Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
06:31
Reconstitution of Cell-cycle Oscillations in Microemulsions of Cell-free Xenopus Egg Extracts
Published on: September 27, 2018
8.6K
Polyamines Disrupt the KaiABC Oscillator by Inducing Protein Denaturation
Jinkui Li1,2, Lingya Zhang3, Junwen Xiong4,5
1Key Laboratory of Fermentation Engineering (HBUT, Ministry of Education) and National "111" Center for Cellular Regulation and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China. kuijinli201505@163.com.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 22, 2019
Summary
Polyamines disrupt the KaiABC circadian oscillator by denaturing clock proteins, affecting thermal stability. This reveals polyamines
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Polyamines are essential cellular molecules involved in DNA replication, gene expression, and protein structure.
- The KaiABC system is a core component of the cyanobacterial circadian clock.
- Previous research has not explored polyamine effects on protein-based biological modules like circadian oscillators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of common polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, spermine) on the cyanobacterial KaiABC circadian oscillator.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an established in vitro reconstitution system for the KaiABC oscillator.
- Assessed the effects of polyamines on KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC protein stability.
- Investigated changes in thermal stability of clock proteins induced by polyamines.
Main Results:
- Polyamines disrupted the robustness of the KaiABC oscillator.
- Polyamines induced denaturation of KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC proteins.
- Denaturation correlated with altered thermal stability of the clock proteins.
Conclusions:
- Polyamines can destabilize protein structures, impacting the KaiABC circadian oscillator's function.
- This study highlights a novel role for polyamines in modulating protein stability within complex cellular environments.
- Findings are crucial for understanding polyamine biological functions in cellular processes.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:28Protein Denaturation
8.5K
The function of proteins depends on their native three-dimensional structure, which is dictated by the amino acid sequence of the specific protein. Folding of the polypeptide chain takes place under specific conditions that energetically favor the folded conformation. In contrast, protein denaturation occurs spontaneously under unfavorable conditions that disrupt the integrity of the folded conformation. Thus, the chemical and physical environment of a protein, such as significant changes in pH...
8.5K
01:23Stringent Response in E. coli
304
Bacterial growth is closely tied to nutrient availability, with cells proliferating exponentially under favorable conditions and entering a stationary phase when resources become scarce. This transition is mediated by a regulatory mechanism known as the stringent response, which allows bacteria to adapt to nutrient deprivation by modulating gene expression and metabolic activity.During nutrient scarcity, intracellular amino acid levels decline. It results in the accumulation of uncharged tRNAs...
304
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
4.5K
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
4.5K
00:50Anaphase Promoting Complex
3.3K
The stepwise destruction of specific proteins is necessary for the progression and completion of the cell cycle. Such proteins are ubiquitinated by ubiquitin ligases and then subsequently destroyed by the proteasome. The SCF (Skp1/Cullin/F-box) and the anaphase-promoting complex (APC) are two important ubiquitin ligases involved in cell cycle progression. While SCF is active throughout the cell cycle, APC gets activated during metaphase to anaphase transition. Cdc20 or Cdh1 binds to APC and...
3.3K
01:52Eukaryotic Transcription Inhibitors
10.9K
Certain biochemical processes, such as embryonic development and cell growth regulation, depend on the repression of specific genes. DNA binding proteins known as eukaryotic transcription inhibitors regulate the repression of gene expression in eukaryotes. The presence of these inhibitors at the required location and time in the cell is triggered by the presence of hormones and additional signals from other cells.
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
Eukaryotic transcription inhibitors usually contain two distinct domains, a...
10.9K
02:58Regulated Protein Degradation
8.8K
It is vital to regulate the activity of enzymatic as well as non-enzymatic proteins inside the cell. This can be achieved either through creating a balance between their rate of synthesis and degradation or regulating the intrinsic activity of the protein. Both these regulation mechanisms play an essential role in the normal functioning of cells.
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
Protein degradation plays two important roles in the cells. It helps to protect cells from misfolded or damaged proteins before they lead to a...
8.8K