25/09/2022

The research group led by Dr Josep Clotet and Dr Javier Jiménez receives funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation to decipher the role of nuclear polyphosphate during cell proliferation

The study led by Dr Josep Clotet and Dr Javier Jiménez, assistant director of the UIC Barcelona Basic Sciences Department, is part of a series of projects focused on the discovery and functional research of the polyphosphate metabolite against pathological situations of the organism and vital processes of the cell. With this study, the team intends to continue the project with a new emphasis on the role of this molecule in the formation of particular structures within the nucleus of our cells

The project “Deciphering nuclear polyp function during human cell proliferation” has received one of the financial grants for Knowledge Generation Projects 2021 awarded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, within the framework of the state programme to promote scientific and technical research and its transfer to society.

Every day, every hour, every second our cells divide to keep our body in an optimal state of balance and well-being. This cell proliferation is directed, among others, by cyclins. Additionally, they must ensure that the cell has the nutrients and energy needed to start growth. Hence, latest finding of the Fundamental Mechanisms in Cell Biology Research Group demonstrates the regulation of cyclin subfamilies in coordination with polyphosphate metabolism, a cellular component with many currently unknown functions that the research group is investigating.

The field of polyphosphate biochemistry has been difficult to study due to the lack of knowledge on the biochemical mechanism responsible for its synthesis and degradation. In the last project, the team identified that the polyphosphate found in the nucleus is degraded by Nudt3 when there is an increase in zinc and oxidative stress occurs, which is a toxic state of cell metabolism that damages all components of the cell including proteins and DNA. This suggests that polyphosphate and Nudt3 play a role in protection against oxidative stress.

“This funding will allow us to deepen the hypothesis that the polyP could be a fundamental factor in nuclear processes such as DNA synthesis and repair, mRNA processing, and mammalian cell proliferation,” explains Jiménez. In addition, unmasking the function of polyphosphate and discovering new enzymes responsible for its metabolism will bring great physiological and pathological relevance to cancer cell biology.

This study is the second project supported by the Department of Basic Sciences to receive funding from the Ministry of Science and Innovation, along with the ARETHA project, led by Dr Mayka Sanchez.

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