Publications by authors named "Laura L Winkler"

Article Synopsis
  • Proteasomes are essential complexes that manage protein breakdown and play a vital role in cellular functions, but viruses exploit them to hinder host defenses and boost their replication.
  • The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) utilizes the proteasome's 19S regulatory particle (RP) not only for protein degradation but also to enhance transcription of viral genes, specifically by recruiting it to the promoter that controls early viral gene expression.
  • This study highlights the dual functions of the proteasome components used by HCMV, stressing the potential limitations of focusing solely on proteolytic activity in developing pharmacological inhibitors for therapeutic purposes.
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Proteasomes generally degrade substrates tagged with polyubiquitin chains. In rare cases, however, proteasomes can degrade proteins without prior ubiquitination. For example, the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) pp71 protein induces the proteasome-dependent, ubiquitin-independent degradation of the retinoblastoma (Rb) and Daxx proteins.

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