Scientists have discovered that a protein known as PEPT2 protects the brains of mice from a naturally occurring but potentially toxic compound present in lead poisoning and in a class of liver diseases that can cause serious neurological complications.
Scientists at the University of Michigan found that when dosed with the compound called 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), mice without the PEPT2 protein died sooner, had neuromuscular dysfunction, and had up to 30 times higher concentrations of the toxic compound in their cerebrospinal fluid than did mice with the PEPT2.
PEPT2 is part of a class of membrane proteins called transporter proteins. The research focuses on understanding how these proteins work so that eventually, transporter proteins can be used to deliver different compounds to or from areas of the body in order to help fight diseases such as cancer.
"The findings suggest that the PEPT2 protein could work the same way in humans," said David Smith, U-M professor and chair of pharmaceutical sciences. "If that is the case, then PEPT2 may have relevance as a secondary genetic modifier of conditions such as acute hepatic porphyrias and lead poisoning, and in drug transport at the blood-brain barrier.
"We are looking at how to use the body's own machinery to get the compounds to where we want them to go," Smith said.
Naturally occurring in the body, the acid is involved in forming a substance called heme, which is a component of hemoglobin as well as many important enzymes. If there is an accumulation or an overproduction of 5-ALA in the body, however, it can become toxic. High concentrations of 5-ALA are present in people who have lead poisoning or hepatic porphyrias.
Source: University of Michigan
Related stories:
New gene that helps plants beat the heat
Michigan State University plant scientists have discovered another piece of the genetic puzzle that controls how plants respond to high temperatures. That may allow plant breeders to create new varieties of crops that flourish in warmer, drier climates.
Early-stage gene transcription creates access to DNA
A gene contained in laboratory yeast has helped an international team of researchers uncover new findings about the process by which protein molecules bind to control sequences in genes in order to initiate gene expression, according to findings reported in the journal
Nature.
Proteins involved in blood vessel dysfunction in type 2 diabetes are identified
According to the American Heart Association, three-fourths of people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood-vessel disease. Previous studies have shown that cardiac function is compromised and cardiovascular diseases are increased in people with type 2 diabetes. Before vascular diseases develop in diabetics, blood-vessel cell dysfunction occurs. Using precise microscopes, University of Missouri researchers are dissecting coronary microvessels and testing which proteins are responsible for inflammation that causes blood-vessel dysfunction. By identifying the proteins that play important roles in blood-vessel dysfunction, they hope to develop new treatments for blood-vessel dysfunction in people with type 2 diabetes.
Landmark discovery of 'engine' that drives cell movement
This research by Thomas Leung, Ph.D., and his team in the GSK-IMCB Group at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), under Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research, is fundamental to the understanding of how assembles its internal machinery required for cell movement.
Scripps Research scientists define structure of important neurological receptor
Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have determined the structure of an adenosine receptor that plays a critical role in a number of important physiological processes including pain, breathing, and heart function. The findings could lead to the development of a new class of therapeutics for treating numerous neurological disorders, including Parkinson's and Huntington disease.
New Stanford diagnostic test for rare leukemia appears to give faster results, study finds
A new twist on a well-known cell sorting technique may allow physicians to diagnose rare leukemias in hours instead of weeks, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco. The clinical promise of the Stanford-developed approach, which eavesdrops on individual cells to decipher potentially dangerous molecular conversations, is likely to extend to many other disorders in which cell-signaling pathways are disrupted.
Medicine award kicks off Nobel Prize announcements
(AP) -- Two scientists who have won acclaim for research into the growth of cancer cells could be candidates for the Nobel Prize in medicine when the 2008 winners are presented on Monday, kicking off six days of Nobel announcements.
Food for thought -- regulating energy supply to the brain during fasting
If the current financial climate has taught us anything, it's that a system where over-borrowing goes unchecked eventually ends in disaster. It turns out this rule applies as much to our bodies as it does to economics. Instead of cash, our body deals in energy borrowed from muscle and given to the brain.