Biochemical Society transactions
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Biochem. Soc. Trans. · Apr 2017
ReviewHow do they stick together? Bacterial adhesins implicated in the binding of bacteria to the human gastrointestinal mucins.
The gastrointestinal mucosal surface is the primary interface between internal host tissues and the vast microbiota. Mucins, key components of mucus, are high-molecular-weight glycoproteins characterized by the presence of many O-linked oligosaccharides to the core polypeptide. They play many biological functions, helping to maintain cellular homeostasis and to establish symbiotic relationships with complex microbiota. ⋯ Bacteria have evolved numerous strategies to colonize host mucosae, and among these are modulation of expression of cell surface adhesins which allow bacteria to bind to mucins. However, despite well structurally characterized adhesins and lectins, information on the nature and structure of oligosaccharides recognized by bacteria is still disparate. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the structure of epithelial mucin O-glycans and the interaction between host and commensal or pathogenic bacteria mediated by mucins.
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Biochem. Soc. Trans. · Apr 2017
ReviewPseudoscaffolds and anchoring proteins: the difference is in the details.
Pseudokinases and pseudophosphatases possess the ability to bind substrates without catalyzing their modification, thereby providing a mechanism to recruit potential phosphotargets away from active enzymes. Since many of these pseudoenzymes possess other characteristics such as localization signals, separate catalytic sites, and protein-protein interaction domains, they have the capacity to influence signaling dynamics in local environments. ⋯ Here, we will discuss how pseudoenzymes form 'pseudoscaffolds' and compare and contrast this compartment-specific regulatory role with the signal organization properties of AKAPs. The mitochondria will be the focus of this review, as they are dynamic organelles that influence a broad range of cellular processes such as metabolism, ATP synthesis, and apoptosis.