Scientific Background: | 14-3-3 proteins are dimeric phosphoserine/phosphothreonine binding proteins, which have been shown to be involved in the regulation of many crucial processes such as signal transduction, cell-cycle control, apoptosis, protein localization, phosphorylation state and stability, transcription, metabolism, and malignant transformation. 14-3-3ε is implicated in an early left-right patterning in amphibian embryos. In addition, children with Miller-Dieker syndrome, a severe brain malformation associated with mental retardation, have heterozygous deletions of both the 14-3-3ε and LIS1 genes. It has also been shown to be the only 14-3-3 isoform associated with prion protein amyloid deposits of Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease. |