RNA-binding proteins related to stress response and differentiation in protozoa

• 作者: Lysangela Ronalte Alves Samuel Goldenberg
• 来源期刊: 世界生物化学杂志：英文版（电子版）
• 学科: 生物学
• 关键词: Gene expression regulation RNA-BINDING PROTEINS RNA-protein COMPLEXES RNA GRANULES PROTOZOA Stress and cell differentiation
• 年，卷（期）: 2016,（1）
• 页码范围: 78-87
• 页数: 10页
• 分类号: Q51

摘要

RNA-binding proteins(RBPs) are key regulators of gene expression. There are several distinct families of RBPs and they are involved in the cellular response to environmental changes, cell differentiation and cell death. The RBPs can differentially combine with RNA molecules and form ribonucleoprotein(RNP) complexes, defining the function and fate of RNA molecules in the cell. RBPs display diverse domains that allow them to be categorized into distinct families. They play important roles in the cellular response to physiological stress, in cell differentiation, and, it is believed, in the cellular localization of certain mRNAs. In several protozoa, a physiological stress(nutritional, temperature or pH) triggers differentiation to a distinct developmental stage. Most of the RBPs characterized in protozoa arise from trypanosomatids. In these protozoa gene expression regulation is mostly post-transcriptional, which suggests that some RBPs might display regulatory functions distinct from those described for other eukaryotes. mRNA stability can be altered as a response to stress. Transcripts are sequestered to RNA granules that ultimately modulate their availability to the translation machinery, storage or degradation, depending on the associated proteins. These aggregates of mRNPs containing mRNAs that are not being translated colocalize in cytoplasmic foci, and their numbers and size vary according to cell conditions such as oxidative stress, nutritional status and treatment with drugs that inhibit translation.