Posttranslational attenuation of peptide gene expression.
Studies of the cell-specific processing of neuroendocrine peptides have shown that neuroendocrine cells occasionally fail to mature the biosynthetic precursors to bioactive peptides, or that they do so to a negligible extent only. Instead, inactive precursors and processing intermediates accumulate in the cells. Thus, the expression of genes encoding hormonal peptides is in certain cells and under certain conditions attenuated at the postranslational level. The exact molecular mechanisms of posttranslational attenuation are still largely unknown. The review emphasizes that posttranslational attenuation may play a significant role during normal cell differentiation and in the carcinogenic transformation of cells. The existence of postal attenuation may play a significant role during normal cell differentiation and in the carcinogenic transformation of cells. The existence of post-translational attenuation has significant biological and clinical implications.
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, State University Hospital (Rigshospitalet), Copenhagen, Denmark.
J F
JF
Rehfeld
D000367:Age Factors; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000235:genetics*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational
D005755:Gastrins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D002766:Cholecystokinin