Trafficking of CD82 and CD63 tetraspanins

描述（由申请人提供）：Tetraspanins是一个在不同组织中表达的蛋白家族，存在于许多物种中，但其生化功能仍然是谜。它们与其他跨膜蛋白形成复合物的能力导致了它们可能参与膜结构和组织和/或可能作为连接体，在细胞外招募膜分子和在细胞内招募信号分子的假设。表征蛋白质与四联蛋白相互作用表明，他们参与更专门的细胞过程，以及，尽管他们的离散功能的理解是有限的。CD82和CD63是四蛋白家族的两个成员，它们的表达动力学暗示了它们在控制增殖、分化和迁移方面的作用，这些过程对肿瘤发生至关重要。CD82和CD63的表达与肿瘤的转移潜能呈负相关，进一步证实了它们在癌症中的潜在重要性。该项目的目标是通过使用小鼠模型研究CD82和CD63的精确亚细胞定位和分子关联，在免疫学背景下深入了解CD82和CD63的功能，其中CD82和CD63同源物已被鉴定，但其行为和功能的数据仍然很少。对这些四聚氰胺的功能的定义可能会导致新的癌症治疗方法的发展，并且可以想象，癌症疫苗的合理设计。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tetraspanins are a family of proteins expressed across different tissues and present in many species, but whose biochemical functions remain enigmatic. Their ability to form complexes with each other and other transmembrane proteins has led to the hypothesis that they may be involved in membrane structure and organization and/or may function as linkers, recruiting membrane molecules extracellularly and signaling molecules intracellularly. Characterization of proteins interacting with tetraspanins suggests their involvement in more specialized cell processes as well, although understanding of their discrete functions is limited. Expression kinetics of CD82 and CD63, two members of the tetraspanin family, hint at a role in the control of proliferation, differentiation and migration, all processes central to tumorigenesis. The potential importance of CD82 and CD63 in cancer is further substantiated by the inverse correlation existing between their expression and the metastatic potential of tumors. The goal of this project is to gain insight into the function of CD82 and CD63 in the immunological context by studying their precise subcellular localization and molecular associations using a mouse model, wherein CD82 and CD63 homologues have been identified but data on their behavior and function remain scarce. A definition of the function of these tetraspanins may lead to the development of new cancer treatments and, conceivably, the rational design of cancer vaccines.