Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 27, 2026

12:38
Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a Model System to Study Protein Homeostasis in a Multicellular Organism
Published on: December 18, 2013
6.6K
Regulating Secretory Proteostasis through the Unfolded Protein Response: From Function to Therapy
1Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
Trends in Cell Biology
|June 26, 2017
Summary
Disruptions in secretory proteostasis cause protein misfolding diseases. Targeting the endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response (UPR) may offer therapeutic strategies for these conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cellular Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Secretory proteostasis imbalances are linked to protein misfolding diseases.
- Organisms possess stress-responsive pathways, like the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) unfolded protein response (UPR), to maintain proteostasis.
- UPR signaling is crucial for managing ER stress and protecting the secretory proteome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate how UPR activation impacts ER and downstream secretory proteostasis.
- To explore the therapeutic potential of targeting UPR pathways for protein misfolding diseases.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature on UPR signaling and proteostasis.
- Analysis of studies investigating the effects of UPR activation on secretory environments.
- Examination of evidence for therapeutic interventions targeting UPR pathways.
Main Results:
- Recent reports define how specific UPR pathways influence proteostasis within the ER and beyond.
- Evidence suggests UPR activation plays a significant role in maintaining secretory proteostasis under stress.
Conclusions:
- Understanding UPR's impact on proteostasis is key to developing new treatments.
- Targeting UPR signaling presents a promising therapeutic avenue for diverse protein misfolding diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response
3.1K
Inositol-requiring kinase one or IRE1 is the most conserved eukaryotic unfolded protein response (UPR) receptor. It is a type I transmembrane protein kinase receptor with a distinctive site-specific RNase activity. As the binding mechanics of the misfolded proteins with the N-terminal domain of IRE-1 are unclear, three binding models — direct, indirect, and allosteric -- are proposed for receptor activation. Nevertheless, it is known that once a misfolded protein associates with IRE1, it...
3.1K
The Unfolded Protein Response
6.6K
The ER is the hub of protein synthesis in a cell. It has robust systems to quality control protein folding and also for degradation of terminally misfolded proteins. Under normal conditions, a small proportion of misfolded proteins that cannot be salvaged need to be transported to the cytoplasm by the ER-associated degradation or ERAD pathways. However, if the ERAD cannot handle the misfolded proteins, the cell activates the unfolded protein response or UPR to adjust the protein folding...
6.6K
Role of ER in the Secretory Pathway
7.6K
Eukaryotic cells have a special pathway that enables communication between various intracellular membrane-bound compartments and also with the extracellular environment. This pathway is termed as the secretory pathway.
Components of the secretory pathway
About a third of proteins synthesized in the cell are sorted via the secretory route. They shuffle between different compartments in membrane-bound vesicles until they reach their final destination. The main intracellular compartments involved...
Components of the secretory pathway
About a third of proteins synthesized in the cell are sorted via the secretory route. They shuffle between different compartments in membrane-bound vesicles until they reach their final destination. The main intracellular compartments involved...
7.6K
Regulated Protein Degradation
3.3K
3.3K
Regulated Protein Degradation
9.1K
It is vital to regulate the activity of enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic proteins inside the cell. This can be achieved either through creating a balance between their rate of synthesis and degradation or regulating the intrinsic activity of the protein. Both these regulation mechanisms play an essential role in the normal functioning of cells.
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
9.1K
The Proteasome
1.9K
Eukaryotic cells can degrade proteins through several pathways. One of the most important among these is the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. It helps the cell eliminate the misfolded, damaged, or unwarranted cytoplasmic proteins in a highly specific manner.
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. This involves participation of a series of enzymes including— E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
In this pathway, the target proteins are first tagged with small proteins called ubiquitin. This involves participation of a series of enzymes including— E1 (ubiquitin-activating enzyme), E2 (ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme), and E3...
1.9K

