title: PII signal transduction proteins: sensors of alpha-ketoglutarate that regulate nitrogen metabolism.
abstract: PII proteins are small homotrimeric signal transduction proteins that regulate the activities of metabolic enzymes and permeases, and control the activities of signal transduction enzymes. The protein family shows high conservation, with examples in eukaryota (plants and eukaryotic algae), archaea, and bacteria. This distribution indicates that PII is one of the most ancient signalling proteins known.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Chemistry, University of Michigan Medical School, 1301 E. Catherine St., Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-0606, USA. aninfa@umich.edu
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ninfa
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005075:Biological Evolution; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins; D015398:Signal Transduction; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids; D051922:PII Nitrogen Regulatory Proteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors