Background information
In eukaryotes, the phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins on serine and threonine residues is an essential means of regulating a broad range of cellular functions, including division, homeostasis and apoptosis. A group of proteins that are intimately involved in this process are the protein phosphatases. In general, the protein phosphatase (PP) holoenzyme is a trimeric complex composed of a regulatory subunit, a variable subunit and a catalytic subunit. Four major families of protein phosphatase catalytic subunits have been identified, designated PP1, PP2A, PP2B (calcineurin) and PP2C. An additional protein phosphatase catalytic subunit, PPX (also known as PP4) is a putative member of a novel PP family. The PP2A family comprises subfamily members PP2Aå and PP2A∫. The PP2A catalytic subunit associates with a variety of regulatory subunits. The B family of regulatory subunits (including B55, B56 and PR72/130 subfamilies) is believed to participate in substrate specificity and catalytic activity. PP2A-B55, also known as PP2A regulatory subunit subfamily B55 or PP2A-B1, is a B subfamily consisting of four B55 isoforms (Alpha,Beta, Gamma and Delta) encoded by four distinct genes.
