ABSTRACT
The 14-3-3 proteins comprise a family of highly conserved acidic protein with subunit molecular mass 28-33kD and are widely found in different eukaryotic cells. 14-3-3 proteins were the first polypeptides shown to have phosphoserine/threonine (pSer/Thr) binding properties which firmly established its importance in cell signaling. 14-3-3 proteins tend to form dimeric proteins to modulate protein-protein interactions. 14-3-3 proteins have been shown to contribute to the regulation of such crucial cellular processes as metabolism, signal transduction, cell cycle control, cell growth and differentiation, apotosis, protein trafficking, transcription, stress responses and malignant transformation. Many reports link 14-3-3 to disorders, particularly the neurological disorders and cancer. The 14-3-3 test has been used for the diagnosis of prion diseases. 14-3-3 could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. In this review, we discuss the structure, function of 14-3-3 protein and the related research progress in therapeutic applications.