Sorting nexins and their role in endosomal trafficking

细胞能够通过膜结合囊泡内化分子，这一过程被称为内吞作用。内吞作用是许多细胞过程的基础，包括受体信号传导、许多必需营养素的摄取和对外来抗原产生有效淋巴细胞应答的能力。一旦内化，货物然后被分选到内体转运系统的不同细胞内目的地。最终目的地取决于特定的货物分子。内体转运系统的重要性也通过以下发现而突出：许多人类疾病，包括各种癌症、溶酶体贮积病和高胆固醇血症，与沿内吞途径的运输沿着的缺陷有关。此外，许多病毒病原体（如HIV）和毒素（如滋贺毒素）利用内体系统进入细胞。了解内体系统内分选事件的分子细节对于能够考虑特定货物分子的运输的治疗操作是必要的。该研究旨在了解内体分选机制的分子细节，这些知识将支持未来开发药物以操纵内体系统内蛋白质的运动。从长远来看，这可以允许操纵各种细胞功能，包括抑制肿瘤细胞中的增殖信号。

Cells are able to internalise molecules via membrane-bound vesicles, a process known as endocytosis. Endocytosis is fundamental for many cellular processes, including receptor signalling, uptake of many essential nutrients and the ability to mount an effective lymphocyte response to foreign antigens. Once internalised, cargo is then sorted to different intracellular destinations of the endosomal transport system. The ultimate destination depends on the particular cargo molecule. The importance of the endosomal transport system is also highlighted by the discovery that many human diseases, including various cancers, lysosomal storage diseases and hypercholesterolemia, are linked to defects in trafficking along the endocytic pathway. Furthermore, a number of viral pathogens, such as HIV, and toxins, such as shiga toxin, exploit the endosomal system to gain entry into a cell. Understanding the molecular details of the sorting events within the endosomal system is necessary to be able to consider therapeutic manipulation of the trafficking of specific cargo molecules. The study seeks to understand the molecular details of the endosomal sorting machinery, knowledge that will underpin future efforts to develop drugs to manipulate movement of proteins within the endosomal system. In the long term, this could allow for the manipulation of a variety of cellular functions including the inhibition of proliferative signals in tumour cells.