Scientists have unraveled the step-by-step activation process of a protein with a deep evolutionary history in all domains of life, opening the door to harnessing its functions for use as a biotechnology tool. The protein belongs to the “superfamily” of Argonaute proteins, which previous research has suggested to be involved in gene silencing, a fundamental process known as RNA interference....
Tag: <span>Protein</span>
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Researchers identify protein that helps HIV remain silent
by Bruno Geoffroy, University of Montreal Throughout the course of antiretroviral therapy, HIV hides quietly in reservoirs inside CD4+ T lymphocytes, white blood cells that play a role in activating the immune system against infection. The existence of these viral sanctuaries explains why antiretroviral therapy has to be maintained throughout a patient’s lifetime in order to keep the virus...
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Researchers target protein that can slow down muscular dystrophy
by Laurie Fickman, University of Houston Graphical abstract. Credit: JCI Insight (2023). DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164768 A team of researchers at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy is reporting that by manipulating TAK1, a signaling protein that plays an important role in development of the immune system, they can slow down disease progression and improve muscle function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy...
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NPR-8: The Protein That Could Extend Human Lifespan in a Warming World
By WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY MAY 22, 2023 New research indicates that lifespan in warm climates is not just passively shortened due to increased metabolic rate but is also actively regulated by a nervous system protein called NPR-8, which controls collagen expression. They found that worms lacking this protein had increased collagen expression in warmer temperatures, thereby exhibiting increased stress...
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Investigating the role of a protein in hearing loss
by Olivia Dimmer, Northwestern University Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The fast motor kinetics of prestin, a protein found in the inner ear, is essential for hearing high-frequency sounds, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. All mammals, including humans, rely on outer hair cells in the ear’s cochlea to amplify...
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Gout may be caused by deficiency of a protein found in joint fluid
Scientists are looking into the causes of gout. Design by MNT; Photography by Hulton Archive/Getty Images & Solskin/Getty Images An international research team identified a novel molecular pathway believed to cause gout and its progression to erosion of joint tissue. Researchers believe lubricin, a protein found in joint fluid, may serve as a novel therapeutic...
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How pancreatic cancer defies treatment by leveraging a protein
by University of California – San Diego Pancreatic cancer cells (nuclei in blue) are shown growing as a sphere encased in membranes (red). Credit: National Cancer Institute Pancreatic cancer is the third deadliest cancer in the United States, after lung and colorectal, though far less common. It is also among the hardest to effectively treat,...
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Researchers identify protein that helps skin cancer spread throughout the body
9 January 2023 Representative images of a WM983B melanoma cell nucleus with a nuclear envelope bleb stained for Lamin A/C (green), Lamin B1 (magenta) and DNA (blue). Scale bar, 10 μm The study, published today in Nature Cell Biology, modelled the behaviour of aggressive melanoma cells that are able to change the shape of their nucleus to...
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The protein behind immunotherapy resistance
by Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne Tumor with FMRP-deficient cancer cells (in green) being infiltrated and attached by killer (CD8) T cells. Credit: Jeremy Guillot (Hanahan Lab – EPFL). Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge approach to treating cancer by turning the patient’s own immune system against their tumor. Our increasing knowledge of the mechanisms by which...
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Scientists reveal role of key brain protein in childhood movement disorder
by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Graphical abstract. Credit: Cell Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111580 Scientists at the UNC School of Medicine and UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with a team from Queen Mary University of London, have illuminated the molecular events underlying an inherited movement and neurodegenerative disorder known as ARSACS—Autosomal...