New gene involved in autophagy -- the cellular recycling program
Thursday, January 21, 2010 - 09:14
in Biology & Nature
All cells are equipped with a recycling program to collect and remove unnecessary cellular components. Autophagy sequesters and digests aged organelles, damaged proteins and other components, which, if not disintegrated and recycled, threaten cell viability. Researchers have identified a new gene that favours cell autophagy.