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VAD1 Analog Of StAR-related Lipid Transfer
VAD1 analog of StAR-related lipid transfer (VASt) is a steroidogenic acute regulatory protein‐related lipid transfer (StART)-like lipid-binding domain first identified in the vad1 (vascular associated death1) protein in ''Arabidopsis thaliana'' (mouse-ear cress ). Proteins containing these domains are found in eukaryotes and usually contain another lipid-binding domain, typically the GRAM domain and sometimes the C2 domain in plants and the integral peroxisomal membrane peroxin Pex24p domain in oomycetes. Structure The VASt domain structurally resembles a truncated form of a START domain, but with limited sequence similarity. While VASt is a member of the Bet v1-like superfamily, it is unclear if it evolved from the same ancestral domain as the START domain or is an example of convergent evolution. The domain is highly conserved across all eukaryotes and is typically present in only one copy in VASt domain-containing proteins. Like the START domain, the VASt domain consists ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lipid
Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include storing energy, signaling, and acting as structural components of cell membranes. Lipids have applications in the cosmetic and food industries, and in nanotechnology. Lipids may be broadly defined as hydrophobic or amphiphilic small molecules; the amphiphilic nature of some lipids allows them to form structures such as vesicles, multilamellar/ unilamellar liposomes, or membranes in an aqueous environment. Biological lipids originate entirely or in part from two distinct types of biochemical subunits or "building-blocks": ketoacyl and isoprene groups. Using this approach, lipids may be divided into eight categories: fatty acyls, glycerolipids, glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, saccharolipids, and polyketides (derived from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Convergent Evolution
Convergent evolution is the independent evolution of similar features in species of different periods or epochs in time. Convergent evolution creates analogous structures that have similar form or function but were not present in the last common ancestor of those groups. The cladistic term for the same phenomenon is homoplasy. The recurrent evolution of flight is a classic example, as flying insects, birds, pterosaurs, and bats have independently evolved the useful capacity of flight. Functionally similar features that have arisen through convergent evolution are ''analogous'', whereas ''homologous'' structures or traits have a common origin but can have dissimilar functions. Bird, bat, and pterosaur wings are analogous structures, but their forelimbs are homologous, sharing an ancestral state despite serving different functions. The opposite of convergence is divergent evolution, where related species evolve different traits. Convergent evolution is similar to paralle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gram Domain-containing 2A
GRAM domain-containing 2A protein (GRAMD2A; formerly GRAMD2) is a protein encoded by the GRAMD2A gene. Like GRAMD2B, the protein consists of a GRAM domain and a transmembrane domain that anchors it to the endoplasmic reticulum. GRAMD2A is a mammalian representative of the yeast lipid transfer proteins anchored at a membrane contact site (LAM) family. It has four paralogs: GRAMD1A, GRAMD1B, GRAMD1C and GRAMD2B. Unlike LAM and its paralogs except GRAMD2B, GRAMD2A lacks a VASt domain. The protein localizes to sites where membranes from different organelles are in close apposition. There, it tethers the endoplasmic reticulum to the plasma membrane through its GRAM domain binding phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in the plasma membrane at sites enriched for the phospholipid. The protein ensures proper stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) recruitment to these sites of membrane contact as part of the store-operated calcium entry pathway – a component of intracellular ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sterol
Sterol is an organic compound with formula , whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom in position 3 by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane. More generally, any compounds that contain the gonane structure, additional functional groups, and/or modified ring systems derived from gonane are called steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They occur naturally in most eukaryotes, including plants, animals, and fungi, and can also be produced by some bacteria (however likely with different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to cell membrane structure, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids ( fats in the broader sense of the term). Types Sterols of plants are called '' phytosterols'' and sterols of animals are called ''zoosterols''. The most impo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GRAMD1C
GRAM domain containing 1C also known as Aster-C is a cholesterol transport protein that is encoded by the GRAMD1C gene. It contains a transmembrane region, a GRAM domain and a VASt domain. It is anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum through its transmembrane domain. GRAMD1C has four paralogs: GRAMD1B and GRAMD1A and two without VASt domains, GRAMD2A and GRAMD2B. Homologs of GramD proteins (Lam/Ltc proteins) are found in yeast. The protein is expressed in the liver and testes. Function When the plasma membrane contains high levels of cholesterol, GRAMD1c as well as GRAMD1a and GRAMD1b move to sites of contact between the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum. GRAMD1 proteins then facilitate the transport of cholesterol into the endoplasmic reticulum. Reduction of GRAMD1B and GRAMD1C suppresses the onset of a form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in mice. The VASt domain is responsible for binding cholesterol while th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
GRAMD1B
GRAM domain containing 1B, also known as GRAMD1B, Aster-B and KIAA1201, is a cholesterol transport protein that is encoded by the GRAMD1B gene. It contains a transmembrane region and two domains of known function; the GRAM domain and a VASt domain. It is anchored to the endoplasmic reticulum. This highly conserved gene is found in a variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Homologs (Lam/Ltc proteins) are found in yeast. Gene GRAMD1B, also known as KIAA1201, is located in the human genome at 11q24.1. It is located on the + strand and is flanked by a variety of other genes. It spans 269,347 bases. mRNA The most verified isoform, isoform 1, contains 21 exons. There are four validated isoform variants of human GRAMD1B. These consist of truncated 5’ and 3’ regions, resulting in the loss of an exon. One prominent analysis of the mouse gene predicts one form of Gramd1b that is 699 amino acids long. Protein GRAMD1B is an integral membrane protein that contains several d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gram Domain Containing 1a
GRAM domain containing 1A also known as Aster-A is a protein that is encoded by the GRAMD1A gene. It contains a transmembrane region, a GRAM domain and a VASt domain that can bind cholesterol. GRAMD1A has four paralogs: GRAMD1B and GRAMD1C and two without VASt domains, GRAMD2A and GRAMD2B. These proteins are mammalian representatives of the yeast lipid transfer proteins anchored at a membrane contact site (LAM) family. The protein is expressed ubiquitously with higher levels in the central nervous system. Function GRAMD1A localizes to the endoplasmic reticulum. Its GRAM domain tethers it to the plasma membrane where it can bind phosphatidylinositol phosphate in areas enriched for it. When the plasma membrane contains high levels of cholesterol, GRAMD1a like GRAMD1b and GRAMD1c moves to sites of contact between the plasma membrane and the endoplasmic reticulum. The VASt domain of GRAMD1A then binds cholesterol and cholesterol is moved from the plasma membrane to the e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitute 1% of all described fungal species. Yeasts are unicellular organisms that evolved from multicellular ancestors, with some species having the ability to develop multicellular characteristics by forming strings of connected budding cells known as pseudohyphae or false hyphae. Yeast sizes vary greatly, depending on species and environment, typically measuring 3–4 µm in diameter, although some yeasts can grow to 40 µm in size. Most yeasts reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by the asymmetric division process known as budding. With their single-celled growth habit, yeasts can be contrasted with molds, which grow hyphae. Fungal species that can take both forms (depending on temperature or other conditions) are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Molecular Evolution
Molecular evolution is the process of change in the sequence composition of cell (biology), cellular molecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins across generations. The field of molecular evolution uses principles of evolutionary biology and population genetics to explain patterns in these changes. Major topics in molecular evolution concern the rates and impacts of single nucleotide changes, Neutral theory of molecular evolution, neutral evolution vs. natural selection, origins of new genes, the genetic nature of complex traits, the genetic basis of speciation, evolution of development, and ways that evolutionary forces influence genome, genomic and phenotype, phenotypic changes. History The history of molecular evolution starts in the early 20th century with comparative biochemistry, and the use of "fingerprinting" methods such as immune assays, gel electrophoresis and paper chromatography in the 1950s to explore homologous proteins. The field of molecular evolution came into i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arabidopsis Thaliana
''Arabidopsis thaliana'', the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa. ''A. thaliana'' is considered a weed; it is found along the shoulders of roads and in disturbed land. A winter annual with a relatively short lifecycle, ''A. thaliana'' is a popular model organism in plant biology and genetics. For a complex multicellular eukaryote, ''A. thaliana'' has a relatively small genome around 135 megabase pairs. It was the first plant to have its genome sequenced, and is a popular tool for understanding the molecular biology of many plant traits, including flower development and light sensing. Description ''Arabidopsis thaliana'' is an annual (rarely biennial) plant, usually growing to 20–25 cm tall. The leaves form a rosette at the base of the plant, with a few leaves also on the flowering stem. The basal leaves are green to slightly purplish in color, 1.5–5 cm long, and 2–10 mm broad, wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
START Domain
START (StAR-related lipid-transfer) is a lipid-binding domain in StAR, HD-ZIP and signalling proteins. The archetypical domain is found in StAR (Steroidogenic acute regulatory protein), a mitochondrial protein that is synthesized in steroid-producing cells. StAR initiates steroid production by mediating the delivery of cholesterol to the first enzyme in steroidogenic pathway. The START domain is critical for this activity, perhaps through the binding of cholesterol. Following the discovery of StAR, 15 START-domain-containing proteins (termed STARD1 through STARD15) were subsequently identified in vertebrates as well as other that are related. Thousands of proteins containing at least one START domain have been determined in invertebrates, bacteria and plants to form a larger superfamily, variously known as START, Bet v1-like or SRPBCC (START/RHOalphaC/ PITP/Bet v1/CoxG/CalC) domain proteins, all of which bind hydrophobic ligands. In the case of plants, many of the START pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oomycetes
Oomycota forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage of fungus-like eukaryotic microorganisms, called oomycetes (). They are filamentous and heterotrophic, and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Sexual reproduction of an oospore is the result of contact between hyphae of male antheridia and female oogonia; these spores can overwinter and are known as resting spores. Asexual reproduction involves the formation of chlamydospores and sporangia, producing motile zoospores. Oomycetes occupy both saprophytic and pathogenic lifestyles, and include some of the most notorious pathogens of plants, causing devastating diseases such as late blight of potato and sudden oak death. One oomycete, the mycoparasite '' Pythium oligandrum'', is used for biocontrol, attacking plant pathogenic fungi. The oomycetes are also often referred to as water molds (or water moulds), although the water-preferring nature which led to that name is not true of most species, which are terrestrial patho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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