Molecular switches are not just 'on' or 'off'

The GTPases constitute a very large protein family, whose members are involved in the control of cell growth, transport of molecules, synthesis of other proteins, etc. Despite the many functions of the GTPases, they follow ...

Hacking the bacterial social network

Whenever we use our smartphones to check social media, we face loads of bacteria on the devices—even more than on toilet seats, according to a University of Arizona study. Those bacteria may have their own form of social ...

Key worker in protein synthesis factory revealed

In all living cells, DNA makes RNA and RNA makes proteins. The molecular factory that translates the information from RNA to proteins is called the "ribosome" (shown in the accompanying movie). It is a large and sophisticated ...

Piloting ribosomes past proline pairs

Certain proteins are known to require Translation Factor EF-P for their synthesis, and a new study enlarges the size of the set. As some of its members are involved in bacterial pathogenicity, the results are also of therapeutic ...

Pathogen turns protein into a virulence factor in one easy step

To infect its host, the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa takes an ordinary protein usually involved in making other proteins and adds three small molecules to turn it into a key for gaining access to human cells. ...

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