The Role of Short-Chain Conjugated Poly-(R)-3-Hydroxybutyrate (cPHB) in Protein Folding |
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Authors: | Rosetta N. Reusch |
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Affiliation: | Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +1-517-349-3544; Fax: +1-517-353-1793 |
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Abstract: | Poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), a linear polymer of R-3-hydroxybutyrate (R-3HB), is a fundamental constituent of biological cells. Certain prokaryotes accumulate PHB of very high molecular weight (10,000 to >1,000,000 residues), which is segregated within granular deposits in the cytoplasm; however, all prokaryotes and all eukaryotes synthesize PHB of medium-chain length (~100–200 residues) which resides within lipid bilayers or lipid vesicles, and PHB of short-chain length (<12 residues) which is conjugated to proteins (cPHB), primarily proteins in membranes and organelles. The physical properties of cPHB indicate it plays important roles in the targeting and folding of cPHB-proteins. Here we review the occurrence, physical properties and molecular characteristics of cPHB, and discuss its influence on the folding and structure of outer membrane protein A (OmpA) of Escherichia coli. |
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Keywords: | poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate cPHB PHBylation protein-folding protein-targeting |
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