All articles tagged with #ribosome
Explores the RNA world hypothesis, showing how RNA catalysis and ribozymes—and a ribosomal RNA core—support an RNA-first origin of life, while outlining prebiotic pathways from simple molecules like hydrogen cyanide and noting competing ideas such as amyloid scaffolds and the ongoing uncertainty about proving the theory.
Researchers have discovered a protein called Balon that can halt protein production in cells, inducing dormancy. Found in Arctic bacteria, Balon is common across many organisms and represents a novel mechanism for dormancy, crucial for survival in harsh conditions. This discovery could help engineer organisms to withstand climate change and reframes dormancy as a vital, universal survival strategy.
Scientists have delved into the workings of the ribosome, the protein-making machine found in every cell, aiming to understand its assembly process and potential malfunctions. A team of researchers from the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Protein Research has published a study in Nature Communications, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms of this essential cellular component.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and Harvard University have developed a new antibiotic, cresomycin, that effectively suppresses drug-resistant bacteria by evading their defenses. The antibiotic, described in Science, targets the ribosome and is designed to overcome common bacterial resistance mechanisms. In animal experiments, cresomycin protected against infections with multidrug-resistant strains of common disease-causing bacteria. The next step is to assess its effectiveness and safety in humans, highlighting the critical role of structural biology in designing the next generation of antibiotics.
Researchers have made atomic coordinates and cryo-EM maps available for complexes involved in mRNA reading frame maintenance during eukaryotic ribosome translocation. The study sheds light on the mechanisms of translation elongation and the role of GTP hydrolysis in translocation, providing insights into the fidelity of mRNA translation and potential targets for selective inhibition of protein synthesis.
Scientists are hacking the genetic code to expand the number of amino acids that can be used to create proteins, which could lead to the development of new materials and therapeutics. By modifying the cellular machinery responsible for protein synthesis, researchers have been able to incorporate non-canonical amino acids into proteins, creating molecules with new properties. They have also used this approach to create polymers and to genetically isolate cells. While much of this work has been done in vitro, researchers are working to apply these techniques to living cells and to create entirely new polymers with the same level of sequence definition as proteins.