Detailed view of immune proteins could lead to new pathogen-defense strategies

(DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) Biologists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley used cryo-EM to resolve the structure of a ring of proteins used by the immune system to summon support when under attack, providing new insight into potential strategies for protection from pathogens. The researchers captured the high-resolution image of a protein ring, called an inflammasome, as it was bound to flagellin, a protein from the whiplike tail used by bacteria to propel themselves forward.
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news