How Our Cells Kill Themselves – Scientists Decode the Exact Mechanism at the Atomic Level — In our bodies, millions of |
Ninjurin-1 proteins assemble into filaments and rupture the cell membrane until the cell disintegrates completely. Intracellular components are shown in blue. Credit: Biozentrum, University of Basel
have recently been able to elucidate the exact mechanism at the atomic level. Their findings are published in the journalThe self-elimination of cells is a vital process for all living organisms. When cells become damaged or infected with viruses or bacteria, they initiate an internal “self-destruct” sequence. This essential mechanism wards off the potential growth of tumors and prevents the spread of harmful pathogens throughout the body.
“The common understanding was that the cell then swells until it finally bursts due to increasing osmotic pressure,” explains Professor Sebastian Hiller who heads a research group at the Biozentrum, University of Basel. “We are now resolving how the cells really rupture. Instead of bursting like a balloon, the protein ninjurin-1 provides a breaking point in the cell membrane, causing rupture at specific sites.
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