Structure-based analysis of VDAC1 protein: defining oligomer contact sites.
AuthorsGeula S, Naveed H, Liang J, Shoshan-Barmatz V
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID22117062
'The outer mitochondrial membrane protein, the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), is increasingly implicated in the control of apoptosis. Oligomeric assembly of VDAC1 was shown to be coupled to apoptosis induction, with oligomerization increasing substantially upon apoptosis induction and inhibited by apoptosis blockers. In this study, structure- and computation-based selection of ... More
Two translocating hydrophilic segments of a nascent chain span the ER membrane during multispanning protein topogenesis.
AuthorsKida Y, Morimoto F, Sakaguchi M
JournalJ Cell Biol
PubMed ID18166653
During protein integration into the endoplasmic reticulum, the N-terminal domain preceding the type I signal-anchor sequence is translocated through a translocon. By fusing a streptavidin-binding peptide tag to the N terminus, we created integration intermediates of multispanning membrane proteins. In a cell-free system, N-terminal domain (N-domain) translocation was arrested by ... More
Strategies for stabilizing superoxide dismutase (SOD1), the protein destabilized in the most common form of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
AuthorsAuclair JR, Boggio KJ, Petsko GA, Ringe D, Agar JN
JournalProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
PubMed ID21098299
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disorder characterized by the death of both upper and lower motor neurons and by 3- to 5-yr median survival postdiagnosis. The only US Food and Drug Administration-approved drug for the treatment of ALS, Riluzole, has at best, moderate effect on patient survival and quality ... More