Cell: new research reveals the molecular mechanism of ALS

September 21, 2019 / BIOON / - a recent study found that RNA molecules often choose to "hitchhike" in order to carry out long-distance transport within cells RNA molecules may need to move a meter to move from the nucleus of nerve cells to the tip and make proteins However, the precise transfer of RNA has been a long-standing problem in this field, which has not been clearly revealed Now, Jennifer Lippincott Schwartz's team from the Howard Hughes Institute has found a new explanation: RNA molecules can transfer on subcellular structures called lysosomes, and the results are published in the latest issue of cell In addition, this work suggests that in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease, this transport mechanism can go wrong RNA transport is a key part of cell function Usually, it is sent to the place where it needs to encode the protein, and then translated into protein in this area Therefore, if the distribution of RNA in cells is not correct, the key proteins may not appear in the right place For large cells like neurons, the normal operation of this mechanism is particularly important (image source: www Pixabay Com) in healthy neurons, RNA molecules and proteins gather together to form "particles", which are easier to spread than a single RNA chain Then, a protein called annexin a11 works like a power adapter It can be locked on either standard membrane-bound organelles (such as lysosomes) or membrane-free structures (such as RNA particles) Lysosomes move easily in cells Using this convenience, RNA molecules can reach any part of the cell Lippincott Schwartz said people with ALS often have mutations in the gene for annexin a11 The mutation of the gene results in the inability of RNA particles to attach to the lysosome, so RNA cannot reach the place where protein is needed, and eventually neurons may not survive or send signals to other cells correctly Next, the researchers plan to study whether other proteins may function as annexin a11, and how RNA particles form and break down Information source: cellular hitchhikers may hold a key to understanding ALS information link: original source: Ya Cheng Liao, Michael S Fernando, Guozhen Wang, heegun Choi, Ling Hao, Catherine M drup, Rajan Patel, seema Qamar, Jonathan Nixon Abell, Yi Shen, William meadows, Michele vendruscolo, tumas P.J Knowles, Matthew Nelson, Magdalena A Czekalska, Greta Musteikyte, Mariam A Gachechiladze, Christina A Stephens, H Amalia Pasolli, Lucy R Forrest, Peter St George-Hyslop, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Michael E Ward RNA Granules Hitchhike on Lysosomes for Long-Distance Transport, Using Annexin A11 as a Molecular Tether Cell, 2019; 179 (1): 147 doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.050 original link: