A role for the proteasome in gene activation for non-nuclear receptors

Isn't it pretty? That's the 26s proteasome, subject of my dissertation. I am writing a literature review covering the role for the proteasome in gene activation by non-nuclear receptors. It's pretty interesting stuff: although the proteasome is mainly involved in the proteolysis of 'unwanted' proteins in the cell (and therefor has obvious roles in regulation of gene activation via such means as controlling activator amount/turnover, RNA Pol II regulation, removal of co-repressors etc) there has also been increasing evidence over the last few years that there is a non-proteolytic role too. Most interesting of these claims is that the 19s subunit of the 26s proteasome can be involved in regulation of gene activation independent of the 20s subunit.

I was intending to write more about this but I'm so tired I can't focus and I doubt it's terribly interesting to anyone who isn't (inexplicably) fascinated with the UPS system. I find it quite exciting, but I'm pretty boring.

No, currently my tired mind is much more concerned with whether my fake tan is going to smear, why plucking my eyebrows is SO painful and why there are lots of scratches on my left calf that I really don't remember happening. Also, if I will get enough work done tomorrow and saturday to be able to go out as it's my friend's last weekend in Nottingham before an enforced stint at a hospital somewhere in rural Lincolnshire. This is what you get for trying to have a career, people. Let it be a lesson to all of you.