PROTEASOME INHIBITORS - VALUABLE NEW TOOLS FOR CELL BIOLOGISTS

Proteasomes are major sites for protein degradation in eukaryotic cell s. The recent identification of selective proteasome inhibitors has al lowed a definition of the roles of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway in various cellular processes, such as antigen presentation and the degr adation of regulatory or membrane proteins. This review describes the actions of these inhibitors, how they can be used to investigate cellu lar responses, the functions of the proteasome demonstrated by such st udies and their potential applications in the future.