Skoltech is an international graduate research-focused university that was founded by the group of world-renowned scientists in 2011. Skoltech's curriculum focuses on technology and innovation, offering Master's programs in 11 technological disciplines. Students receive rigorous theoretical and practical training, design their own research projects, participate in internships and gain entrepreneurial skills in English. The faculty is comprised of current researchers with international accreditation and achievements.

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Scientists from the University of Groningen (The Netherlands) together with Skoltech PhD student studied how membrane proteins enter the nucleus

In a paper published in Cells on 13th October scientists proposed and validated a mechanism that nuclear membrane proteins use when they enter cell nucleus. Among the authors is Skoltech PhD student Alina Chernova. The research was done European Institute for the Biology of Ageing (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) led by Professor Liesbeth Veenhof. In the resent study it was found that nuclear membrane proteins cross the membrane through the Nuclear Pore Complex and this process requires energy.

Understanding of the nuclear membrane proteins transport mechanism is very useful, because violations in protein composition in the inner nuclear membrane can lead to serious diseases, such as cancer and progeria, that causes fast acceleration of aging. Potentially protein transport regulation can help in fight with many diseases.

Nucleus is surrounded by a nuclear envelope. It consists of two membranes: the inner and outer nuclear membrane and is perforated by Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPC). NPC is a special protein complex that is responsible for nuclear transport of different substances. During the cell life many proteins should be imported in the nucleus and cross the nuclear envelope. Some proteins after the import stay in the inner nuclear membrane and play a number of roles. Mainly they interact with genes and take part in gene regulation. It was unclear how these proteins pass the nuclear membrane. It was unknown do they use NPC or do not.

 

Active Nuclear Import of Membrane Proteins Revisited; Justyna K. Laba, Anton Steen, Petra Popken, Alina Chernova, Bert Poolman and Liesbeth M. Veenhoff; Cells 2015, 4(4), 653-673. http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/4/4/653/htm

 

* The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) is a private graduate research university in Skolkovo, Russia, a suburb of Moscow. Established in 2011 in collaboration with MIT, Skoltech educates global leaders in innovation, advances scientific knowledge, and fosters new technologies to address critical issues facing Russia and the world. Applying international research and educational models, the university integrates the best Russian scientific traditions with twenty-first century entrepreneurship and innovation.

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