FKBP51, a multitasker in protein function, pathway activity, and physiology

Abstract

FK506 binding protein (FKBP) 51 enjoyed steadily increasing research interest over the last two decades. It was initially described as co-chaperone of Heat shock protein 90 and regulator of steroid receptors, with a particular focus on the glucocorticoid receptor (GR). Biochemically, the protein exhibits peptidyl-prolyl-isomerase (PPIase) activity; the relevance of this activity for the cellular functions of FKBP51 turned out to be challenging to prove. The strong mutual regulation of GR and FKBP51 prompted gene association studies in stress-related diseases that discovered a link of FKBP5 with several disorders. This, in turn, motivated further studies characterizing FKBP51 as a regulator of several different molecular pathways through remarkably versatile protein associations. The special issue entitled “FKBP51, a multitasker in protein function, pathway activity, and physiology,” which we were honored to organize, provides a collection of articles by experts in the field highlighting various aspects of this multitasker protein.