Common Plant Might Bring Insights On Cell Aging And Cancer
A research team coming from the Texas A&M University and the UC (University of Cincinnati) recently underwent a study regarding the association between a common plant entitled Arabidopsis and the malignant cells. The links between these two has to do with specific features of the structure of the DNA and its association with the plant and how these two factors affect cancer evolution and the aging of the body`s cells.
In order to complete the research, the multi-organizational group of investigators observed the telomeres of Arabidopsis which is a weed located everywhere around the Globe and found out that it contains a set of proteins that people did not know anything about. After this discovery, the investigators found its human correspondent. This result might prove to be advantageous for comprehending better the nature of cancer and cell`s life span. The investigation`s findings were released in the Molecular Cell journal. The research was financed by the National Institutes of Health.
Professor of biophysics and biochemistry within Texas A&M University, Mrs. Dorothy Shippen and Carolyn Price, her counterpart from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, professor of cell biology and cancer, were the co-authors of this investigation.
The telomeres are found in the chromosomes in their every end and comprise DNA and protein. Their primary role is to defend their location and are also essential factors regarding the cellular division process. Scientists also think that telomeres are essential elements in the lifetime duration of the cells.
As Dorothy Shippen states the team of researchers discovered that by removing the telomere proteins from the common weed, its chromosomes would join their ends in an aggressive manner, a process which would trigger significant problems in the Arabidopsis` evolution.
The investigation team proved that by removing just one human protein from the human malignant cells would cause a great DNA defect and the whole loss of some of the telomeres. In addition, the researchers state that they knew that the telomeres were a protective hat for the chromosomes which were a must in inhibiting the chromosomal fusions. Moreover, their length determines the cell`s division number. Nonetheless, the scientists still do not completely comprehend the way the hat structure prevents the chromosomal fusions or how it sets the length of the telomeres. These are considered very important issues due to the fact that if the telomeres are not maintained properly, illnesses like pulmonary fibrosis, premature aging syndromes, aplastic anemia and cancer could develop. The team of investigators aims to find a new protein complex which is needed in order to keep the benefic telomere hat on the chromosomes and they hope that this would lead the way for innovative studied associated with the illnesses affecting human beings.
The common weed, Arabidopsis, is present all over the Globe and is part of the cabbage, radish and mustard plant family of plants. Due to its genetic architecture, the Arabidopsis has been long studied as a standard “lab plant” in researches related to the cells and molecules coming from plants with flowers.
The multi-organizational investigation group states that their discoveries pave the way for new researches, which could end up with an innovative finding regarding the telomeres.
As one of the leading authors explains, future study in this matter would bring more knowledge regarding the telomeres` composition and their functionality. This, in turn, would provide scientists with a chance in finding the precise roles of the telomeres as guardians of the human beings` DNA. In addition, the future research could present the big picture of the manner in which damages to the telomeres inhibit the division process of the cells. Having discovered that the proteins act as essential actors in the DNA replication in the end of the chromosomes, the investigators suggest that new investigations should be undergone in order to gain more knowledge about just how the guardian hats function during the cellular division. As a conclusion, one of the leading investigators states that all these issues have to lead to answers in order to gather a complete understanding of the telomeres` roles in human beings.
