In the body, so-called programmed cell death prevents cells with irreparable damage from surviving and turning into cancer cells. In the “EMBO Journal”, researchers at the University of Basel’s Biozentrum, report how a certain protein variant thwarts the self-destruction and thus promotes the growth of breast cancer cells.
A research team has uncovered a genetic signature that enables cells to adapt their protein production according to their state. The researchers of the University of Basel’s Biozentrum report in “Genome Biology” that this newly discovered mechanism plays a role in the regulation of protein production during cell division.
The translation of the genetic code into proteins is a vital process in any cell. Prof. Mihaela Zavolan’s team at the Biozentrum, University of Basel, has now uncovered important factors that influence the speed of protein synthesis in the cell. The results, recently published in “PNAS”, serve as a basis to better analyze translational control in a wide range of cell types.