Publications by authors named "Kasturi Prasad"

Proteome integrity is vital for survival and failure to maintain it results in uncontrolled protein abundances, misfolding and aggregation which cause proteotoxicity. In multicellular organisms, proteotoxic stress is communicated among tissues to maintain proteome integrity for organismal stress resistance and survival. However, the nature of these signalling molecules and their regulation in extracellular space is largely unknown.

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Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the prominent neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by the progressive decline of neuronal function, due to the accumulation and aggregation of misfolded proteins. Pathological progression of HD is hallmarked by the aberrant aggregation of the huntingtin protein (HTT) and subsequent neurotoxicity. Molecular chaperones (heat shock proteins, HSPs) play a pivotal role in maintaining proteostasis by facilitating protein refolding, degradation, or sequestration to limit the accumulation of misfolded proteins during neurotoxicity.

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Readthrough into the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of the mRNA results in the production of aberrant proteins. Metazoans efficiently clear readthrough proteins, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Here, we show in Caenorhabditis elegans and mammalian cells that readthrough proteins are targeted by a coupled, two-level quality control pathway involving the BAG6 chaperone complex and the ribosome-collision-sensing protein GCN1.

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Proteome imbalance can lead to protein misfolding and aggregation which is associated with pathologies. Protein aggregation can also be an active, organized process and can be exploited by cells as a survival strategy. In adverse conditions, it is beneficial to deposit the proteins in a condensate rather degrading and resynthesizing.

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Ageing is a major risk factor for the development of many diseases, prominently including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease. A hallmark of many age-related diseases is the dysfunction in protein homeostasis (proteostasis), leading to the accumulation of protein aggregates. In healthy cells, a complex proteostasis network, comprising molecular chaperones and proteolytic machineries and their regulators, operates to ensure the maintenance of proteostasis.

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The cellular proteostasis network integrates the protein folding and clearance machineries in multiple sub-cellular compartments of the eukaryotic cell. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the site of synthesis and folding of membrane and secretory proteins. A distinctive feature of the ER is its tightly controlled redox homeostasis necessary for the formation of inter- and intra-molecular disulphide bonds.

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Aging has been associated with a progressive decline of proteostasis, but how this process affects proteome composition remains largely unexplored. Here, we profiled more than 5,000 proteins along the lifespan of the nematode C. elegans.

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Maintenance of cellular protein homeostasis (proteostasis) depends on a complex network of molecular chaperones, proteases and other regulatory factors. Proteostasis deficiency develops during normal aging and predisposes individuals for many diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Here we describe sensor proteins for the comparative measurement of proteostasis capacity in different cell types and model organisms.

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Dietary restriction (DR) is the most universal intervention known to extend animal lifespan. DR also prevents tumor development in mammals, and this effect requires the tumor suppressor PTEN. However, the metabolic and cellular processes that underly the beneficial effects of DR are poorly understood.

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In the germ line of the Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite, nuclei either proliferate through mitosis or initiate meiosis, finally differentiating as spermatids or oocytes. The production of oocytes requires repression of the fem-3 mRNA by cytoplasmic FBF and nuclear MOG proteins. Here we report the identification of the sex determining gene mog-3 and show that in addition to its role in gamete sex determination, it is necessary for meiosis by acting downstream of GLP-1/Notch.

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The pygmy hog, Sus salvanius, the smallest and rarest extant suid was first described as the only member of the genus Porcula. It is currently regarded as member of the genus Sus and a sister taxon of the domestic pig/Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa). Phylogenetic analyses of 2316 bp from three mtDNA loci (control-region, cytochrome b, 16S) by Bayesian inference and statistical testing of alternative phylogenetic hypotheses all support the original classification of the pygmy hog as a unique genus.

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In this study, we report the findings of a recent case in which the officials of an Indian zoo claimed that an animal, possibly a carnivore, is periodically visiting the zoo from a nearby vast forest area and causing panic in zoo and nearby villages. They collected some elusive faecal material from the vicinity of an herbivore enclosure. Looking to the pugmarks found in that area and faecal matter ceased, the officials could not decide whether it was a lioness, a tiger or a panther.

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