2. Academic Validation
  3. The hepatitis B x antigen anti-apoptotic effector URG7 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane

The hepatitis B x antigen anti-apoptotic effector URG7 is localized to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane

  • FEBS Lett. 2013 Sep 17;587(18):3058-62. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.07.042.
A Ostuni 1,  P Lara,  M F Armentano,  R Miglionico,  A M Salvia,  M Mönnich,  M Carmosino,  F M Lasorsa,  M Monné,  I Nilsson,  F Bisaccia
Affiliations

Affiliation

  • 1 Department of Sciences, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
PMID: 23912081 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.07.042
Abstract

Hepatitis B x antigen up-regulates the liver expression of URG7 that contributes to sustain chronic virus Infection and to increase the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma by its anti-apoptotic activity. We have investigated the subcellular localization of URG7 expressed in HepG2 cells and determined its membrane topology by glycosylation mapping in vitro. The results demonstrate that URG7 is N-glycosylated and located to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane with an Nlumen-Ccytosol orientation. The results imply that the anti-apoptotic effect of URG7 could arise from the C-terminal cytosolic tail binding a pro-apoptotic signaling factor and retaining it to the endoplasmic reticulum membrane.

Keywords

Apoptosis; Cellular localization; Endoplasmic reticulum; Hepatitis B x antigen; Topology; URG7.

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