Washington, May 31 (ANI): A new study has shown that the decades-long understanding of the relationship between protein structure and cell movement is flawed, by solving the structure of a protein that cuts power to the cell 'motor'.
The protein could be a potential drug target for future malaria and anti-cancer treatments.
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute studied the structure of actin-depolymerising factor 1 (ADF1), a key protein involved in controlling the movement of malaria parasites.
Dr Jake Baum said actin-depolymerising factors (ADFs) and their genetic regulators have long been known to be involved in controlling cell movement, including the movement of malaria parasites and movement of cancer cells through the body. Anti-cancer treatments that exploit this knowledge are under development.
"ADFs help the cell to recycle actin, a protein which controls critical functions such as cell motility, muscle contraction, and cell division and signaling," Dr Baum said.
"Actin has unusual properties, being able to spontaneously form polymers which are used by cells to engage internal molecular motors - much like a clutch does in the engine of your car. A suite of accessory proteins control how the clutch is engaged, including those that dismantle or 'cut' these polymers, such as ADF1.
"For many years research in yeast, plants and humans has suggested that the ability of ADFs to dismantle actin polymers - effectively disengaging the clutch - required a small molecular 'finger' to break the actin in two," Dr Baum said.
"However, when we looked at the malaria ADF1 protein, we were surprised to discover that it lacked this molecular 'finger', yet remarkably was still able to cut the polymers. We discovered that a previously overlooked part of the protein, effectively the 'knuckle' of the finger-like protrusion, was responsible for dismantling the actin; we then discovered this 'hidden' domain was present across all ADFs."
Dr Baum said the new knowledge will give researchers a much clearer understanding of one of the fundamental steps governing how cells across all species grow, divide and, importantly, move.
The study was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. (ANI)
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