Protein degradation
Protein degradation
Protein degradation (pronunciation: proh-teen dee-gray-day-shun) is a biological process that involves the breakdown or proteolysis of proteins within cells.
Etymology
The term "protein degradation" is derived from the word "protein", which comes from the Greek word "proteios" meaning "primary" or "in the lead", and "degradation", which originates from the Latin word "degradare" meaning "to reduce to a lower rank".
Definition
Protein degradation is a crucial part of the protein homeostasis or proteostasis, which is the balance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. This process is essential for the removal of damaged or misfolded proteins, regulation of protein function, and control of protein levels in the cell.
Mechanisms
There are two main pathways for protein degradation in cells: the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS) and the Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway (ALP).
The UPS involves tagging the protein with a small protein called ubiquitin, which signals the proteasome to degrade the protein.
The ALP, on the other hand, involves the encapsulation of the protein in a vesicle called an autophagosome, which then fuses with a lysosome where the protein is degraded.
Related Terms
- Proteolysis: The breakdown of proteins into smaller polypeptides or amino acids.
- Proteostasis: The balance of protein synthesis and protein degradation in a cell.
- Ubiquitin-Proteasome System (UPS): A system that degrades proteins by tagging them with ubiquitin.
- Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway (ALP): A pathway that degrades proteins by encapsulating them in a vesicle and fusing it with a lysosome.
- Ubiquitin: A small protein that tags proteins for degradation.
- Proteasome: A complex that degrades proteins tagged with ubiquitin.
- Autophagosome: A vesicle that encapsulates proteins for degradation.
- Lysosome: An organelle that degrades proteins encapsulated in an autophagosome.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Protein degradation
- Wikipedia's article - Protein degradation
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