Insight into protein formation could aid understanding of diseases

Scientists have shed light on a biological process that helps the production of healthy cells, which may aid the understanding of neurological diseases and other conditions. Researchers examined a housekeeping mechanism which removes faulty proteins as they form. This process, which is common to many living things, removes damaged proteins, preventing their accumulation in cells, tissues and organs. An improved understanding of how flaws can occur in protein production could help explain other diseases, including some forms of anemia and growth retardation. Scientists from the University of Edinburgh used the simple model organism yeast to look at how proteins are produced. During this process, genetic information encoded in the DNA is first copied into a related molecule called RNA and then used to produce proteins.