Premium
The biosynthesis of secretory and membrane proteins
Author(s) -
Hegde Ramanujan
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.91.1
Subject(s) - endoplasmic reticulum , secretory protein , secretory pathway , membrane protein , microbiology and biotechnology , intracellular , biology , protein biosynthesis , secretion , biochemistry , membrane , golgi apparatus
Secretory and membrane proteins are essential to all intercellular and most intracellular communication, and their precise locations and abundances are tightly regulated to maintain normal organismal physiology. Indeed, the majority of current drugs target secreted and membrane proteins, underscoring their central role in human biology. Our laboratory is working to develop a molecular level understanding of the pathways of secretory and membrane protein biosynthesis and metabolism. We are especially interested in the regulatory machinery controlling protein entry and insertion into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the site where nearly all secreted and membrane proteins are first made. Biochemical approaches are being employed to purify, identify, and functionally reconstitute the machinery underlying these basic cellular pathways. In parallel, the physiologic importance of regulating the metabolism of secretory and membrane proteins are being analyzed in cellular and whole animal models. We anticipate that a greater understanding of these basic cellular pathways will provide insight into the various diseases caused by problems in protein localization, folding, and processing.