Cellular Mechanism Involving Quality Protein Checks

(University of Bern, July 07, 2013)

A team of researchers from the University of Berne’s Department of Chemistry have found a new insight into cellular control mechanisms which prevent the production of defective proteins in our cells, referred to as “nonsense-mediated mRNA decay” (NMD). Currently, in collaboration with bioinformatics specialists from the Biozentrum Basel, biochemist David Zünd, a doctoral student on Oliver Mühlemann’s team, has demonstrated the contribution of a key protein: in the NMD process, the protein UPF1 (up-frameshift1) is recruited by all mRNAs, irrespective of whether they are in working order or damaged. These findings could help develop new therapeutic approaches towards genetic diseases. The research results have been published in two articles in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.