The gene that the scientists uncovered makes certain that actin’s, a serious element of our cell skeleton, remaining type is produced.
The gene matures the skeleton of the cell.
“I’m knowledgeable pin-in-a-haystack seeker,” geneticist Thijn Brummelkamp responded when requested why he succeeds at discovering proteins and genes that others have missed, even though some have remained elusive for so long as forty years. His analysis group on the Netherlands Most cancers Institute has as soon as once more recognized one among these “thriller genes” – the gene that ensures the ultimate type of the protein actin, a key element of our cell skeleton – is produced. These findings have been just lately printed within the journal Science.
Actin is likely one of the most typical molecules in a cell and a key element of the cell skeleton, which is why cell biologists are notably keen on it. In our lifetime, we produce greater than 100 kilograms of actin. It’s current in giant quantities in all cell varieties and has a wide range of features, together with giving cells construction and making them firmer, taking part in a key position in cell division, propelling cells ahead, and giving our muscle groups power. Individuals who have faulty actin proteins usually have muscle illness. A lot is understood about actin’s operate, however how is the ultimate model of this important protein produced and which gene is accountable?
“We didn’t know,” says Brummelkamp, whose mission is to search out out the operate of our genes.
Microscopy picture of actin. (Actin is yellow, cell core is blue). Credit score: Peter Haarh/ Netherlands Most cancers Institute
Genetics in haploid human cells
Brummelkamp has developed quite a few distinctive strategies for this function over the course of his profession, which allowed him to be the primary to inactivate genes on a big scale for his genetics analysis in human cells twenty years in the past. “You possibly can’t crossbreed folks like fruit flies, and see what occurs.” Since 2009, Brummelkamp and his crew have been utilizing haploid cells – cells containing just one copy of every gene as an alternative of two (one out of your father and one out of your mom). Whereas this mix of two genes kinds the premise of our total existence, it additionally creates undesirable noise when conducting a genetics experiment as a result of mutations often happen in only one model of a gene (the one out of your father, for instance) and never the opposite.
Multi-purpose methodology for genetics in human cells
Along with different researchers, Brummelkamp makes use of this multi-purpose methodology to search out the genetic causes of specific circumstances. He has already proven how the Ebola virus and quite a few different viruses, in addition to sure types of chemotherapy, handle to enter a cell. He additionally investigated why most cancers cells are proof against sure kinds of remedy and found a protein present in most cancers cells that acts as a brake on the immune system. This time he went on the lookout for a gene that matures actin – and consequently, the skeleton of the cell.
In quest of scissors
Earlier than a protein is totally “completed” – or mature, because the researchers describe it in Science – and may totally carry out its operate within the cell, it often needs to be stripped of a selected amino acid first. This amino acid is then cut from a protein by a pair of molecular scissors. This is also what occurs with actin. It was known on which side of the actin the relevant amino acid is cut off. However, no one managed to find the enzyme that acts as scissors in this process.
Peter Haahr, a postdoc in Brummelkamp’s group, worked on the following experiment: first, he caused random mutations (mistakes) in random haploid cells. Then he selected the cells containing the immature actin by adding a fluorescently labeled antibody to his cells that fit in the exact spot where the amino acid is cut off. As a third and final step, he investigated which gene mutated after this process.
They called it ‘ACTMAP’
Then came the “eureka”-moment: Haahr had traced down the molecular scissors that cut the essential amino acid from actin. Those scissors turned out to be controlled by a gene with a previously unknown function; one no researcher had ever worked with. This means that the researchers were able to name the gene themselves, and they settled on ACTMAP (ACTin MAturation Protease).
To test whether a lack of ACTMAP leads to issues in living things, they switched off the gene in mice. They observed that the actin in the cell skeleton of these mice remained unfinished, as expected. They were surprised to find that the mice did stay alive, but suffered from muscle weakness. The researchers conducted this research together with scientists from VU Amsterdam.
More scissors found in the skeleton of the cell
ACTMAP is not the first mystery gene discovered by Brummelkamp that plays a role in our cell skeleton function. Using the same method, his group has been able to detect three unknown molecular scissors over recent years that cut an amino acid from tubulin, the other main component of the cell skeleton. These scissors allow tubulin to perform its dynamic functions properly inside the cell. The last scissors (MATCAP) were discovered and described in Science this year. Through this earlier work on the cell skeleton, Brummelkamp managed to arrive at actin.
Mission: mapping out all 23.000 genes
“Unfortunately, our new discovery about actin doesn’t tell us how to cure certain muscular conditions,” says Thijn Brummelkamp. “But we have provided new fundamental knowledge about the cell skeleton that may be useful to others later.” Moreover, Brummelkamp, whose mission is to be able to map out the function of all of our 23,000 genes one day, can tick another new gene off his gigantic list. After all, we don’t know what half of our genes do, which means that we cannot intervene when something goes wrong.
Reference: “Actin maturation requires the ACTMAP/C19orf54 protease” by Peter Haahr, Ricardo A. Galli, Lisa G. van den Hengel, Onno B. Bleijerveld, Justina Kazokaitė-Adomaitienė, Ji-Ying Song, Lona J. Kroese, Paul Krimpenfort, Marijke P. Baltissen, Michiel Vermeulen, Coen A. C. Ottenheijm and Thijn R. Brummelkamp, 29 September 2022, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abq5082
