Assembly of platforms for signal transduction in the new era: dimerization, helical filament assembly, and beyond

Exp Mol Med. 2020 Mar;52(3):356-366. doi: 10.1038/s12276-020-0391-3. Epub 2020 Mar 5.

Abstract

Supramolecular organizing center (SMOC)-mediated signal transduction is an emerging concept in the field of signal transduction that is ushering in a new era. The formation of location-specific, higher-order SMOCs is particularly important for cell death and innate immune signaling processes. Several protein interaction domains, including the death domain (DD) superfamily and the CIDE domain, are representative mediators of SMOC assembly in cell death and innate immune signaling pathways. DD superfamily- and CIDE domain-containing proteins form SMOCs that activate various caspases and provide signaling scaffold platforms. These assemblies can lead to signal transduction and amplification during signaling events. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the molecular basis of DD superfamily- and CIDE domain-mediated SMOC formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Death / physiology
  • Dimerization
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate / physiology*
  • Protein Domains / physiology
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs / physiology
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*