Biochemical controls: cell control of mRNA (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, August 25, 2023, 20:42 (456 days ago) @ David Turell

More intracellular complexity:

https://phys.org/news/2023-08-modification-mrna-cellular-protein-synthesis.html

"RNA has a central role in the cell's protein production. New research shows that RNA can be changed through various chemical modifications, the function of which is unknown to most.

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"'Our findings show that already from the production of an mRNA (during transcription), the cell can put on chemical modifications that can control how that mRNA is translated into protein," says Chiara Pederiva, postdoc at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet and the study's first author.

"'Our findings reveal that an RNA modification called pseudouridylation controls how quickly mRNA is translated into protein. We show which enzyme performs this modification (dyskerin), when it occurs in the cell (already during transcription) and what happens if this modification does not occur (abnormal protein production).

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"This provides important information about one of the cell's most central processes—protein production—and how the cell can control protein production in the cytoplasm right from the transcription of mRNA, which takes place in the cell nucleus.

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"The importance of RNA modifications for cellular processes and disease development is a research field in its infancy. These new findings raise the knowledge to a new level and can help in the development of new therapies."

Comment: we still do not know the full extent of intracellular complexity which must be seen as requiring design.