Close
20/07/2018
Molecular mimicry does not mislead ALBA!
Many intracellular pathogens use molecular mimicry to ensure their survival. A part of a protein of the pathogen resembles another protein totally different from the host and many intracellular microorganisms use this capability to interfere in cellular processes that enable their survival and replication.

Researchers from the CIC bioGUNE in the Basque Country in collaboration with other groups from the United States have carried out experiments at the XALOC beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron and I04 beamline of Diamond Light Source (UK). The results enabled scientists to solve the structure of RavN, a protein of the Legionella pneumophila bacteria that uses this molecular mimicry to trick the infected cell.

Researchers have showed that the structure of RavN has a certain structural similarity with E3 eukaryotes (a set of enzymes) despite its different composition. This result allows making progress in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms active in Legionnaires' disease that can transform into pneumonia and kill infected people.
 
Article: Yi-Han Lin et al. in PLOS Pathogen

More news

24/07/2015 CVC: 20 Years Making Images Meaningful 17/07/2015 Presentation of the Industrial Ring 4.0 Project 13/07/2015 New International Success for B-Barcelona Consulting /BGC 02/07/2015 Creation of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology 26/06/2015 A Delegation From Porto Alegre Visits the Barcelona Synchrotron Park 17/06/2015 First light for PAU camera, designed to study dark energy
31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41