Johns Hopkins biologist leads team that unlocks mystery of disordered protein function
The molecules that make the body of a person or any other organism function can be summed up, for the most part, in a word: proteins.
These molecules carry out almost all processes in living organisms, including moving other molecules from one place to another, replicating DNA, conveying genetic information from genes to cells, controlling immune response, driving metabolism, and building muscle. Not all protein molecules are created equal, though, and some are better understood than others.
Now, a team of scientists led by a Johns Hopkins University biologist has cracked a key part of the mystery surrounding a distinct type of protein that emerged less than 30 years ago. The finding, reported in the online journal eLife, could eventually lead to treatments for diseases that range from cancer to neurological disorders.