Protein prenylation, a well-defined protein consensus motifs direct modification by one of three prenyl-transferases, has been an area of fairly settled science for 20 or 30 years. Protein prenylation, the specific prenyl modification (farnesyl or geranylgeranyl), as well as the prenyl-transferases involved can be inferred by protein sequence. Two new papers now upset this settled wisdom with the discovery of a fourth prenyl-transferase, namely geranylgeranyl-transferase-III (GGTase-III) (Kuchay et al, 2019; Shirakawa et al, 2020).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.15252/embj.2020104744 | DOI Listing |
Trends Pharmacol Sci
January 2025
Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China. Electronic address:
The process by which cells translate external mechanical cues into intracellular biochemical signals involves intricate mechanisms that remain unclear. In recent years, research into post-translational modifications (PTMs) has offered valuable insights into this field, spotlighting protein prenylation as a crucial mechanism in cellular mechanotransduction and various human diseases. Protein prenylation, which involves the covalent attachment of isoprenoid groups to specific substrate proteins, profoundly affects the functions of key mechanotransduction proteins such as Rho, Ras, and lamins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GGPPS), a key enzyme in protein prenylation, plays a critical role in cellular signal transduction and is a promising target for cancer therapy. However, the enzyme's native hexameric quaternary structure presents challenges for crystallographic studies. The primary objective of this study was to engineer dimeric forms of human GGPPS to facilitate high-resolution crystallographic analysis of its ligand binding interactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
January 2025
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Functionally derivatized analogs of prenyl lipids are valuable tools for the detection and analysis of prenylated proteins. Using a biotinylated analog of geranylgeranyl, we previously identified Ykt6 as a substrate for a novel protein prenyltransferase, termed geranylgeranyltransferase type III (GGTase-III). Ykt6 is an evolutionarily highly conserved SNARE protein that regulates multiple intracellular trafficking pathways, including intra-Golgi trafficking and autophagosome-lysosome fusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biol Chem
January 2025
Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63103. Electronic address:
Miy1 is a highly conserved de-ubiquitinating enzyme in yeast with MINDY1 as its human homolog. Miy1 is known to act on K48-linked polyubiquitin chain, but its biological function is unknown. Miy1 has a putative prenylation site, suggesting it as a membrane-associated protein that may contribute to the regulation of cell signaling.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cell Mol Med
December 2024
Cardiovascular Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA.
Fibrosis, characterised by excessive extracellular matrix deposition, contributes to both organ failure and significant mortality worldwide. Whereas fibroblasts are activated into myofibroblasts, marked by phenotypic factors such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), periostin, fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and heat shock protein 47 (HSP47), the cellular processes of trans-differentiation for fibrosis development remain poorly understood. Herein, we hypothesised that the molecular signalling of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), a crucial biochemical molecule for protein prenylation, is essential in the regulation of profibrotic mechanisms for fibroblast-to-myofibroblast activation.
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