Why study moonlighting proteins?

Abstract

Moonlighting proteins comprise a class of multifunctional proteins in which a single protein performs multiple physiologically relevant biochemical or biophysical functions that are not due to gene fusions, multiple RNA splice variants, or pleiotropic effects Classic examples include soluble enzymes that also bind to DNA or RNA to regulate translation or transcription (Figure Other typical examples are cytosolic enzymes that moonlight as cytokines, chaperones, cytoskeletal components, DNA compactors, adhesins or scaffolds, as well as a chloride transporter that regulates the function of another transmembrane channel, ribosomal proteins that double as translation factors, and a DNA binding protein that becomes a component of the extracellular matrix (for reviews see Nobeli et al.,