Cell Biology
Study identifies DHX29 as a key factor linking codon choice to selective silencing of inefficient genetic messages in human cells
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Researchers at Kyoto University and RIKEN report that human cells can detect “non-optimal” synonymous codons—alternative three-letter genetic instructions that encode the same amino acid but are translated less efficiently—and selectively suppress the corresponding mRNAs. In experiments described in Science, the team identifies the RNA-binding protein DHX29 as a central component of this codon-dependent control of gene expression.
Researchers at Rice University have found that the protein PEX11 not only helps peroxisomes divide but also regulates their size during early plant development. In Arabidopsis seedlings, PEX11 mutants developed abnormally large peroxisomes lacking internal vesicles that normally curb growth. The mechanism appears conserved across species, as yeast Pex11 restored normal function in plant mutants.
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Engineers at Washington University in St. Louis report that while single abnormal cells can mechanically probe roughly 10 microns beyond what they directly touch, groups of epithelial cells can combine forces through collagen to sense features more than 100 microns away—an effect the researchers say could help explain how cancer cells navigate tissue.
Researchers in Japan have identified a new principle explaining why living organisms' growth slows even with abundant nutrients. The global constraint principle integrates classic biological laws to reveal sequential limitations in cellular processes. Verified through E. coli simulations, it could enhance crop yields and biomanufacturing.
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A University of Cologne team reports in Nature Cell Biology that the essential amino acid leucine enhances cellular energy production by preserving key outer‑mitochondrial‑membrane proteins through the quality‑control factor SEL1L, linking diet to organelle function and hinting at implications for metabolic disease and cancer.