Computer program takes on protein puzzle

(PhysOrg.com) -- All proteins self-assemble in a fraction of the blink of an eye, but it can take a long time to mimic the process. And there has been no guarantee of success, even with the most powerful computers - until ...

Now researchers can see how unfolded proteins move in the cell

When a large protein unfolds in transit through a cell, it slows down and can get stuck in traffic. Using a specialized microscope—a sort of cellular traffic camera—University of Illinois chemists now can watch the way ...

Cells put off protein production during times of stress

Living cells are like miniature factories, responsible for the production of more than 25,000 different proteins with very specific 3-D shapes. And just as an overwhelmed assembly line can begin making mistakes, a stressed ...

A tale of two roads into protein unfolding

You are taking a class on origami and Mr. Otaki asks you to fold that little red piece of paper into a very elaborate design. You have to do it in a very short time. You try your best but you fail. Your origami sucks!

Hsp90—more than just a chaperone

Researchers from the Verstreken lab (VIB-KU Leuven) have identified a completely novel function for Hsp90, one of the most common and most studied proteins in our body. In addition to its well-known role as a protein chaperone, ...

Misfolded proteins serve as 'inherited memory' of toxic insults

Protein aggregates have a bad reputation in conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, but in bacteria, inheritance of aggregates by daughter cells may help protect against the same toxic stresses that ...

Scientists find way to block stress-related cell death

Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have uncovered a potentially important new therapeutic target that could prevent stress-related cell death, a characteristic of neurodegenerative diseases ...

Protein determines life or death fate of stressed cells

Researchers discovered a new protein involved in the process that determines the fate of cells under stress and whether they fight to survive or sacrifice themselves for the greater good.

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