UPS: Proteolytic pathway as a perspective for anticancer

Abstract

Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a process for degradation of intracellular proteins by adding ubiquitin to thetarget protein. The ubiquitinated protein is subsequently degraded by a group of enzymes called proteasome. This processis important in the breakdown of proteins associated with cellular processes such as cell growth or apoptosis. This articlewill discuss about discovery of the UPS, mechanism of the UPS and the importance of UPS in the control of cell cycle andapoptosis, and also the mechanism of proteasome inhibitors to inhibit molecular targets involved in cancer cell growth. Thisinhibition is one strategy used in the development of drugs or identification of natural substances to be used as a drug forthe prevention and treatment of cancers.

Key words: UPS, Ubiquitin-proteasome system, Apoptosis, Proteasome inhibitors