Protein

2022 - 3 - 6

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Image courtesy of "Phys.Org"

Exploring when a protein's prone to wander (Phys.Org)

Exactly how proteins interact with solid surfaces is a concern for health care manufacturers who design drugs, make biosensors or develop anti-fouling ...

The degree of "stickiness" is associated with a greater concentration of long alkyl chains on the surface. The team discovered two modes of transport that influence whether and how proteins attach themselves to a surface, travel along it or release their grip, never to return. In this case, the lab used single molecule fluorescence microscopy, a technique that allows them to watch how proteins interact with the surfaces they design.

Surprising gut protein discovery is new target for constipation ... (New Atlas)

A touch-sensitive protein normally located in the skin has now been found in the gut. It senses the presence of food and triggers contractions to push it ...

“Our research identified Piezo2 in cells that line the human digestive tract, allowing them to sense physical stimuli, such as touch or pressure, that would occur when food is present,” said Lauren Jones, lead author of the study. The team found that the protein is expressed in mouse and human enterochromaffin (EC) cells, where they seem to help with gut motility. There, it seems to sense the presence of food and triggers contractions to push it along, while reduced levels of this protein may be implicated in conditions like constipation.

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Image courtesy of "Mirage News"

Closer look helps Rice lab ponder when protein's prone to wander (Mirage News)

HOUSTON – A surface that feels smooth to human touch could be pretty rough to a protein. That can be good or bad, depending on what you want that.

The degree of “stickiness” is associated with a greater concentration of long alkyl chains on the surface. “Because all these complicated things are happening at different time scales and space scales, you could never separate the mechanistic contributions of each one of those individual effects,” she said. The team discovered two modes of transport that influence whether and how proteins attach themselves to a surface, travel along it or release their grip, never to return. In this case, the lab used single molecule fluorescence microscopy, a technique that allows them to watch how proteins interact with the surfaces they design. Understanding these mechanisms at the very smallest level is the focus of Landes’ lab as its members attempt to clarify what’s actually happening down there. The ability to tune those parameters will lead to more predictable materials.

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Image courtesy of "News-Medical.net"

Touch-sensing protein in the gut likely plays a key role in constipation (News-Medical.net)

When we eat food, our gut somehow senses its presence to begin shifting it along our digestive tract, but the question has always been – how?

“Our research identified Piezo2 in cells that line the human digestive tract, allowing them to sense physical stimuli, such as touch or pressure, that would occur when food is present. This work has recently been published in the leading international journal Gastroenterology. While further research is needed to definitively link Piezo2 to constipation, the authors say overall the research is an important advancement into our understanding of gut physiology, opening up new targets for the treatment of digestive issues. “This research provides the building blocks for both further research and the development of highly specific treatments to reduce the impacts of constipation.” Of potential clinical importance, the Flinders research team also discovered that the levels of Piezo2 decrease in the gut with age, and found that if the protein was removed only from gut serotonin cells, gut motility slowed down in mice, causing constipation. Last year, international researchers Ardem Patapoutian and David Julius were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research on receptors responsible for the perception of touch and temperature, including the discovery of Piezo2, now known to be responsible for sensing light touch on our skin.

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