Pglicoproteína

Pglicoproteína is a term that appears to be a misspelling or a non-standard term. It is likely intended to refer to "glycoprotein" or potentially "P-glycoprotein".

A glycoprotein is a type of protein that has carbohydrate chains (glycans) covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. These carbohydrate chains are added to the protein in a process called glycosylation. Glycosylation is a crucial post-translational modification that affects protein folding, stability, localization, and function. Glycoproteins are abundant in nature and play vital roles in cell-cell recognition, immune responses, and signal transduction. Examples include antibodies, hormones like erythropoietin, and many enzymes.

P-glycoprotein, on the other hand, is a specific type of glycoprotein. It is a transmembrane protein that acts as an efflux pump, meaning it actively transports various molecules out of cells. P-glycoprotein is encoded by the ABCB1 gene (also known as MDR1) and belongs to the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily. Its primary function is to protect cells from toxic substances by pumping them out. However, this efflux activity is also responsible for multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells, where it can pump chemotherapy drugs out of tumor cells, making them less effective. P-glycoprotein is also found in healthy tissues, such as the blood-brain barrier and the liver, where it plays a role in detoxification and protecting sensitive organs.