Proteolysis: from the lysosome to ubiquitin and the proteasome.
How the genetic code is translated into proteins was a key focus of biological research before the 1980s, but how these proteins are degraded remained a neglected area. With the discovery of the lysosome, it was suggested that cellular proteins are degraded in this organelle. However, several independent lines of experimental evidence strongly indicated that non-lysosomal pathways have an important role in intracellular proteolysis, although their identity and mechanisms of action remained obscure. The discovery of the ubiquitin-proteasome system resolved this enigma.
Ciechanover
Aaron
A
Cancer and Vascular Biology Research Center, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Efron Street, Bat Galim, Haifa 31096, Israel. c_tzachy@netvision.net.il
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D025801:Ubiquitin / Q000378:metabolism*
D011506:Proteins; D025801:Ubiquitin; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex