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How plants regulate their protein balance

A specific protein complex regulates protein balance in plants, influencing their response to environmental stress. Researchers discovered that this process, known as N-terminal acetylation, maintains the stability of the plant proteome by controlling protein degradation and recycling.

SourceHeidelberg University·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 13, 2026

Boosting the cell’s own cleanup

Researchers have identified a new class of small molecules that boost the cell's natural recycling machinery to destroy an immune-modulating enzyme called IDO1. This approach takes a bolder approach than traditional drug design, eliminating disease-causing proteins altogether and opening up new possibilities for cancer treatment.

SourceCeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences·JournalNature Chemistry·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 7, 2026

Order from disordered proteins

A team of researchers developed a computational method that can design intrinsically disordered proteins with desired properties. The work uses automatic differentiation to optimize protein sequences and leverages molecular dynamics simulations for precision. This breakthrough has the potential to reveal new insights into diseases like...

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature Computational Science·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 6, 2025

How proteins bind to RNA: the dual mechanism of zinc fingers and disordered regions

Researchers discovered that disordered regions enhance specific RNA interactions in FUS protein-RNA complexes, revealing a breakthrough strategy for nucleic acid binding. The study suggests that intrinsically disordered regions actively contribute to the RNA-binding mechanism.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalJournal of Chemical Information and Modeling·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 28, 2025

Closing in on Parkinson’s Disease proteins in extracellular vesicles in the blood

Researchers have developed a new protocol to exclusively access and quantify proteins carried by extracellular vesicles in the blood. This breakthrough may lead to early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and other brain disorders, providing treatment opportunities before symptoms appear.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 1, 2024

Protein mutant stability can be inferred from AI-predicted structures

Researchers used AlphaFold2 to predict structural effects of mutations on protein stability, finding correlations between small structural changes and stability changes. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for protein engineering, enabling scientists to design proteins with specific functions more effectively.

SourceInstitute for Basic Science·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateAug 28, 2024

Toronto researchers devise new way to find proteins for targeted treatment of disease

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Sinai Health have created a new platform to identify proteins that can be co-opted to control the stability of other proteins. The study identified over 600 new effector proteins that could be used therapeutically, including those that can efficiently degrade or stabilize target proteins.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2024

Modulation of protein stability: a new approach to studying cosolvent effects

Researchers used molecular dynamics simulations to study how urea and alcohol induce structural changes in proteins, with a focus on stabilizing helices and coils. The team identified preferential binding parameters for both cosolvents, demonstrating opposing effects that can be predicted using computational methods.

SourceOkayama University·JournalProtein Science·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 19, 2023

Breaking DNA Goldilocks-style

Researchers at Kyoto University have discovered a phosphorylation pathway that regulates meiotic double-strand break activity, ensuring genome stability. Enzymes ATR kinase and PP4 phosphatase work together to maintain a balance of DNA breaks, allowing for successful meiosis.

SourceKyoto University·JournaleLife·TypeExperimental study·DateSep 5, 2022

How a virus packages its genetic material

A UC Riverside-led team developed a theory and performed simulations to understand how viruses package their genetic material. The research reveals that capsid proteins are inclined to form shells around viral RNAs due to lower stress distribution, which can aid in designing nanocontainers for drug delivery.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalACS Nano·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 9, 2022

Live wire: new research on nanoelectronics

A study by Arizona State University shows that certain proteins can act as efficient electrical conductors, outperforming DNA-based nanowires in conductance. The protein nanowires display better performance over long distances, enabling potential applications for medical sensing and diagnostics.

SourceArizona State University·JournalACS Nano·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 24, 2022

Empty spaces, how do they make a protein unstable?

Researchers used NMR spectroscopy and hydrostatic pressure to study the impact of internal cavities on protein stability. They found that filling these cavities with water destabilizes the protein, which has significant implications for industrial enzymes and biological drugs.

SourceAarhus University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 14, 2019

New gears in your sleep clock

Researchers find two opposing kinases regulating circadian clock, one stabilizing key protein PER2 and the other promoting its degradation. This discovery provides new targets for treating circadian disorders.

SourceKyoto University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 11, 2018

When proteins shake hands

Researchers from Jena University successfully created protein nanofibres with defined properties by combining two different proteins through a self-assembly process. The hybrid fibres can be used as components in biosensors, drug delivery particles, optical probes, or bone cements.

Sizzling snails prioritize protein stability

The study reveals that Echinolittorina snails have a unique enzyme structure that enables them to maintain protein stability at high temperatures, allowing them to thrive in hot environments. The researchers found that subtle differences in amino acid sequences between the snail proteins enabled them to remain functional and stable at ...

SourceThe Company of Biologists·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateMay 31, 2017

Rare proteins collapse earlier

A team of researchers led by Paola Picotti found that only a small fraction of key proteins denature at high temperatures, contradicting previous assumptions. This discovery has implications for understanding protein stability and potentially improving the performance of heat-resistant bacteria for industrial processes.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalScience·DateFeb 28, 2017

Dust mite allergens share rare combo of qualities

Researchers at Duke University and NIEHS discover that dust mite allergens are both more abundant and stable than non-allergenic proteins, which may lead to new allergy treatments or predict allergenic potential of artificially added proteins. This discovery could also help characterize disease states and study drug mode-of-action.

SourceDuke University·JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·DateOct 19, 2016

NIH study determines key differences between allergic and non-allergic dust mite proteins

A NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study found that dust mite allergens are more stable and abundant than other dust mite proteins. This discovery may lead to the development of new approaches for treating dust mite allergies, a common trigger for asthma.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences·JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·DateOct 19, 2016

Evolution is unpredictable and irreversible, Penn biologists show

Researchers found that genetic mutations accepted by evolution are contingent upon previous mutations, making predictions of long-term evolution challenging. The study also revealed that mutations become entrenched and increasingly difficult to revert over time, supporting the idea that evolution is unpredictable and irreversible.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 8, 2015