The Rhomboid family of intramembrane proteases, conserved regulators of cell communication

TL;DRAbstract

<p>The development of multicellular organisms relies heavily on cell communication. Cells send and receive complex sets of signals, harmonising their growth and differentiation with that of other, often distant, cell populations. In animals, the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is an important mediator of cell communication. EGFR activation regulates various developmental events in nematodes, insects and vertebrates. In addition, mutations in human EGFRs have been associated with a number of cancers. In Drosophila, a key event triggering EGFR signalling is the regulated release of the extracellular portion of EGFR ligands. Rhomboid (Rho), an unusual polytopic protease, cleaves the transmembrane, inactive ligand precursor into an active, soluble form. Both the target sequence and Rho s catalytic site are embedded within the membrane bilayer and for this reason the reaction has been described as regulated intramembrane proteolysis.</p><p>The work presented in thi

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