Living organisms are composed of various organic compounds such as DNA, RNA, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Among them, the driving force behind life phenomena is proteins. Proteins have the unique characteristic of varying in size and shape depending on the sequence and number of amino acids that compose them. The function of proteins is strictly controlled by modifications. Among the protein modifications that control life phenomena, we are particularly interested in the "ectodomain shedding (shedding)", which involves cleaving membrane proteins to release extracellular domains from cells (see diagram). Shedding is a potent modification that creates two proteins with different localizations from a single membrane protein by cleaving it from the cell. It is known to be involved in the development of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and lifestyle diseases.
Ritsumeikan University,
College of Life Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences
Professor Kyoko Shirakabe
