Mitochondrial Malfunction Related to Parkinson's, Perhaps

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital in Canada have found evidence that links Parkinson's genes to the functionality of the mitochondria, according to embo, a website that collects life science research.  Parkinson's is a disease in which the central nervous system degenerates.

PINK1 helps protect the mitochondria during times of high stress, or low oxygen, while the Parkin gene (in the non-mutant form) helps target proteins for degradation.

The picture, found in the abstract on embo, shows the hypothesis proposed: these genes usually regulate the degradation of proteins, but when they malfunction, as in the mutant forms associated with Parkinson's, the proteins build up in the mitochondria and cause malfunction.

This could have implications for treating Parkinson's, and suggests that if this is indeed the source of the disease, perhaps a regulatory chemical (drug) could be used to slow or stop the progression, or even the onset of Parkinson's. Perhaps.

Ribosome Structure Less of a Mystery

Photo credit: Center for Molecular Biology  of RNA at the University of RNA at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopes, researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich have been able to look at parts of the structure of mitochondrial ribosomes from Mammalian cells, according to redorbit.com .

Ribosomes are responsible for transcribing RNA into proteins in cells, and understanding their structure could be key to understanding not just specific mechanical questions, but also some protein diseases. It may help answer questions, such as why particular mutations arise, especially in start and stop codons. Of course, understanding genetic causes does not guarantee a cure, but it does offer progress.

The Zurich team has provided comprehensive images of the small (40S) ribosomal subunit structure on their website, as well as a more detailed description of their findings.  Studies are ongoing and they hope to map the structure of the larger, (60S) subunit as well.

Welcome to The Organelle, your source for new information in cell biology, specializing in organelles. The past decade has been revolutionary as far as science goes, and the cell has been no exception. In fact, just a couple weeks ago, Radboud University in Nijmegen reported creating the first plastic cell with organelles that functioned, carrying out steps of a chemical reaction in sequence as they might in a biological cell. Of course, what makes organelles so useful to cells is that they can divide chemical reactions into strategic steps. Other posts should be more timely, but this is an example of what I would like to talk about!