BACKGROUND Signal transduction pathways with shared components must be insulated from each other to avoid the inappropriate activation of multiple pathways by a single stimulus. Scaffold proteins are thought to contribute to this specificity by binding select substrates. RESULTS We have studied the ability of scaffold proteins to influence signaling by the yeast kinase Ste11, a MAPKKK molecul...

Induction of gene expression is correlated with alterations in nuclear organization, including proximity to other active genes, to the nuclear cortex, and to cytologically distinct domains of the nucleus. Chromosomes are tethered to the insoluble nuclear scaffold/matrix through interaction with Scaffold/Matrix Attachment Region (SAR/MAR) binding proteins. Identification and characterization of ...

Par proteins are involved in determining cellular asymmetry. Recent studies have identified one of these proteins, Par6, as a key regulator of cell polarity and transformation via its interactions with small GTPases and atypical forms of protein kinase C.

Spatial organization of membranes into domains of distinct protein and lipid composition is a fundamental feature of biological systems. The plasma membrane is organized in such domains to efficiently orchestrate the many reactions occurring there simultaneously. Despite the almost universal presence of membrane domains, mechanisms of their formation are often unclear. Yeast cells feature promi...

Shank proteins make up a new family of scaffold proteins recently identified through their interaction with a variety of membrane and cytoplasmic proteins. Shank polypeptides contain multiple sites for protein-protein interaction, including ankyrin repeats, an SH3 domain, a PDZ domain, a long proline-rich region, and a SAM domain. Binding partners for most of these domains have been identified:...

Nonsynaptic clusters of postsynaptic proteins have been documented; however, their role remains elusive. We monitored the trafficking of several candidate proteins implicated in synaptogenesis, when nonsynaptic clusters of scaffold proteins are most abundant. We find a protein complex consisting of two populations that differ in their content, mobility, and involvement in synapse formation. One...

The spatial and temporal organization of molecules within a cell is critical for coordinating the many distinct activities carried out by the cell. In an increasing number of biological signaling processes, scaffold proteins have been found to play a central role in physically assembling the relevant molecular components. Although most scaffolds use a simple tethering mechanism to increase the ...

Introduction:Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway plays a key role in diverse gene expressions responsible for protection against oxidative stress and xenobiotics. Chalcones with common chemical scaffold of 1,3-diaryl-2- propen-1-one, are abundantly present nature wide variety pharmacological properties. This review will discuss the interactions natural synthetic chalco...

The Scrib module proteins, Scrib, Dlg, and Lgl, are conserved regulators of cell polarity in diverse biological contexts. Originally discovered as neoplastic tumor suppressors the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, disruption components leads to tumorigenesis mammalian epithelia is associated with human cancers. With multiple protein interacting domains, proteins function determinants basolater...

Non-antibody scaffold proteins are used for a range of applications, especially the assessment of protein-protein interactions within human cells. The search for a versatile, robust and biologically neutral scaffold previously led us to design STM (stefin A triple mutant), a scaffold derived from the intracellular protease inhibitor stefin A. Here, we describe five new STM-based scaffold protei...