Garbage Disposal (IMAGE)

Washington University in St. Louis

Garbage Disposal

Caption

A broken protein (red) is recognized by circulating enzymes and tagged with chains of a small protein called ubiquitin. These chains are recognized by regulatory regions on top of the protesome. Once recognized, the protein is unfolded and fed down the interior of the proteosome, where it is chopped into smaller pieces that can be reused by the cell.

Credit

E.M.L.

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