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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

In-vitro Reconstitution of Bacterial Ubiquitination and VCP/p97-mediated Elimination
Published on: January 2, 2026
Making the cut: central roles of intramembrane proteolysis in pathogenic microorganisms
1Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. surban@jhmi.edu
Abstract:
Proteolysis in cellular membranes to liberate effector domains from their transmembrane anchors is a well-studied regulatory mechanism in animal biology and disease. By contrast, the function of intramembrane proteases in unicellular organisms has received little attention. Recent progress has now established that intramembrane proteases execute pivotal roles in a range of pathogens, from regulating Mycobacterium tuberculosis envelope composition, cholera toxin production, bacterial adherence and conjugation, to malaria parasite invasion, fungal virulence, immune evasion by parasitic amoebae and hepatitis C virus assembly. These advances raise the exciting possibility that intramembrane proteases may serve as targets for combating a wide range of infectious diseases. This Review focuses on summarizing the advances, evaluating the limitations and highlighting the promise of this newly emerging field.
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