PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Bigger, better, faster

3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy

2013-10-24
(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.



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:

Being consistently physically active in adulthood linked to 30–40% lower risk of death

Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks

Children’s social care involvement common to nearly third of UK mums who died during perinatal period

‘Support, not judgement’: Study explores links between children’s social care involvement and maternal deaths

Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care

Major progress in fertility preservation after treatment for cancer of the lymphatic system

Fewer complications after additional ultrasound in pregnant women who feel less fetal movement

Environmental impact of common pesticides seriously underestimated

The Milky Way could be teeming with more satellite galaxies than previously thought

New study reveals surprising reproductive secrets of a cricket-hunting parasitoid fly

Media Tip Sheet: Symposia at ESA2025

NSF CAREER Award will power UVA engineer’s research to improve drug purification

Tiny parasitoid flies show how early-life competition shapes adult success

New coating for glass promises energy-saving windows

Green spaces boost children’s cognitive skills and strengthen family well-being

Ancient trees dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon

Study findings help hone precision of proven CVD risk tool

Most patients with advanced melanoma who received pre-surgical immunotherapy remain alive and disease free four years later

Introducing BioEmu: A generative AI Model that enables high-speed and accurate prediction of protein structural ensembles

Replacing mutated microglia with healthy microglia halts progression of genetic neurological disease in mice and humans

New research shows how tropical plants manage rival insect tenants by giving them separate ‘flats’

Condo-style living helps keep the peace inside these ant plants

Climate change action could dramatically limit rising UK heatwave deaths

Annual heat-related deaths projected to increase significantly due to climate and population change

Researchers discover new way cells protect themselves from damage

Rivers choose their path based on erosion — a discovery that could transform flood planning and restoration

New discovery reveals dopamine operates with surgical precision, not as a broad signal

New AI tool gives a helping hand to x ray diagnosis

New Leicester study reveals hidden heart risks in women with Type 2 Diabetes

Over 400 different types of nerve cell have been grown – far more than ever before

[Press-News.org] Bigger, better, faster
3D structure reveals protein's Swiss-army knife strategy