Furin at the Cutting Edge: from Protein Traffic to Embryogenesis and Disease

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol

Specialties Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2002 Oct 3

PMID 12360192

Citations 559

Authors

Gary Thomas

Affiliations

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Abstract

Furin catalyses a simple biochemical reaction--the proteolytic maturation of proprotein substrates in the secretory pathway. But the simplicity of this reaction belies furin's broad and important roles in homeostasis, as well as in diseases ranging from Alzheimer's disease and cancer to anthrax and Ebola fever. This review summarizes various features of furin--its structural and enzymatic properties, intracellular localization, trafficking, substrates, and roles in vivo.

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