Thanoshi Balasuriya
10/20/13
Author: unknown; based on materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine, via Newswise.
Published: October 20th, 2013
URL: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131020160500.htm
Summary:
Peter Devreotes, a professor and director at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine, and other co-workers found out that cell movement caused by the cytoskeleton isn't only organized by the messenger proteins on the outside of the cell; the movement is reliant on the proteins. Before, it was thought that the movement depended on the sensor proteins. However, through the experiments carried out by the team at John Hopkins, the data showed that the cell kept moving even though it was random movement when only the sensor proteins were eliminated, but when only the messenger proteins were inhibited, the cell did not move anywhere. This showed that the sensor proteins tell the messenger proteins to direct the cytoskeleton to move in a certain direction, but the messenger proteins were what initially cause the movement whether it is random or controlled by sensor proteins. This discovery could lead to stopping cancer metastasis, which is the spread of cancer from one organ to another part of the body, since scientists could now create medicines to paralyze the messenger proteins of the cancer cell instead of only the sensor proteins in order to stop cell movement.
Connections:
This article connects to our study of cell structure. We have discussed the cytoskeleton which is a structure of the cell directly inside from the cell membrane which gives the cell some support and also helps the cell move. Cell movement is important for the cell to be able to reach other parts of the organism's body or in order for the cell to interact with other cells. Also, we briefly talked about the different kinds of proteins on or in the cell membrane which can be used for transport or other jobs, such as marker proteins used for self recognition, receptor proteins used for receiving messages, and channel proteins used for regulating or transporting the large charged particles into and out of the cell through the semi-permeable cell membrane. In this article, the sensor proteins and the messenger proteins are types of receptor proteins and they communicate with the cell's surroundings as well as with each other, or in the case of the messenger proteins, the cytoskeleton.
Will the process of freezing the messenger proteins of a cancer cell simply stop the cell movement or could it potentially destroy a cancer cell?
ReplyDeleteThe process of freezing the messenger proteins in a cell, in general including cancer cells, would keep the cell's cytoskeleton from being able to function properly and move the cell. This would be the direct cause of freezing the proteins. However, this would probably indirectly cause the inability to perform other important processes, such as reproduction, gaining nutrients or losing waste, which would then end up with the destruction of the cell. Without movement and motility, the cell is quite helpless. I would think that this would apply to all cells, including cancer cells, but I wasn't able to find anything that specifically talked about the freezing of the messenger proteins in a cancer cell.
DeleteThis link is a document that is addressing the importance of cell motility. There are many examples of proteins which affect cell movement addressed within the document.
http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/biochemistry/CustomCf/Faculty/ImportanceOfCellMotility.pdf
Who was the first to come up with the "old" idea that the movement of the cytoskeleton depended on sensor proteins? When and how did they come up with the conclusion?
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