A new study reveals that protein aggregates accumulate in the proteome of C. elegans as it ages, overwhelming the machinery of protein quality control and impairing cell function. However, long-lived worms deposit surplus proteins in insoluble aggregates enriched with molecular chaperones, which may help maintain healthy aging.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry have analyzed the protein composition of the DNA replication machinery in response to damaged DNA. They found that over 90 proteins are recruited to aid in repair, including many known factors as well as new proteins with unknown functions.
Researchers have visualized protein degradation in intact nerve cells for the first time, using electron cryo-tomography to distinguish single proteasomes within the cell. The study reveals that only a minority of proteasomes are actively degrading proteins, with most remaining idle.
Researchers identified a new cellular disposal mechanism that efficiently destroys toxic protein aggregates, such as those found in Huntington's disease. This discovery may help develop concepts for possible disease preventions and shed light on the mechanisms behind human neurodegenerative diseases.
The study reveals that chaperones, like GroEL and GroES, use a high-speed origami-like mechanism to accelerate protein folding. This process, which was previously thought to be energetically unfavorable, is now understood to be a favorable reaction, allowing proteins to fold faster than they are produced.
Researchers found that mechanical tension is established shortly after muscle-tendon contact, providing positional information for sarcomere formation. Without tension, muscles fail to build regular myofibrils, resulting in chaotic protein distribution.
Researchers have uncovered a complex emergency program designated to save single cells and thus the organism itself when exposed to life-threatening conditions. The protein HSF1 plays a central role in coordinating this process.
The 'brain-chip' from Martinsried allows biophysicists to visualize the influence of pharmaceutical compounds on neural networks. This breakthrough enables a novel test system for brain and drug research, advancing neurochip prosthetics and neurocomputation.