The winding path of protein methylation research: milestones and new frontiers.

Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol

Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, and the Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.

Published: August 2017

In 1959, while analysing the bacterial flagellar proteins, Ambler and Rees observed an unknown species of amino acid that they eventually identified as methylated lysine. Over half a century later, protein methylation is known to have a regulatory role in many essential cellular processes that range from gene transcription to signal transduction. However, the road to this now burgeoning research field was obstacle-ridden, not least because of the inconspicuous nature of the methyl mark itself. Here, we chronicle the milestone achievements and discuss the future of protein methylation research.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nrm.2017.35DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

protein methylation
12
winding path
4
path protein
4
methylation milestones
4
milestones frontiers
4
frontiers 1959
4
1959 analysing
4
analysing bacterial
4
bacterial flagellar
4
flagellar proteins
4

Similar Publications

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a highly malignant tumor characterized by a significant propensity for recurrence and metastasis. DNA methylation has emerged as a critical epigenetic mechanism with substantial utility in cancer diagnosis. In this study, multi-omics data were utilized to investigate the target genes regulated by the transcription factor MYC-associated zinc finger protein (MAZ) in ccRCC, leading to the identification of thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) as a gene with notably elevated expression in ccRCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most conserved internal RNA modifications, which has been implicated in many biological processes, such as apoptosis and proliferation. Wilms tumor 1-associating protein (WTAP), as a key component of m6A methylation, is a nuclear protein that has been associated with the regulation of proliferation and apoptosis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a systemic, infiltrating autoimmune disease, is characterized by synovial hyperplasia.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/objectives: This study builds on previous findings from mouse models, which showed that maternal overnutrition induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) promotes metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in offspring, linked to global DNA hypermethylation. We explored whether epigenetic modulation with 5-Aza-CdR, a DNA methylation inhibitor, could prevent MAFLD in offspring exposed to maternal overnutrition.

Methods: The offspring mice from dams of maternal overnutrition were fed either a chow diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The flavor of dairy products crucially affects consumer purchase preference. Although the flavor and sensory perception of milk can be influenced by heat treatment during processing, the exact mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study analyzed the whey protein content and structural changes of milk heated at different time and temperature combinations and evaluated the flavor compounds and sensory characteristics of milk.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glutaminase controls the first step in glutaminolysis, impacting bioenergetics, biosynthesis and oxidative stress. Two isoenzymes exist in humans, GLS and GLS2. GLS is considered prooncogenic and overexpressed in many tumours, while GLS2 may act as prooncogenic or as a tumour suppressor.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!