Intramembrane proteases (IMPs), also known as intramembrane-cleaving proteases (I-CLiPs), are enzymes that have the property of cleaving transmembrane domains of integral membrane proteins.[1][2][3] All known intramembrane proteases are themselves integral membrane proteins with multiple transmembrane domains, and they have their active sites buried within the lipid bilayer of cellular membranes.[4] Intramembrane proteases are responsible for proteolytic cleavage in the cell signaling process known as regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP).[1][5]
Although only recently discovered, intramembrane proteases are of significant research interest because of their major biological functions and their relevance to human disease.[5]
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^Wolfe, MS; Kopan, R (20 August 2004). "Intramembrane proteolysis: theme and variations". Science. 305 (5687): 1119–23. doi:10.1126/science.1096187. PMID15326347.
^Erez, E; Fass, D; Bibi, E (21 May 2009). "How intramembrane proteases bury hydrolytic reactions in the membrane". Nature. 459 (7245): 371–8. doi:10.1038/nature08146. PMID19458713.
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