Open AccessTargeted protein degradation as a powerful research tool in basic biology and drug target discovery
Author(s) -
Tao Wu,
Hojong Yoon,
Yuning Xiong,
Sarah E. Dixon-Clarke,
Radosław P. Nowak,
Eric S. Fischer
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
nature structural and molecular biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 9.448
H-Index - 270
eISSN - 1545-9993
pISSN - 1545-9985
DOI - 10.1038/s41594-020-0438-0
Subject(s) - drug discovery , protein function , computational biology , biology , protein degradation , function (biology) , ubiquitin , chemical biology , protein–protein interaction , bioinformatics , biochemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , gene
Controlled perturbation of protein activity is essential to study protein function in cells and living organisms. Small molecules that hijack the cellular protein ubiquitination machinery to selectively degrade proteins of interest, so-called degraders, have recently emerged as alternatives to selective chemical inhibitors, both as therapeutic modalities and as powerful research tools. These systems offer unprecedented temporal and spatial control over protein function. Here, we review recent developments in this field, with a particular focus on the use of degraders as research tools to interrogate complex biological problems.