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Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered a protein that does its best work with one foot in the grave.

The study, which appears in the current issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, focuses on the nontraditional lifestyle of Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor proteins, which could lead to new ways to treat cancer.

“Retinoblastoma proteins are unique in that they use controlled destruction to do their jobs in a timely but restrained fashion,” said Liang Zhang, a lead author and MSU cell and molecular biology graduate student. “This is an unusual way for proteins to act.” (more…)

U-M Researchers Identify Protein Essential for Cell Division in Blood-forming Stem Cells

By Guest PostDecember 3, 2010Scienceampk, blood-forming stem cells, cell death, cell therapies, cellular metabolism, chromosomes, daisuke nakada, daughter cells, degenerative diseases, energy production, lkb1, normal cell division, protein, protein kinase, sean morrison, stem cell biology, stem cell function, stem cells, thomas saunders, tumor suppressor

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— University of Michigan researchers have discovered that a protein known to regulate cellular metabolism is also necessary for normal cell division in blood-forming stem cells. Loss of the protein results in an abnormal number of chromosomes and a high rate of cell death.

The finding demonstrates that stem cells are metabolically different from other blood-forming cells, which can divide without the protein, Lkb1. This metabolic difference could someday be used to better control the behavior of blood-forming stem cells used in disease treatments, said Sean Morrison, director of the U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology, which is based at the Life Sciences Institute. (more…)

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Protein Strongest Just Before Death

U-M Researchers Identify Protein Essential for Cell Division in Blood-forming Stem Cells