The localization of radiophosphate in cells

In eukaryotes, transcription and translation are compartmentalized; an mRNA is first synthesized in the nucleus and then selectively transported to the cytoplasm for protein synthesis. Before transport, a pre-mRNA undergoes several steps of post-transcriptional modifications including splicing, 5' capping, and the addition of a poly-adenine tail. Various proteins bind to the pre-mRNA during these modifications. The mRNA transport takes place with the help of multiple proteins playing specific...

In the early 1900s, English chemist Frederick Soddy realized that an element could have atoms with different masses that were chemically indistinguishable. These different types are called isotopes — atoms of the same element that differ in mass. Isotopes differ in mass because they have different numbers of neutrons but are chemically identical because they have the same number of protons. Soddy was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1921 for this discovery.
An isotope containing more...

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a medical imaging technique that provides crucial insights into the body's physiological functions at a molecular level. It is an indispensable resource for diagnosing, staging, and monitoring various illnesses, notably cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular conditions.
Fundamental Principles of PET

Body tissues, comprising approximately 40% of the body weight, are crucial in drug distribution and localization. These tissues can serve as drug storage sites, competing with plasma binding sites for drug molecules.
Drugs can bind to different tissue components, enhancing their distribution and localization. The factors influencing drug localization in tissues include the drug's lipophilicity, structural characteristics, tissue perfusion rate, and pH differences. These factors determine the...

Proteins targeted to the nucleus carry short stretches of amino acid sequences called the nuclear localization signal or NLS. Classical nuclear localization signals are of two types: monopartite and bipartite NLS. Monopartite classical NLS (cNLS) consists of a single cluster of 4-8 amino acids. Bipartite cNLS consists of two clusters of  2-3 amino acids and a 9-12 residue long proline-rich linker bridging the two clusters. Signal clusters are rich in positively charged amino acids such as...

Ribosome profiling or ribo-sequencing is a deep sequencing technique that produces a snapshot of active translation in a cell. It selectively sequences the mRNAs protected by ribosomes to get an insight into a cell’s translation landscape at any given point in time.
Applications of ribosome profiling
Ribosome profiling has many applications, including in vivo monitoring of translation inside a particular organ or tissue type and quantifying new protein synthesis levels.
The technique helps...