INHIBITORS OF PROTEIN PHOSPHATASE-1 AND PHOSPHATASE-2A - 2 OF THE MAJOR SERINE THREONINE PROTEIN PHOSPHATASES INVOLVED IN CELLULAR-REGULATION

The broad specificity type-1 and type-2A protein phosphatases (PP-1 and PP-2A) have emerged as important enzymes in the regulation of eukaryotic cell function. Over the past few years an ever increasing array of potent inhibitor molecules of the catalytic subunits of PP-1 and -2A (PP-1c and PP-2Ac) have been described. These inhibitors are structurally diverse and found in organisms from prokaryote and protist to multicellular eukaryote. This review will focus on recent advances in understanding the structure and properties of these inhibitors and how they may be involved in regulating PP-1c and PP-2Ac in vivo.