Scientists Discover a Protein’s Step-By-Step Activation Process

A group of scientists from different institutions has discovered a protein's step-by-step activation process. The results of this study can be used for future therapeutic purposes.

Researchers from Ohio State University, California Institute of Technology, and Case Western Reserve University studied the protein SPARTA, which is a short prokaryotic Argonaute (also known as Ago). This research is the first to provide a short Argonaute's detailed structures and mechanisms. The group of Argonaute proteins is suggested to be involved in gene silencing or RNA interference.

"Among the capabilities we've identified is this protein's precise role in the way bacteria trigger their own death to avoid losing power over their lifecycle through plasmid invasion. Understanding these types of mechanisms is the first step toward efforts to adapt highly effective natural functions for diagnostics and therapies," said Tianmin Fu, the senior author of the study.

For more information, read the journal article in Nature.