New research from the LMB’s Cell Biology and Structural Studies Divisions has answered a long-standing problem in molecular biology: how does the ribosome decode the signals to stop protein synthesis? In cells, all proteins are produced by ribosomes that ‘read’ messenger RNA (mRNA) one codon, or three nucleotides, at a time. Protein translation terminates when […]
Insight on Research
New body clock regulatory pathway discovered
In a long-standing collaborative effort, groups at MRC Harwell, the LMB, and the University of Oxford have discovered a new genetic mechanism in the circadian body clock that could have important implications for research in mental health and psychiatric disease. Biological clocks run in all our cells, controlling the timing of a number of crucial […]
How phosphorylated ubiquitin activates Parkin
Early-onset Parkinson’s disease arises when the Parkin protein, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, cannot be activated and remains in a permanently ‘off’ state in neurons. Despite the importance of Parkin activation, until recently no-one has understood how the protein could be switched on. David Komander’s group, in the LMB’s Protein and Nucleic Acid Chemistry Division, has […]
First RNAi meiosis screen in mammals reveals genes essential to generate eggs
During fertilisation, an egg and a sperm fuse to form a new embryo. To create the egg, a precursor cell called an oocyte undergoes meiosis: a specialised form of cell division in which half the chromosomes are separated away leaving exactly the right number of chromosomes in the egg. Meiosis in human oocytes is highly […]
Revealing how GPCRs activate Gα proteins.
G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) mediated signalling is one of the largest and the most diverse signalling pathways in cellular systems. Human GPCRs sense various signals and activate different Gα proteins to trigger distinct cellular responses. This signalling pathway is important for a broad range of processes such as regulation of the immune system, neurotransmission, […]
Structure of the human 20S proteasome with a ligand revealed by cryo-EM
The proteasome is a protein recycling complex that plays a critical role in the smooth running of our cells. It is present in all multicellular organisms and facilitates cell renewal and the controlled death of damaged cells. Paula da Fonseca, from the LMB’s Structural Studies Division, and Edward Morris, from the Institute of Cancer Research, […]