title: Enigmatic Translocator protein (TSPO) and cellular stress regulation.
abstract: Translocator proteins (TSPOs) are conserved, ubiquitous membrane proteins identified initially as benzodiazepine-binding proteins in mammalian cells. Recent genetic and biochemical studies have challenged the accepted model that TSPOs are essential and required for steroidogenesis in animal cells. Instead, evidence from different kingdoms of life suggests that TSPOs are encoded by nonessential genes that are temporally upregulated in cells encountering conditions of oxidative stress, including inflammation and tissue injury. Here we discuss how TSPOs may be involved in complex homeostasis signaling mechanisms. We suggest that the main physiological role of TSPOs may be to modulate oxidative stress, irrespective of the cell type or subcellular localization, in part through the subtle regulation of tetrapyrrole metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Electronic address: henri.batoko@uclouvain.be.
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Batoko
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Vasko
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Veljanovski
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences de la Vie (ISV), Université catholique de Louvain (UCL), 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jurkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D021381:Protein Transport; D045725:Tetrapyrroles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D045725:Tetrapyrroles
keywords: oxidative stress; signaling homeostasis; tetrapyrrole metabolism; translocator proteins