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Published November 2008 | public
Journal Article

Ubiquitin, the proteasome and protein degradation in neuronal function and dysfunction

Abstract

Eukaryotic protein degradation by the proteasome and the lysosome is a dynamic and complex process in which ubiquitin has a key regulatory role. The distinctive morphology of the postmitotic neuron creates unique challenges for protein degradation systems with respect to cell-surface protein turnover and substrate delivery to proteolytic machineries that are required for both synaptic plasticity and self-renewal. Moreover, the discovery of ubiquitin-positive protein aggregates in a wide spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases underlines the importance and vulnerability of the degradative system in neurons. In this article, we discuss the molecular mechanism of protein degradation in the neuron with respect to both its function and its dysfunction.

Additional Information

© 2008 Nature Publishing Group. The authors thank C.-Y. Tai and Y. Yoon for manuscript suggestions and the support of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 17, 2023