Hyderabad scientists uncover protein that drives cell movement

Scientists at CCMB Hyderabad discovered that protein SPIN90, working with Arp2/3, drives actin filament growth crucial for cell movement. The breakthrough, published in Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, offers insights into health and disease

Hyderabad: Scientists from Hyderabad, based at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), have made a groundbreaking discovery about how cells adapt their internal structures to move and change shape.

Their findings, published in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, reveal the critical role of a protein called SPIN90 in helping cells, like white blood cells, form the rapid protrusions necessary to chase down and destroy pathogens, a press release from CCMB on Monday said.

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Dr Saikat Chowdhury’s team at CCMB discovered that SPIN90 is the key regulator of this process. They found that SPIN90 works together with another protein complex, Arp2/3, to initiate the growth of new actin filaments.

What makes this discovery significant is the unique way SPIN90 operates. The researchers found that the SPIN90-Arp2/3 complex initiates the growth of new actin filaments in two directions at the same time, separated by a 150-degree angle.

“The study can help us understand how cells remodel themselves in health and disease, including cancer, immune disorders, and wound healing,” Dr Chowdhury said.

The study, which leveraged India’s state-of-the-art cryogenic electron microscope at CCMB, provided an unprecedented look into the process at a nearly atomic resolution.

Justus Francis, the study’s first author and a PhD student in Dr Chowdhury’s lab, explained, “We were able to see the precise mechanism of actin filament formation from its earliest stages. It is the same mechanism that controls how all mammalian cells divide and function.”

This discovery sheds new light on the fundamental processes that govern cellular behavior and could pave the way for a better understanding of various diseases.