SCOTTISH experts at the University of Dundee have made a critical new understanding into how cells stay healthy.
The study has discovered how cells control the production of proteins that dot the surface of cells.
The findings, found in collaboration with the University of Leeds, have been published in the science journal Nature.
Proteins do a lot of work in cells, but if the molecular machines (ribosomes) that make proteins encounter difficulties, then proteins that cause harm to cellular function may be created.
Quality control systems within cells work to fix these issues to ensure protein synthesis (the creation of proteins) and cellular health.
Until now, it has been a mystery as to how cells manage protein synthesis at the membrane.
Researchers at the Kulathu lab at the University of Dundee, alongside Prof. Elton Zeqiraj’s lab at the University of Leeds, have uncovered a complex known as UFM1 Ribosome E3 Ligase (UREL).
Central to the discovery is the process of small proteins called UFM1 attaching themselves to ribosomes – known as UFMylation.
The UREL complex modifies the ribosomes with UFM1 and then releases stalled (damaged) ribosomes from the membrane.
Researchers are now able to visualise this complex which will provide insights into its structure and function.
Principal Investigator, Professor Yogesh Kulathu, said: “This work not only elucidates the function of UFMylation but also reveals the unique nature of the UREL E3 ligase complex, paving the way for new therapeutic interventions.”
The University of Dundee have said that the findings of this study “opens new avenues for research into understanding and treating a range of diseases linked to protein homeostasis”.
