AMPK Subunit
AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is highly conserved from yeast to plants and animals and plays a key role in the regulation of energy homeostasis。
AMPA Receptor (GluA)
Glutamate is the most abundant excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system of vertebrates. Once released into the synaptic cleft, it depolarizes the postsynaptic membrane and activates downstream signaling pathways, thereby propagating excitatory signals. The initial depolarization is primarily mediated by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors.
Actin Nucleation and Polymerization
Actin is one of the most abundant proteins in eukaryotic cells and is a key component of the cytoskeleton, the internal framework of the cell. Its most remarkable characteristic is its dynamic nature—it can rapidly assemble and disassemble, thereby driving cell movement and changes in cell shape.
Acetyl-Histone H3/H4
Acetyl-Histone H3/H4 In eukaryotic nuclei, ~150 bp of DNA is wrapped around the histone octamer, which consists of two copies of four core histones (i.e., H2A, H2B, H3, and H4) to form a nucleosome, the fundamental unit of chromatin. Post-translational modifications on these histones play a critical role in genome function, including the regulation of transcription and the maintenance of genome integrity [1]. Since H3 and H4 are more stably integrated into nucleosomes compared to H2A and H2B , the modifications on H3 and H4 can act as long-term memory of epigenetic regulation[2].
Acetyl-Histone
Lysine acetylation is a reversible post-translational modification that plays a crucial role in regulating protein function, chromatin structure, and gene expression[1]. Many transcriptional coactivators possess intrinsic acetyltransferase activity, while transcriptional corepressors are associated with deacetylase activity[2]. In response to signaling pathways, acetylation complexes (such as CBP/p300 and PCAF) or deacetylation complexes (such as Sin3, NuRD, NCoR, and SMRT) assemble to bind to DNA-bound transcription factors (TFs).
Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 and 2
Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase 1 and 2 Acetyl-CoA carboxylases (ACCs) are enzymes that catalyze the carboxylation of acetyl-CoA to produce malonyl-CoA1. In mammals, ACC1 and ACC2 are two members of ACCs. ACC1 localizes in the cytosol and acts as the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo fatty acid synthesis pathway2. ACC2 localizes on the outer membrane of mitochondria and produces malonyl-CoA to regulate the activity of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) that involves in the β-oxidation of fatty acid. Fatty acid synthesis is central in a myriad of physiological and pathological conditions3.
Esophageal Cancer
The evolution of esophageal cancer is a complex, multi-stage and multi-factorial process, involving the gradual transformation from normal cells to cancer cells. The following is a summary of the evolution of esophageal cancer based on the latest research and clinical observations:
The 14-3-3 family of proteins
The 14-3-3 family of proteins are highly conserved acidic eukaryotic proteins (25–32 kDa) abundantly present in the body. There are seven different 14-3-3 isoforms in mammals, namely the α/β, σ, θ, γ, ε, η and ζ/δ, each of them binding to several hundreds of different proteins through phosphorylation. It was found to modulate a wide array of cellular processes, such as cell signalling, transcription, cell differentiation, cell apoptosis, protein trafficking, innate immunity, and glucose metabolism, to name a few . Its dysregulation has been linked to the onset of critical illnesses such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and viral infections.
