in the older / notation based on homology to - and -glyceraldehyde. In the newer ''R''/''S'' system of designating chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Farnesyltransferase
Farnesyltransferase () is one of the three enzymes in the prenyltransferase group. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) adds a 15-carbon isoprenoid called a farnesyl group to proteins bearing a CaaX motif: a four-amino acid sequence at the carboxyl terminus of a protein. Farnesyltransferase's targets include members of the Ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins critical to cell cycle progression. For this reason, several FTase inhibitors are undergoing testing as anti-cancer agents. FTase inhibitors have shown efficacy as anti-parasitic agents, as well. FTase is also believed to play an important role in development of progeria and various forms of cancers. Farnesyltransferase catalyzes the chemical reaction :farnesyl diphosphate + protein-cysteine \rightleftharpoons S-farnesyl protein + diphosphate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are farnesyl diphosphate and protein-cysteine, whereas its two products are S-farnesyl protein and diphosphate. Overview Farnesyltrans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhodopsin Kinase
Rhodopsin kinase (, ''rod opsin kinase'', ''G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 1'', ''GPCR kinase 1'', ''GRK1'', ''opsin kinase'', ''opsin kinase (phosphorylating)'', ''rhodopsin kinase (phosphorylating)'', ''RK'', ''STK14'') is a serine/threonine-specific protein kinase involved in phototransduction. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction: : ATP + rhodopsin \rightleftharpoons ADP + phospho-rhodopsin Mutations in rhodopsin kinase are associated with a form of night blindness called Oguchi disease. Function and mechanism of action Rhodopsin kinase is a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptor kinases, and is officially named G protein-coupled receptor kinase 1, or GRK1. Rhodopsin kinase is found primarily in mammalian retinal rod cells, where it phosphorylates light-activated rhodopsin, a member of the family of G protein-coupled receptors that recognizes light. Phosphorylated, light-activated rhodopsin binds to the protein arrestin to terminate the light ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Farnesyltransferase
Farnesyltransferase () is one of the three enzymes in the prenyltransferase group. Farnesyltransferase (FTase) adds a 15-carbon isoprenoid called a farnesyl group to proteins bearing a CaaX motif: a four-amino acid sequence at the carboxyl terminus of a protein. Farnesyltransferase's targets include members of the Ras superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins critical to cell cycle progression. For this reason, several FTase inhibitors are undergoing testing as anti-cancer agents. FTase inhibitors have shown efficacy as anti-parasitic agents, as well. FTase is also believed to play an important role in development of progeria and various forms of cancers. Farnesyltransferase catalyzes the chemical reaction :farnesyl diphosphate + protein-cysteine \rightleftharpoons S-farnesyl protein + diphosphate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are farnesyl diphosphate and protein-cysteine, whereas its two products are S-farnesyl protein and diphosphate. Overview Farnesyltrans ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
