Uncovering A Hidden Protein "tail" that Puts the Brakes on Cell Signaling
Published:20 May2018 Source:Science Daily
Using an informatics tool that identifies "hotspots" of post-translational modification (PTM) activity on proteins, researchers have found a previously-unknown mechanism that puts the brakes on an important cell signaling process involving the G proteins found in most living organisms.
The mechanism, dubbed a "tail," is part of a small protein known mostly for its role in attaching larger structures to the cell membrane. When researchers inactivated the tail, a signaling response that had previously taken 30 minutes to occur happened almost immediately -- with an intensity four times greater than normal.