Arsenite resistance protein: Difference between revisions

'''Arsenite Resistance Protein''' (ARS2), otherwise known as the '''Serrate RNA effector molecule homolog''', is a protein that is found in many species. The ARS2 being observed today, however, is from humans. It is produced by the SRRT gene [5]. ARS2 was originally discovered because of its ability to provide arsenic resistance in organisms. The first of its kind was found in plants (such as Arabidopsis thaliana), but since has been discovered in Drosophila and, in this case, humans. In Drosophila and other metazoans, ARS2 was found to have another purpose besides arsenic resistance. It was also found to help with RNA [4]. It can be used, in conjunction with other proteins (such as the cap-binding complex, CBC) to form a multiprotein complex. ARS2 serves as the mediator between this complex and micro-RNA (miRNA), which binds to DNA to silence gene expression [5]. Interestingly, ARS2 is also used in RNA production and RNA decay. CBC binds to ARS2, which helps ARS2 bind to other RNA enzymes and the RNA itself. ARS2 is a scaffold protein in that it brings multiple functional proteins together with RNA to achieve an effect.  It also helps in proliferation and mammalian development due to this RNA metabolism. ARS2 can conjoin with multiple proteins and has a multifunctional purpose [3].  

== Structural highlights ==