Sequestosome-1 is a
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respon ...
that in humans is encoded by the ''SQSTM1''
gene
In biology, the word gene (from , ; "... Wilhelm Johannsen coined the word gene to describe the Mendelian units of heredity..." meaning ''generation'' or ''birth'' or ''gender'') can have several different meanings. The Mendelian gene is a b ...
.
Also known as the ubiquitin-binding protein p62, it is an
autophagosome
An autophagosome is a spherical structure with double layer membranes. It is the key structure in macroautophagy, the intracellular degradation system for cytoplasmic contents (e.g., abnormal intracellular proteins, excess or damaged organelles, i ...
cargo protein that targets other proteins that bind to it for selective
autophagy
Autophagy (or autophagocytosis; from the Ancient Greek , , meaning "self-devouring" and , , meaning "hollow") is the natural, conserved degradation of the cell that removes unnecessary or dysfunctional components through a lysosome-dependent re ...
. By interacting with
GATA4
Transcription factor GATA-4 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''GATA4'' gene.
Function
This gene encodes a member of the GATA family of zinc finger transcription factors. Members of this family recognize the GATA motif which is pr ...
and targeting it for degradation, it can inhibit GATA-4 associated
senescence
Senescence () or biological aging is the gradual deterioration of functional characteristics in living organisms. The word ''senescence'' can refer to either cellular senescence or to senescence of the whole organism. Organismal senescence inv ...
and senescence-associated secretory phenotype.
Model organisms
Model organisms have been used in the study of SQSTM1 function. A conditional
knockout mouse
A knockout mouse, or knock-out mouse, is a genetically modified mouse (''Mus musculus'') in which researchers have inactivated, or " knocked out", an existing gene by replacing it or disrupting it with an artificial piece of DNA. They are importa ...
line, called ''Sqstm1
tm1a(KOMP)Wtsi''
was generated as part of the