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Scientists discover a previously unknown way in which cells break down proteins

2023-08-28 18:35:00, Shëndeti CNA

Scientists discover a previously unknown way in which cells break down proteins

Scientists have discovered a previously unknown mechanism by which cells break down proteins that are no longer needed.

Short-lived proteins control gene expression in cells to perform a variety of vital tasks, from helping the brain form connections to helping the body mount an immune defense. However, once they have done their job, they are quickly destroyed. But the process by which these proteins are broken down and removed from cells has eluded scientists for decades - until now.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School have identified a protein called midnolin that plays a key role in the degradation of many short-lived nuclear proteins. The study shows that midnol does this by directly grabbing proteins and pulling them into the cell's waste disposal system, called the proteasome, where they are destroyed.

The research team was surprised and skeptical about their results, so, for confirmation, they wanted to understand exactly how midnolin targets and degrades so many different proteins.

In the short term, the researchers want to dig deeper into the mechanism they discovered. They are planning structural studies to better understand the fine-scale details of how midnolin captures and degrades proteins. They are also making mice lacking midnolin to understand the protein's role in different cells and stages of development.

The team says the findings, published in  Science  , have great translational potential. The results may provide a pathway that researchers can use to control the levels of transcription factors, thereby modifying gene expression and, in turn, related processes in the body./ CNA





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