A study headed by Academia Sinica researchers found that the instability of certain proteins might cause abnormal brain development, which was previously believed to be caused by genetic mutations.
Thus far, studies on cerebral development mainly focused on the transcriptional regulation of neurogenesis, underestimating the role of protein modification, Chen Ruey-hwa (陳瑞華), a research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of Biological Chemistry, told a news conference in Taipei.
The stability of proteins is key to various bodily functions, she said.
Photo courtesy of Academia Sinica
The team, headed by Chen and Chou Shen-ju (周申如), an associate research fellow at Academica Sinica’s Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, found that a deubiquitinating enzyme called USP11 is related to cerebral malformation.
USP11 gene variants were previously discovered in people with inherited neurologic disorders, Chen added.
By deubiquitination, USP11 inhibits the modification of the SOX11 gene and stabilizes its expressions to facilitate neuron formation and the migration of newly synthesized neurons to their correct positions in the brain, contributing to building the brain’s neuron circuit, she said.
Ubiquitination refers to a cellular process that regulates proteins, including removing excessive or damaged proteins, and it can also repair damaged DNA, she added.
Through experiments on mice, the researcher found that USP11-deficient animals’ brains had a high number of unstable proteins, leading to the malformation of cortical development, he said.
When the USP11-deficient mice grew up, they exhibited behavioral abnormalities in, for example, learning, memory, and social and emotional expressions, she said.
The cerebral cortex is responsible for sensory and emotional processing, and higher cognitive functions, Chen said.
Its development is a dynamic and precisely orchestrated process, while any disruption during the process might lead to neurological disorders, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy or autism, she said.
People with neurological disorders often require long-term care and special education, causing considerable burden on their family and society, she said.
The study sheds light on the diagnosis and treatment of neurologic disorders related to abnormal cortical development, Chen said, adding that she hopes it would help develop methods to monitor brain development in infants.
The study, titled “Usp11 controls cortical neurogenesis and neuronal migration through SOX11 stabilization,” was published in the journal Science Advances on Friday last week.
It was partly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, the researchers said.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said it is fully aware of the situation following reports that the son of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai (薄熙來) has arrived in Taiwan and is to marry a Taiwanese. Local media reported that Bo Guagua (薄瓜瓜), son of the former member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, is to marry the granddaughter of Luodong Poh-Ai Hospital founder Hsu Wen-cheng (許文政). The pair met when studying abroad and arranged to get married this year, with the wedding breakfast to be held at The One holiday resort in Hsinchu
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon this morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan between Friday and Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The storm, which as of 8am was still 1,100km southeast of southern Taiwan, is currently expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, the CWA said. Because of its rapid speed — 28kph as of 8am — a sea warning for the storm could be issued tonight, rather than tomorrow, as previously forecast, the CWA said. In terms of its impact, Usagi is to bring scattered or
An orange gas cloud that leaked from a waste management plant yesterday morning in Taoyuan’s Guanyin District (觀音) was likely caused by acidic waste, authorities said, adding that it posed no immediate harm. The leak occurred at a plant in the district’s Environmental Science and Technology Park at about 7am, the Taoyuan Fire Department said. Firefighters discovered a cloud of unidentified orange gas leaking from a waste tank when they arrived on the site, it said, adding that they put on Level A chemical protection before entering the building. After finding there was no continuous leak, the department worked with the city’s Department
RSS