title: What do scaffold proteins really do?
abstract: Scaffold proteins play an important role in coordinating signal transduction cascades. However, their exact mechanism of action and the ultimate effect they have on the signal output remain unclear. Ferrell discusses how computer simulations have provided insight into the multiple possible functions that scaffold proteins may have. What remains is to test the predictions in real cells to determine what difference the presence of a scaffold really makes in the output of a signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. ferrell@cmgm.stanford.edu
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ferrell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins