Ribosome News and Research

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New therapy to mitigate fragile X syndrome may be on the horizon

An antisense therapy developed by Joel D. Richter, PhD, Sneha Shah, PhD, and Jonathan K. Watts, PhD, at UMass Chan Medical School and Elizabeth Berry-Kravis, MD, PhD, at RUSH University Medical Center, restores production of the protein FMRP in cell samples taken from patients with fragile X syndrome.

5 Jul 2023

Deciphering a biochemical mechanism explains the center of protein factories

Based on genetic blueprints, individual amino acids are assembled into long amino acid chains, the proteins, in the protein factories of our cells, the ribosomes. Each newly formed protein starts with the amino acid methionine.

23 Jun 2023

Retooling the cell's polypeptide manufacturing plants to generate polymer chains

Synthetic biologists have become increasingly creative in engineering yeast or bacteria to churn out useful chemicals -; from fuels to fabrics and drugs -; beyond the normal repertoire of microbes.

13 Jun 2023

Scientists uncover key molecular culprit in ALS: PEG10 gene implicated in pathogenesis

UBQLN2 dysfunction in ALS leads to elevated PEG10 levels, suggesting a role for retrotransposon activity in the disease. PEG10's nuclear localization alters gene expression involved in axon remodeling, implicating it as a contributing mechanism in ALS.

7 Jun 2023

The universal role of Nsp1: Common mechanisms of translational shutdown by coronaviruses

Researchers investigate Nsp1 from SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and Bat-Hp-CoV using biophysical, structural, and biochemical assays.

5 Jun 2023

GPR141 drives breast tumorigenesis by inducing tumor cell properties via the p-mTOR1/p53 axis

A new research paper was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on May 19, 2023, entitled, "G-protein-coupled receptor 141 mediates breast cancer proliferation and metastasis by regulating oncogenic mediators and the p-mTOR/p53 axis."

23 May 2023

Mutation in a ribosomal protein leads to impaired cardiac contractility in mice

A team of researchers have discovered that a mutation in a ribosomal protein found specifically in heart and skeletal muscle leads to impaired cardiac contractility in mice.

19 May 2023

Reviving a forgotten antibiotic: Old drug shows new promise against superbugs

Research discusses the activity spectrum of nourseothricin and its components, S-F and S-D, against drug-resistant, gram-negative pathogens. S-F showed promising activity against NDM-1-expressing Klebsiella pneumoniae Nevada strain with minimal toxicity, and it probes the A-decoding site potentially accounting for its miscoding activity.

17 May 2023

Repair crews may move in to help fix the oxidative damage in protein factories

In a discovery fundamental to the inner workings of cells, scientists have discovered that if oxidative stress damages protein factories called ribosomes, repair crews may move in to help fix the damage so work can quickly resume.

24 Apr 2023

Study reveals molecular mechanisms that give bacteria its 'superpowers' against antibiotics

A species of ordinary gut bacteria that we all carry flourishes when the intestinal flora is knocked out by a course of antibiotics. Since the bacteria is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, it causes problems, particularly in healthcare settings.

17 Apr 2023

Is mRNA decoding in humans structurally and kinetically distinct from bacteria?

Researchers examined molecular-level differences in ribosomal translational fidelity between humans and bacteria.

7 Apr 2023

Novel RNA sense-and-respond circuit harnesses the force of enzymes to develop better drugs

More than twelve billion doses of mRNA vaccines have been administered globally since the start of the COVID pandemic, saving millions of lives. But RNA-based therapies for other diseases have so far proven more challenging to develop.

20 Mar 2023

Exploring airway-to-brain sensory pathways in influenza-induced illness

In a recent study published in the Nature journal, researchers assessed the role of the airway-to-brain sensory pathways in influenza-induced illness.

13 Mar 2023

Newfound mechanism helps the heart to toggle between maintenance and energy-boost mode

Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona have discovered a mechanism involving ribosomes which helps the heart toggle between a 'regular maintenance mode' for day-to-day function and an 'energy-boost mode' which aids recovery for high-demand situations including heart attacks.

7 Mar 2023

Using the origami technique to design RNA nanostructures

Researchers from Aarhus University and Berkeley Laboratory have designed RNA molecules, that folds into nanoscale rectangles, cylinders, and satellites, and have studied their 3D structure and dynamics with advanced nanotechnological methods.

28 Feb 2023

New method for capturing moments during protein translation

Nascent polypeptide chains or polypeptidyl-tRNAs (pep-tRNAs) occur transiently during protein synthesis. The potential to study these intermediates and better understand their role in processes like gene regulation has been greatly enhanced by the development of a process termed PETEOS—short for peptidyl-tRNA enrichment using organic extraction and silica adsorption.

10 Feb 2023

Researchers use single-cell RNA-sequencing to study the aging peripheral blood in mice

A new research paper was published on the cover of Aging (listed as "Aging (Albany NY)" by Medline/PubMed and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 1, entitled, "Single-cell transcriptomics of peripheral blood in the aging mouse."

18 Jan 2023

Study offers novel insights into the elongation dynamics of eukaryotic cells

Life depends on the precise functioning of several proteins synthesized in cells by ribosomes. This diverse set of proteins, known as a proteome, is maintained by the robust translation elongation of amino acid sequences taking place in the ribosomes.

5 Jan 2023

What is the role of SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 2 in repressing host antiviral immunity?

Researchers uncovered a novel mechanism that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other coronaviruses (CoVs) use to exploit host antiviral immune system to facilitate their replication.