Scientists get snapshot of 'protein gate'

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists have produced an image of a key step in the metabolic process that allows materials such as nutrients and drugs to move in and out of cells.

Purdue University Associate Professor Jue Chen and colleagues used X-ray crystallography to obtain a snapshot of the tiny protein gate complex that opens and closes pathways through the protective cellular membrane, bringing nutrients into the cell and flushing out waste.

The study is the first to achieve an image of the middle step of the process -- capturing the molecular interactions as material passes through the membrane.

"By understanding the mechanisms of this process, researchers may be able to design more effective treatments for diseases that involve this group of proteins, such as cancer and cystic fibrosis," Chen said. "With this knowledge, researchers may be able to inhibit or activate this mechanism, depending on what is needed to counteract the disease.

The research that included Associate Professor Any Davidson, postdoctoral research associates Michael Oldham and Dheeraj Khare and Baylor College of Medicine Professor Florante Quiocho appeared in last week's issue of the journal Nature.