Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 23, 2025

10:12
Author Spotlight: Exploring the Role of Unfolded Protein Response in HIV-1 Replication and Infectivity
Published on: June 14, 2024
2.5K
Unfolded Protein Response and Cancer
Lihua Wu1, Mary Chou2, Shudong Zhu1
1School of Life Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Discoveries (Craiova, Romania)
|April 21, 2020
Summary
Physiological stresses trigger the unfolded protein response (UPR) when misfolded proteins accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum. This review discusses UPR
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Cellular Stress Response
- Oncology
Background:
- Physiological stresses like hypoxia and oxidative stress cause protein misfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER).
- Failure of proteasome degradation leads to misfolded protein accumulation, initiating the unfolded protein response (UPR).
- UPR is a cellular defense mechanism involving suppressed protein synthesis and selective protein expression to restore ER homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the molecular mechanisms of the unfolded protein response (UPR).
- To discuss the complex roles of UPR in various stages of cancer development, including angiogenesis, cell survival, and proliferation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current knowledge on UPR and cancer.
- Discussion of molecular pathways involved in UPR.
- Analysis of UPR's role in tumor development.
Main Results:
- Hypoxia and UPR are initiated during tumor development.
- UPR plays multifaceted roles in cancer, influencing angiogenesis, cell survival, and proliferation.
Conclusions:
- UPR is a critical cellular process implicated in cancer development.
- Understanding UPR mechanisms is crucial for cancer research and therapy.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
The Unfolded Protein Response
6.1K
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...
6.1K
Regulation of the Unfolded Protein Response
2.9K
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...
2.9K
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
4.5K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
4.5K
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
7.1K
Signaling cascades usually lack linearity. Multiple pathways interact and regulate one another, allowing cells to integrate and respond to diverse environmental stimuli.
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
7.1K
The Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway
8.0K
Internal cellular stress, such as cellular injury or hypoxia, triggers intrinsic apoptosis. The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family of proteins are the primary regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. For example, during DNA damage, checkpoint proteins, such as Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM protein) and Checkpoints Factor-2 (Chk2) proteins, are activated. These proteins phosphorylate p53 which further activates pro-apoptotic proteins, such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, and Noxa, and inhibits...
8.0K
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
5.1K
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase that regulates growth, proliferation, and cell survival in response to hormones, growth factors, or nutrient availability. This kinase exists in two structurally and functionally distinct forms: mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTOR complex 2 (mTORC2). The first form (mTORC1) is composed of a rapamycin-sensitive Raptor and proline-rich Akt substrate, PRAS40. In contrast, mTORC2 consists of a...
5.1K

