Metallothioneins, a Diverse Protein Family

High Impact Metallothioneins, a Diverse Protein Family

Metal ions are essential for growth, but in excess, these compounds can become highly toxic. Both plants and animals have adapted numerous ways to maintain metal homeostasis while mitigating detrimental effects of excess metals ions, including the metalchelating proteins metallothionein (MT) and phytochelatin. Although phytochelatins have been shown to play an important role in the detoxificati...

Germins: A diverse protein family important for crop improvement

The germin protein family is comprised of two main subgroups in plants, oxalate oxidases (OXOs) and germin-like proteins (GLPs). These proteins are implicated in a variety of plant processes including germination, development, pollen formation, and response to abiotic and biotic stress. Here, we examine the phylogenetic relationships and functional diversity of the germin gene family across div...

The dsRNA binding protein family: critical roles, diverse cellular functions.

The dsRNA binding proteins (DRBPs) comprise a growing family of eukaryotic, prokaryotic, and viral-encoded products that share a common evolutionarily conserved motif specifically facilitating interaction with dsRNA. Proteins harboring dsRNA binding domains (DRBDs) have been reported to interact with as little as 11 bp of dsRNA, an event that is independent of nucleotide sequence arrangement. M...

Diverse Biological Functions Kinases: a Family of Protein Kinases with ERK and p38 MAPK-Activated Protein

Dossier Metallothioneins ■ Metallothioneins in the clam Ruditapes decussatus : an overview

The clam R. decussatus is a suspension-feeding bivalve mollusc widely distributed in European and Mediterranean coastal waters. Due to its economic importance it is extensively cultured in many countries, and particularly in Portugal where its production represents > 80 % of total shellfish production. The selection of the clam R. decussatus as a bioindicator was a consequence of its economic i...