2023-10-27 15:30:00
Often described as a inflammatory disease, asthma is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases. Even though adults can suffer from it, it is especially children who are most affected by this pathology.
Scientists have known for several years the inflammatory process which is the cause of asthma. However, information on its genetic origin is still incomplete. Recently, researchers from King’s College of London have discovered that RNA and the proteins it regulates play an important role in the onset of asthma.
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The results of the study demonstrated protein disruption which bind to RNA. This causes changes in the expression of genes in the cells lining the airways.
Also read: This molecule could constitute a revolution in the treatment of asthma
The genetic origin of asthma
In the body, RNA’s role is to transport and interpret the genetic code within DNA. The protein information in DNA is carried by messenger RNA (mRNA), from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm. Proteins that bind RNA then bind to mRNAs selectively and localize them to subcellular compartments. These proteins also have the function of regulating protein synthesis.
Researchers have made an important discovery about these RNA-binding proteins. In fact, they noted that two proteins, ZFP36L1 and ZFP36L2, were dysregulated in asthmatics. When these proteins were restored in the bronchial epithelial cells of patients with severe asthma, the scientists observed a change in the expression of genes that control severe inflammation.
The researchers concluded that these two proteins cause changes in epithelial cell gene expression in people who suffer from the disease.
Mislocalized proteins in mice
Scientists have conducted experiments on mice exposing them to dust mites to cause asthma-like symptoms. They then noticed that in the cells of the rodent respiratory tract, the proteins were poorly localized.
These poorly localized proteins are unable to function properly compared to proteins located in a subcellular compartment. Researchers believe that the inflammation characteristic of asthma is partly caused by these poorly localized proteins which play several functions in the cell.
Thus, the new study suggests that regulation of mRNA expression is a fundamental process underlying asthma. However, further research is needed to confirm the role of these RNA proteins in humans, and to better understand their impact on respiratory health.
SOURCE: New Atlas
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