Access
This article is part of Nature's premium content.
Published online 30 May 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.867
News
How cells save their energy
Energy-hungry cells die if they can't put the brakes on protein production.
Researchers have found a protein complex that slows down a cell's protein-production machinery when energy is running low. The complex, called eNoSC, is critical for cell survival: energy-starved cells that do not have components of this complex rapidly self-destruct.
To read this story in full you will need to login or make a payment (see right).
Comments
Reader comments are usually moderated after posting. If you find something offensive or inappropriate, you can speed this process by clicking 'Report this comment' (or, if that doesn't work for you, email redesign@nature.com). For more controversial topics, we reserve the right to moderate before comments are published.
RNA world vs DNA world have seen a long debate amongst front line scientists. Though RNA world is credited for its first appearance followed by dehydroxylation of sugar moiety that lead to DNA world. Thus it is established that any approach that undermines the biological inbuilt under which this process takes place, strategy of cancer therapy or allied studies will remain half fed. In vivo and in vitro study in this direction is sure to supplement these findings toward completion. Regards Dr. R. Dayal Yadav
I find such as article really interesting, explaining what are the real reasons of biological alteration of cells, when energy production is compromised. I fear, however, that the authors of the research ignore the existence of a congenital mitochondrial cytopathy,I reffered to recently also in nature blogs: http://blogs.nature.com/hdy/inherentlyresponsive/2008/05/rapid_correspondence_molecular_clock_deb.html#comments I'dd like to say again - unfortunately in my poor English - that since 4 decades I have demonstrated that functional impairment of mitochondrial respiratory chain is the base, or conditio sine qua non, of all common human disorders, including diabetes and cancer, today's dangerous epidemics. In fact, both Biophysical-Semeiotic Constitutions and the related Inherited Real Risk, involve individuals with mitochondrial alteration, I described 38 years ago for the first time, as Congenital Acidosic Enzyme-Metabolic Histangiopathy. This research highlightens the molecular biological mechanism uderlying interesting events, I have formerly described from the clinical viewpoint. In my opinion,Yanigasawa is right saying “Such studies could provide a basis for a new strategy of cancer therapyâ€. In fact, oncogenesis is possible in individuals involved by CAEM-dependent Oncologocical Terrain.
I will admit that this is a pet peeve of mine and somewhat OT, but I do not see the "RNA world" as the being the oldest form of life on Earth (although the first genes almost certainly were encoded using RNA). In computer software, a sequence of translations/conversions that was developed in an evolutionary fashion always has the oldest form being generated last. (An example is C++ being pre-processed into C and then compiled into to machine code. The oldest and most fundamental form is the machine code, not C. Similarly the DNA -> RNA -> protiens sequence tells me that protiens were the original form of life, albeit an agenetic one.)