The brain has the function of modifying proteins

Scientists from the Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Canada, and the Goodman Cancer Institute have recently found that mammalian brains use a special way to modify a special protein, 4e-bp2, resulting in changes in the normal function of the protein At present, more and more attention has been paid to the research of brain protein synthesis and memory Experts believe that this research achievement is an important achievement in this field, and an important step forward in understanding the working mechanism of human brain The article was published in the March 25 issue of molecular cell When our memory is formed, nerve cells or neurons use special connections to communicate with each other through electrical impulses In order to strengthen these special connections, neurons need new proteins, which are key molecules for various forms of cellular activity This special protein, named 4e-bp2, controls the whole process of producing new proteins in the nervous system, that is, the synthesis or transfer of proteins, which is the main research focus of researchers Before that, no one knew that 4e-bp2 protein could be modified by chemical methods According to the team leader Dr beatinotti, the protein modifications they found controlled the synthesis of cellular proteins This modification also seems to affect the ability of neurons to communicate with each other At the same time, this modification is also a factor affecting the memory process Dr Phillips, director of scientific research at the Canadian Institute of health, believes that a better understanding of protein synthesis in the brain is very important for neuroscience research In particular, the new discovery shows that the modified protein may have a direct impact on the memory process, which is of great value for the final treatment of memory loss and other problems.