Vimentin and post-translational modifications in cell motility during cancer - a review

The post-translational modifications (PTMs) are defined as the covalent modification or enzymatic modification of proteins during or after protein biosynthesis. Proteins are synthesized by ribosomes translating mRNA into polypeptide chains, which may then undergo PTM to form the mature protein product. PTMs are important components in cell signaling. Moreover, it is a known fact that PTM regulation offers an immense array and depth of regulatory possibilities. The present review article will focus on their possible role in cancer cell motility with special reference to vimentin, an intermediate filament (IF), as the later is an important process responsible for life-threatening state viz. cancer metastasis.