Ubiquitylation is a reversible protein modification that is implicated in many cellular functions. Recently, much progress has been made in the characterization of a superfamily of isopeptidases that remove ubiquitin: the deubiquitinases (DUBs; also known as deubiquitylating or deubiquitinating enzymes). Far from being uniform in structure and function, these enzymes display a myriad of distinct mechanistic features. The small number (<100) of DUBs might at first suggest a low degree of selectivity; however, DUBs are subject to multiple layers of regulation that modulate both their activity and their specificity. Due to their wide-ranging involvement in key regulatory processes, these enzymes might provide new therapeutic targets.
Archive for the ‘science’ Category
Breaking the chains: structure and function of the deubiquitinases
Saturday, August 15th, 2009Soy for women, fish for men
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009 
A survey reoport that women who ate soy regularly as children have a lower risk of breast cancer.and men who eat fish several times a week have a lower risk of colon cancer, a second team of researchers have told the American Association for Cancer Research.
The studies add to a growing body of evidence about the role of diet in cancer. Cancer experts now believe that up to two-thirds of all cancers come from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet and lack of exercise.
The study showed that men who ate fish at least five times a week had a 40 per cent lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared with men who ate fish less than once a week.