Regulation of a nucleoside transport protein, ENT1

核苷转运蛋白 ENT1 的调节

• 批准号: 203397-2011
• 负责人: Coe, Imogen
• 金额: $ 4.08万
• 依托单位: York University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=514114
• 关键词: Regulation; nucleoside; transport; protein; ENT1

My research program studies transporters, which are a class of proteins, that, as their name suggests, transport molecules and compounds. Cells are dynamic and, like factories, they need to have certain supplies shipped in to support the work going on. They also need to ship out the products that have been generated within the cell or waste products. The cell membrane that surrounds the cell is a barrier to many molecules that are needed in cells or that need to get out of cells. So cell membranes contain portals or gateways that sit in the cell membrane and allow the movement of certain molecules or compounds into and/or out of cells. These portals or gateways are known as transporters and we work on one group of them, known as nucleoside transporters, because they transport molecules known as nucleosides. Nucleosides are important to cells because they are needed for making DNA and other cellular elements. Some nucleosides are also released by cells and act as local signals by interacting with receptors on neighboring cells. Nucleosides can only get in and out of cells through nucleoside transporters. Nucleoside transporters were only identified at the molecular level (cloned) about a decade ago so we still don't know much about what they look like (in terms of their three-dimensional structure) or how they work. We also don't know what their life cycle within the cell looks like or how they are regulated by other proteins. We use a variety of biochemical and molecular techniques to study different aspects of the structure and function of these proteins so that we can better understand what role they play, and how they contribute to the healthy everyday lives of busy cells.

我的研究项目是研究转运蛋白，这是一类蛋白质，顾名思义，转运分子和化合物。 细胞是动态的，就像工厂一样，它们需要运送某些物资来支持正在进行的工作，它们还需要运送细胞内产生的产品或废物。 包围细胞的细胞膜是细胞内所需或需要离开细胞的许多分子的屏障。 所以细胞膜包含了位于细胞膜上的入口或通道，允许某些分子或化合物进出细胞。 这些门户或网关被称为转运蛋白，我们研究其中一组，被称为核苷转运蛋白，因为它们转运被称为核苷的分子。 核苷对细胞很重要，因为它们是制造DNA和其他细胞元件所必需的。 一些核苷也由细胞释放，并通过与邻近细胞上的受体相互作用作为局部信号。 核苷只能通过核苷转运蛋白进出细胞。 大约十年前，核苷转运蛋白才在分子水平上被发现（克隆），所以我们仍然不太了解它们的样子（就它们的三维结构而言）或它们如何工作。 我们也不知道它们在细胞内的生命周期是什么样的，或者它们是如何被其他蛋白质调节的。 我们使用各种生物化学和分子技术来研究这些蛋白质的结构和功能的不同方面，以便我们能够更好地了解它们所起的作用，以及它们如何为忙碌细胞的健康日常生活做出贡献。