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The Multifaceted Role of Glutathione S-Transferases in Health and Disease

The Multifaceted Role of Glutathione S-Transferases in Health and Disease

Authors :
Aslam M. A. Mazari
Leilei Zhang
Zhi-Wei Ye
Jie Zhang
Kenneth D. Tew
Danyelle M. Townsend
Source :
Biomolecules, Vol 13, Iss 4, p 688 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

In humans, the cytosolic glutathione S-transferase (GST) family of proteins is encoded by 16 genes presented in seven different classes. GSTs exhibit remarkable structural similarity with some overlapping functionalities. As a primary function, GSTs play a putative role in Phase II metabolism by protecting living cells against a wide variety of toxic molecules by conjugating them with the tripeptide glutathione. This conjugation reaction is extended to forming redox sensitive post-translational modifications on proteins: S-glutathionylation. Apart from these catalytic functions, specific GSTs are involved in the regulation of stress-induced signaling pathways that govern cell proliferation and apoptosis. Recently, studies on the effects of GST genetic polymorphisms on COVID-19 disease development revealed that the individuals with higher numbers of risk-associated genotypes showed higher risk of COVID-19 prevalence and severity. Furthermore, overexpression of GSTs in many tumors is frequently associated with drug resistance phenotypes. These functional properties make these proteins promising targets for therapeutics, and a number of GST inhibitors have progressed in clinical trials for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2218273X
Volume :
13
Issue :
4
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Biomolecules
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.fe3261347ef461da534d32f3bcb5e60
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/biom13040688