'The problem with the Huntingtin protein is that we know it's linked to Huntington's disease, but we don't have a full understanding of what the protein's normal function is-what purpose it serves in the body, and why problems with it lead to disease,' says lead researcher Shermali Gunawardena, PhD, associate professor of biological sciences in UB's College of Arts and Sciences. The research was done in fruit fly larvae, but all four Rab proteins studied are present in human neurons, and the cellular mechanisms at play are expected to be found in people too. Slowing down resulted in traffic jams that blocked other important cargo from traveling in a timely manner to desired destinations in neurons. When scientists lowered the amount of non-mutant Htt available, the movement of four different Rab proteins was altered, with the proteins either slowing down or speeding up. You can literally see this regulation in action: Videos and microscope photos taken by the research team show Htt moving along neuronal highways in concert with precious materials called Rab proteins, which are vital for normal cellular function.

8 in the journal Human Molecular Genetics, shows that Htt controls the movement of precious cargo traveling up and down neurons, the cells that form the core of the nervous system in animals. But why this happens-why mutations in the protein cause disease-is a question that has yet to be answered.Ī new study by University at Buffalo researchers marks a step toward understanding this enigma. Create the protein in the wrong form in the human body, and symptoms develop.

Precious cargo transportation software