title: Mucins, osmosensors in eukaryotic cells?
abstract: The molecular mechanisms required for sensing high osmolarity in the extracellular environment are not well defined in eukaryotes. A recent study showed that yeast Msb2 and Hkr1, which are related to mammalian mucins, are excellent candidates for sensing osmostress and for activating the HOG stress-activated protein kinase pathway involved in osmostress adaptation. Transmembrane mucins activate several signaling cascades in mammals and could therefore be important for sensing osmotic imbalances in higher eukaryotes.
authors.affiliation: Cell Signaling Unit, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Spain.
authors.forename: Eulàlia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Nadal
authors.forename: Francisco X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Real
authors.forename: Francesc
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Posas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005057:Eukaryotic Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D020690:GTPase-Activating Proteins; C512735:HKR1 protein, S cerevisiae; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C076360:MSB2 protein, S cerevisiae; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009077:Mucins; D029701:Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins; C088589:HOG1 protein, S cerevisiae; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases