ALBA Synchrotron
Researchers at IRB Barcelona managed to carry out a structural analysis of the FoxH1 protein in unprecedented detail. The study, with data obtained at the XALOC beamline of the ALBA Synchrotron, has revealed how this protein binds to different DNA sites in embryonic development and in tumors associated with high levels of gene expression. That shows its underlying potential for developing treatments against diseases related with this process.
Transcription factors are proteins that interact with DNA to regulate the function of some genes. In general, a single transcription factor binds to various parts of the genome given the complexity of the processes in which they participate, in which they inhibit or activate several genes simultaneously. Specifically, FoxH1 is a key transcription factor in the process of developing embryos and in the evolution of some types of leukemia and pulmonary cancer.
A research group from IRB Barcelona (Biomedic Research Institute of Barcelona) lead by the ICREA researcher Dra. Maria J. Macias, has succeeded in detailing the process of binding of this protein to DNA at unprecedented scales, of the order of the atom, around one angstrom (1Å).
The structural details revealed in this work can allow the development of specific molecules that interact with FoxH1 and, potentially, give rise to drugs to treat diseases in the future in which this protein plays an essential role.
The structural data were obtained at the , devoted to macromolecular crystallography. Using the X-ray diffraction technique, XALOC allows to obtain a high-resolution three-dimensional image of the molecular structure.
Link to the original news: https://www.irbbarcelona.org/en/news/scientific/researchers-uncover-mechanism-action-important-transcription-factor