Practically all brain functions are controlled through a finely tuned balance of neuronal excitation and inhibition. The main inhibitory neurotransmitter in vertebrates is gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA signals through two types of cell surface receptors: GABAA and GABAB, with GABAA receptors mediating millisecond-fast neurotransmission and GABAB receptors mediating slower signalling events. GABAA receptors were the […]
Insight on Research
Catching enzymes in the act of making an antibiotic
Enzymes are proteins that accelerate the conversion of substrate molecules into product molecules. Many enzymes accelerate reactions through formation of chemical bonds to their substrates, but the complexes formed this way are difficult to characterise, as they are intrinsically short-lived. In a new study, researchers from Jason Chin’s group in the LMB’s PNAC Division have […]
Making a cell-based factory for polymer synthesis
Researchers in Jason Chin’s group in the LMB’s PNAC Division have for the first time engineered and optimised a ‘stapled’ ribosome that can act as a cell-based factory for synthetic protein polymer synthesis. We are familiar with polymers in everyday life, from nylon to kevlar and plastics. Polymers are composed of chemical compounds strung together […]
A new tool using genetic code expansion to study circadian rhythms
Circadian rhythms dominate our lives through our daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness. These rhythms are controlled by a master clock in the brain: the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). Studying neuronal cell biology and how the SCN drives behaviour in humans and all animals has been made easier by the development of tools that allow rapid, […]
How replication of DNA is initiated at origins
We each replicate billions of metres of DNA every hour in our dividing cells and it is important that this DNA is replicated accurately. This requires a complex set of machinery called the replisome to unwind the paired strands of DNA allowing different polymerase enzymes to produce new copies. DNA replication is further complicated by […]
New insight into how membrane proteins are made
The human genome encodes thousands of proteins that are embedded in the membranes of all cells. These membrane proteins have numerous functions ranging from ion transport, to cell communication, to sensing odours, and others. In order to carry out these functions, they must be precisely oriented, folded, and assembled correctly. New research from Manu Hegde’s […]