and what do they have to do with genes? are they gene activators? because i came upon an article that had a format similar to this. or could you just decode the meaning of this table. are the things listed (such as Tor2, mTor etc..) genes or kinases? thanks!!!!

 

 

Table 1. Genes required for the autophagy and Cvt pathways

 

Gene Mammalian homolog Characteristics

 

Induction of autophagy and formation of autophagosome

 

Kinase signaling system

 

Tor2 mTor Rapamycin-sensitive protein kinase

 

APG1 ULK1 SER or THR protein kinase

 

APG6 BECN1 63-kD peripheral membrane protein

 

etc..

 

or, if you would like to see the article for yourself, it is:

Klionsky D, Emr S, Autophagy as a Regulated Pathway of Cellular Degradation

Science, Dec 1, 2000 v290 15497, p1717

A kinase is a kind of enzyme that adds a phosphate group to another molecule, called phosphorylation. They are involved in many things, one of those things is transducing signals. Often phosphorylation is needed to activate another enzyme, so that for it to bind to DNA, to activate a gene, it first needs to be phosphorylated. Kinases also often need to by phosphylated to become active. So you can have system where an initial phosphylation will lead to a series of phosphorylations ending in gene activation.

 

The Tor2 etc, are the names of various proteins. Usually gene names are italisesed or underlined.

thanks for the thorough explanation but why does it say "gene" and then "mammalian homolog" then? wouldn't they just put "signalling protein" or something else?

'Gene' is the one in yeast or whatever the studied species was, while the mammalian homolog is the 'equivalent' (homologous) gene in mammals.

ok then. if i wanted to detect the activation of for example the Tor2 kinase by some kind of gas (eg./ H2O2) or a cytokine (eg./ IL-4) in yeast cells then what kind of protocol/assay method would I need to use to find out?

wouldn't we need to know what Tor2 does?

right, look at the expression of some protein (assume it is a protein, maybe a lipid, though that makes it hard to detect) that Tor2 kinase phosphorylates after treatment with the activator for example

ok, would you need something like a flow cytometer and use fluorescence staining or use ELISA?

btw, Tor2 induces autophagosome formation and induces autophagy in cells