E-Mail
IMAGE: A cell in yellow is shown dying by necroptosis, a process requiring the protein MLKL view more
Credit: WEHI Australia
A new molecular freeze frame technique has allowed WEHI researchers to see key steps in how the protein MLKL kills cells.
Small proteins called monobodies were used to freeze MLKL at different stages as it moved from a dormant to an activated state, a key process that enables an inflammatory form of cell death called necroptosis. The team were able to map how the three-dimensional structure of MLKL changed, revealing potential target sites that might be targets for drugs - a potential new approach to blocking necroptosis as a treatment for inflammatory diseases.