Welcome to the website for the laboratory of George N. DeMartino at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

The general interest of our laboratory is the study of biochemical mechanisms and physiological regulation of intracellular protein degradation. Our research focuses principally on the ubiquitin-proteasome system, a complex proteolytic system responsible for many aspects of protein degradation in eukaryotic cells.

Intracellular protein degradation is a fundamental and extensive process in all living cells. Cells utilize protein degradation as a mechanism to regulate many processes including transcription, progression of the cell cycle, flux of metabolites through metabolic pathways, signaling pathways, net growth and atrophy, and protein quality control. Because regulated protein degradation is essential for normal cellular function, it is not surprising that many human diseases involve altered protein degradation. Such diseases include many types of cancer, tissue wasting diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.  Consequently, components of protein degradation pathways are targets of drug therapy.    

This website provides an overview of our research, the people who do it, and the institution where it is conducted. You are welcome to contact us if you have questions about our work or are interested in joining our group.