Like a spring in a toy car: Catalysis mechanism of cell growth protein Ras clarified
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - 15:00
in Biology & Nature
Proteins accelerate certain chemical reactions in cells by several orders of magnitude. The molecular mechanism by which the Ras protein accelerates the cleavage of the molecule GTP and thus slows cell growth is described by biophysicists. Using a combination of infrared spectroscopy and computer simulations, they showed that Ras puts a phosphate chain under tension to such an extent that a phosphate group can very easily detach -- the brake for cell growth. Mutated Ras is involved in tumor formation, because this reaction slows down and the brake for cell growth fails.