MELBOURNE, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in Australia have solved a long-standing mystery in cell biology, revealing how cells decide when to grow and when to stop.
This marks a breakthrough that could open new paths in treating cancers, epilepsy and other growth-related diseases, a statement from Australia's Monash University said Friday.
Scientists from Monash University used cryo-electron microscopy to map at near-atomic detail how two protein groups, known as the KICSTOR-GATOR1 complex, work together to regulate cell growth based on nutrient availability, it said.
The study, published in Cell, shows that KICSTOR positions GATOR1 to "switch off" cell growth when nutrients run low, helping cells conserve resources.
The mechanism acts as a molecular brake that prevents unregulated growth mode or cell failure, researchers said.
The discovery offers new insights into cellular growth control, stress responses and disease mechanisms like cancer, metabolic disorders and neurodegeneration, according to the study.
"Cells need protein to grow, but when cells don't properly strike the balance between growth and nutrient availability, it can lead to uncontrolled cell growth or even total cell failure," said the study's co-lead author Associate Professor Michelle Halls from the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
"With many cancers, for example, cells keep growing and dividing when they don't have enough fuel, instead of slowing down like healthy cells would," Halls said. ■
