Cell: the molecular mechanism of protein aggregation induced by heat shock

September 15, 2015 / BIOON/ --When a cell is exposed to high non lethal temperature, the protein aggregation in the cell will form, which seems to be a form of response to pressure, but the accumulation of damaged proteins does not seem to be destroyed in the process of formation Recently, in a research paper published in the international journal Cell, researchers from the University of Chicago and Harvard University conducted research on It is found that when the cells return to normal temperature, this kind of protein aggregation can be completely reversed and restored, and the aggregated proteins can be untied and restored to their normal functions This study provides a new way to reveal the biological nature of protein aggregation Despite years of research, researchers seem to be unable to explain why cells respond to heat shock When cells are exposed to stress, some cellular proteins aggregate to form stress particles The study of mutant cell lines shows that special types of stress particles can be destroyed by the recovery of cells and their protein components In order to further study the impact of heat shock on natural protein population, Drummond and his colleagues used a new technology and equipment to simultaneously track 1000 different mature proteins of yeast cells The team exposed the cells to 30 degrees (normal) to 46 degrees (severe heat shock state), and the exposure time was 2-8 minutes Then, the intracellular proteins were measured by mass spectrometry and other tools Protein aggregation Later, the researchers identified more than 175 different proteins that aggregate in response to heat shock, about one sixth of which were measured, 10 times as much as before; special proteins can form stress granules in special and isolated cell positions, but the team also found that in many cases, protein aggregation occurs, but stress granules However, the granules do not produce, which indicates that protein aggregation and the formation of stress granules are related, but they lack independent processes Based on previous research, the researchers speculate that the main purpose of protein aggregation in heat shock is to reconstruct the cell factory, focusing on the protein synthesis system in the process of pressure; in some cases, proteins can act as spontaneous thermometers and regulators, to sense temperature and carry out self-assembly to activate or inactivate some cell functions 。 Dr Edward Wallace pointed out that heat induced protein aggregation may be a marker of adaptive response, which is illustrated by our study at the organelle level At the same time, this paper also raises some fascinating questions, such as what is the essence of protein aggregation? And how does protein aggregation occur in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases? At present, researchers are trying to explain the biological function of protein aggregation, especially the role of its regulator in cell function In the future, researchers will also clarify the mechanism of protein aggregation through more research, or provide help for the development of new therapies against human diseases This article is the original compilation of Biovalley, welcome to reprint! Please indicate the source of the reprint and attach the original link For more information, please download Biovalley app