Proteasome Subunit Alpha Type 3, also known as PSMA3, is a crucial component of the proteasome complex in humans. This protein is encoded by the PSMA3 gene and plays a significant role in the degradation of intracellular proteins. The proteasome complex is essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating the concentration of specific proteins and degrading misfolded proteins.
The proteasome is a multicatalytic proteinase complex with a highly ordered ring-shaped 20S core structure. The core structure is composed of four rings of 28 non-identical subunits: two rings of seven alpha subunits and two rings of seven beta subunits . PSMA3 is one of the alpha subunits and is involved in the assembly and structural integrity of the proteasome complex .
The primary function of the proteasome is to degrade unneeded or damaged proteins by proteolysis, a chemical reaction that breaks peptide bonds. This process is ATP-dependent and occurs in a non-lysosomal pathway. The proteasome complex plays numerous essential roles within the cell, including the regulation of the cell cycle, modulation of various signaling pathways, and the immune response .
PSMA3 is involved in several critical biological processes, including:
Mutations or dysregulation of the PSMA3 gene can lead to various diseases. For instance, PSMA3 has been associated with cyclic neutropenia and dyskeratosis congenita, autosomal dominant 6 . Additionally, the proteasome’s role in degrading misfolded proteins makes it a target for therapeutic interventions in diseases characterized by protein aggregation, such as neurodegenerative disorders.
Recombinant PSMA3 is used in research to study the proteasome’s structure and function. It is also utilized in drug discovery and development, particularly in identifying and testing proteasome inhibitors. These inhibitors have therapeutic potential in treating cancers and other diseases where proteasome activity is dysregulated .