Hyderabad: Scientists at the Hyderabad Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) have discovered a discovery that changes how we understand plants and medicines by closely observing the way a single protein bends and twists. Their research shows that proteins do not always work by maintaining a fixed shape.
The team studied two plant proteins that looked almost the same under a microscope. But one of them can do more – it is able to bind to multiple types of RNA (molecules that help control genes in cells). This is because it can move its shape cleverly enough to fit every partner it interacts with, like a key changing the shape to fit a different lock.
“We found that this slight movement is not random or unstable. In fact, it gives proteins a special advantage,” said lead investigator Dr. Mandar Deshmukh. “It helps cells use less protein to process many functions – especially important in plants, which do not have a complete immune system like ours.”
To capture these tiny shape changes, which occur only 1% of protein molecules, and last for a second, scientists used a powerful imaging method called NMR spectroscopy. They also use computer simulations to understand how these movements help proteins interact with various partners.
Why is this important? First, it explains how plants do not require thousands of different proteins to regulate complex gene functions. Second, it offers scientists a new idea: If we can design flexible artificial proteins, then we might be able to create drugs that work in many ways, or can handle stress better.
“This is nature’s multitasking method,” said first authors of the study. “Single protein with proper flexibility can do the job of many people.”
Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, suggest that future research should focus not only on the appearance of proteins, but also on how they move. It can open doors to smart medicines and stronger crops by learning to embrace some swings.
