title: The role of assembly in insulin's biosynthesis.
abstract: Insulin is synthesised as a single-chain precursor, preproinsulin, that contains an N-terminal signal sequence and a connecting peptide linking the A and B chains of the insulin molecule. Nascent proinsulin is directed into the regulated secretory pathway, converted to insulin and stored as microcrystals. These processes exploit assembly to the zinc-containing hexamer. Structural, chemical and genetic studies, and experiments with transgenic animals and transfected cells are providing new details about the molecular events in insulin's biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK. r-sumray@nimr.mrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Steiner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012270:Ribosomes / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D011384:Proinsulin