(Press-News.org) Contact information: Sonia Neves
sonia.furtado@embl.de
European Molecular Biology Laboratory
Bigger, better, faster
3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy
The molecular machine that makes essential components of ribosomes – the cell's protein factories – is like a Swiss-army knife, researchers at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas in Madrid, Spain, have found. By determining the 3-dimensional structure of this machine, called RNA polymerase I, for the first time, the scientists found that it incorporates modules which prevent it from having to recruit outside help. The findings, published online today in Nature, can help explain why this protein works faster than its better-studied counterpart, RNA polymerase II.
"Rather than recruiting certain components from outside, RNA polymerase I has them already built in, which explains why it is bigger, and less regulated, but at the same time more efficient," says Christoph Müller from EMBL, who led the study. "Because everything is already assembled, there's no time delay," explains Maria Moreno-Morcillo, who carried out the work.
There are three different RNA polymerases, each of which makes specific types of RNA molecule. For example, RNA polymerase II makes messenger RNA – the 'middle-man' that carries the information encoded in DNA to a ribosome where it can be used to make a protein. RNA polymerases I and III make parts of the machinery which reads that messenger RNA: I builds the RNA that will eventually form a ribosome, while III makes the transfer RNA that carries the protein building blocks to the ribosome for assembly. Scientists have known for over a decade what RNA polymerase II looks like and how it works, but obtaining detailed information on the structures of its counterparts has proven extremely difficult. Now that they have managed to do so for RNA polymerase I, Müller and colleagues have found explanations for some of the protein's particularities.
Part of the difficulty in studying RNA polymerase I is that it is a larger molecule than RNA polymerase II. When they determined its 3-dimensional structure, the scientists found that some of the 'extra' modules in RNA polymerase I are remarkably similar to other, separate proteins that RNA polymerase II needs to do its job. It seems that RNA polymerase I has brought those helper modules permanently on board. In another part of the molecule, Müller and colleagues found that RNA polymerase I appears to have combined what in RNA polymerase II are two separate modules into a single, multi-tasking component. Together, these changes likely explain why RNA polymerase I can produce RNA molecules at a faster rate than RNA polymerase II.
The findings also imply that the cell has fewer ways of controlling RNA polymerase I's activity, since it can't influence it by changing the availability of helper proteins as it does in the case of RNA polymerase II. But here, too, RNA polymerase I's Swiss-army knife strategy provides a solution. The structure showed that this molecular machine has a built-in regulatory mechanism: it can stop itself from attaching to DNA by bending a loop in its structure to block the space the DNA would usually dock onto.
INFORMATION:
The work was carried out in collaboration with Carlos Fernández-Tornero's lab at the Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas in Madrid, Spain, as well as researchers at the University of Gӧttingen, Germany and the SOLEIL synchrotron in France, where some of the structural data was obtained. Structural data was also obtained at the Petra III ring at EMBL Hamburg, on the DESY campus in Germany.
Christoph Müller recently received an Advanced Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to study RNA polymerase I and the proteins it interacts with.
Bigger, better, faster
3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy
2013-10-24
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Deadly gaps persist in new drug development for neglected diseases
2013-10-24
Deadly gaps persist in new drug development for neglected diseases
New study shows that, despite some progress, only 4 percent of new drugs and vaccines approved 2000-2011 were for neglected diseases, and a 'fatal imbalance' remains in R&D for many neglected ...
Coyote more likely to make a meal out of moose than we thought: Study
2013-10-24
Coyote more likely to make a meal out of moose than we thought: Study
This news release is available in French. It has long been believed that coyotes were incapable of taking down an adult moose, but researchers have recently discovered ...
Better sex in return for good gifts
2013-10-24
Better sex in return for good gifts
A male spider that gives its selected female a nuptial gift is allowed to mate with her for a longer period of time and provide more sperm than a male that fails to come with a gift
Culinary gifts
The male's nuptial gift consists ...
Mayo Clinic study: Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance
2013-10-24
Mayo Clinic study: Uterine fibroids have significant impact on quality of life, workplace performance
Fibroids found to be a public health issue for African-American women who have more symptoms, longer time to diagnosis and greater need for information
ROCHESTER, ...
Experts clarify conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome
2013-10-24
Experts clarify conflicting criteria for diagnosing polycystic ovary syndrome
Endocrine Society publishes Clinical Practice Guideline on diagnosis, treatment of leading cause of infertility
Chevy Chase, MD—The Endocrine Society today issued a Clinical Practice ...
Unleashing the power of the crowd
2013-10-24
Unleashing the power of the crowd
McGill online game expands to connect global scientific community with citizen scientists
Over the past three years, 300,000 gamers have helped scientists with genomic research by playing Phylo, an online puzzle game. Now Jérôme ...
EORTC study suggests detecting ERG gene deletion useful for risk stratification in childhood ALL
2013-10-24
EORTC study suggests detecting ERG gene deletion useful for risk stratification in childhood ALL
Results of EORTC trial 58951 suggest that detecting ERG gene deletion at diagnosis of childhood B-cell precursor (BCP) acute lymphoblastic leukemia ...
Natural dyes from common (and a few uncommon) ingredients: A new video by the American Chemical Society
2013-10-24
Natural dyes from common (and a few uncommon) ingredients: A new video by the American Chemical Society
From crimson red to lavender to mustard yellow, vibrant hues can be coaxed from common — and a few uncommon — ingredients to add color to fabrics. The ...
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smokeless tobacco products
2013-10-24
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in smokeless tobacco products
New study shows that the concentration of polycyclic aromatic
A new study shows that the concentration of polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smokeless tobacco products (STPs) ...
New testing strategy detects population-wide vitamin and mineral deficiencies
2013-10-24
New testing strategy detects population-wide vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Could speed mass intervention in developing countries
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that levels of certain proteins in the bloodstream may be used to estimate levels of essential ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
AI algorithm based on routine mammogram + age can predict women’s major cardiovascular disease risk
New hurdle seen to prostate screening: primary-care docs
MSU researchers explore how virtual sports aid mental health
Working together, cells extend their senses
Cheese fungi help unlock secrets of evolution
Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking
Mental health effects of exposure to firearm violence persist long after direct exposure
Research identifies immune response that controls Oropouche infection and prevents neurological damage
University of Cincinnati, Kent State University awarded $3M by NSF to share research resources
Ancient DNA reveals deeply complex Mastodon family and repeated migrations driven by climate change
Measuring the quantum W state
Researchers find a way to use antibodies to direct T cells to kill Cytomegalovirus-infected cells
Engineers create mini microscope for real-time brain imaging
Funding for training and research in biological complexity
The Journal of Nuclear Medicine Ahead-of-Print Tip Sheet: September 12, 2025
ISSCR statement on the scientific and therapeutic value of human fetal tissue research
Novel PET tracer detects synaptic changes in spinal cord and brain after spinal cord injury
Wiley advances Knowitall Solutions with new trendfinder application for user-friendly chemometric analysis and additional enhancements to analytical workflows
Benchmark study tracks trends in dog behavior
OpenAI, DeepSeek, and Google vary widely in identifying hate speech
Research spotlight: Study identifies a surprising new treatment target for chronic limb threatening ischemia
Childhood loneliness and cognitive decline and dementia risk in middle-aged and older adults
Parental diseases of despair and suicidal events in their children
Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older adults
Acupuncture treatment improves disabling effects of chronic low back pain in older adults
How interstellar objects similar to 3I/ATLAS could jump-start planet formation around infant stars
Rented e-bicycles more dangerous than e-scooters in cities
Ditches as waterways: Managing ‘ditch-scapes’ to strengthen communities and the environment
In-situ molecular passivation enables pure-blue perovskite LEDs via vacuum thermal evaporation
Microscopes can now watch materials go quantum with liquid helium
[Press-News.org] Bigger, better, faster3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy