Elongacijski faktor Tu kao moonlighting protein

undergraduate thesis

• Title (english): Elongation factor Tu as a moonlighting protein
• Author: Erna Tintor
• Mentor: Biljana Balen (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Biology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2020, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Biology

Abstract

Moonlighting proteini su skupina proteina koji osim svoje kanoničke, mogu izvršavati i druge, nepovezane funkcije. Moonlighting aktivnost nije rezultat alternativnog prekrajanja molekule RNA, posttranslacijskih modifikacija ili fuzija gena. Broj otkrivenih moonlighting proteina ubrzano raste i pronađeni su u eukariotima, bakterijama, arhejama, pa čak i nekim virusima. Najviše je poznatih bakterijskih moonlighting proteina, te su oni najdetaljnije istraženi. Čest slučaj kod bakterijskih moonlighting proteina je da se originalno citosolni proteini ispoljavaju na staničnu površinu, gdje sudjeluju u procesima koji pridonose patogenosti bakterija. Jedan od takvih proteina je elongacijski faktor Tu (EF-Tu), čije su pojedine moonlighting uloge opisane u ovom radu. Kanonička uloga proteina EF-Tu je donošenje aa-tRNA na ribosom prilikom elongacijske faze sinteze proteina. Kod određenih bakterija protein EF-Tu može se naći na staničnoj površini i tamo sudjelovati u bakterijskoj adheziji, dok izlaganje proteinu EF-Tu iz nekih drugih bakterija izaziva imunološki odgovor u biljkama ili životinjama. Budući da su ovakve moonlighting uloge proteina EF-Tu uključene u bakterijsku infekciju, postoji mogućnost da se razviju određena cjepiva na temelju rekombinantnih EF-Tu proteina. Osim uloge u patogenosti, protein EF-Tu nekih bakterija također može pomoći u održavanju oblika stanice preko interakcija s proteinima citoskeleta. Buduća istraživanja moonlighting proteina sigurno će pridonijeti razumijevanju načina funkcioniranja genoma i signalnih puteva, te razvijanju novih lijekova i cjepiva.

Abstract (english)

Moonlighting proteins are a group of proteins that, in addition to their canonical role, perform other, unrelated functions. Moonlighting activity is not caused by RNA splice variants, post-translational modifications or gene fusion. The number of detected moonlighting proteins is increasing rapidly and they can be found in eukaryotes, bacteria, archeae and even some viruses. Bacterial moonlighting proteins are the most abundant and they are extensively studied. It is common for originally cytosolic bacterial proteins to be exported to the cell surface in order to perform moonlighting activities. Once they are on the surface of the cell, they can participate in processes that contribute to the pathogenicity of bacteria. One such protein is the elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) whose individual moonlighting roles are described in this paper. The canonical role of the EF-Tu protein is to catalyze the binding of aa-tRNA to the ribosome during the elongation phase of protein synthesis. In certain bacteria the EF-Tu protein can be found on the cell surface where it participates in bacterial adhesion, while exposure to the EF-Tu protein of some other bacteria can trigger the immune response in plants and animals. Since these kinds of moonlighting activities of EF-Tu protein are involved in bacterial infection, certain vaccines may be developed based on a recombinant EF-Tu protein. In addition to the role in pathogenicity, EF-Tu protein of some bacteria can also help maintain the shape of the cells through interactions with cytoskeletal proteins. Future research into moonlighting proteins will certainly contribute to understanding how genome and cell pathways function, but also help to develop new drugs and vaccines.

• Keywords: Moonlighting proteini
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:266556
• Study programme: Title: Molecular Biology; Study programme type: university; Study level: undergraduate; Academic / professional title: sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) molekularne biologije (sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) molekularne biologije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Repository: Repository of the Faculty of Science
• Created on: 2020-09-16 10:52:39