OHSU scientists, along with researchers at three institutions in Switzerland, discovered that the absence of a key gene results in a sudden halt of cell proliferation and a block in the cell cycle. The conclusions of this study are printed in the June 16 edition of the journal Science . Swiss collaborators for the study included researchers from the Friedrich Miescher Institute, the University of Zurich and the University of Basel. The gene at the center of this research, called S6, is crucial in the production of ribosomes.
Ribosomes are cell particles responsible for protein synthesis.
To study the role of the S6 gene, scientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute developed a mutant mouse lacking the S6 gene. OHSU scientists used a different mouse mutant to study the growth of liver cells lacking S6. These mice were transplanted with healthy liver cells containing the S6 gene in their DNA and S6-deficient liver cells. Following transplantation of the two types of liver cells, the animals were closely observed. In contrast to normal liver cells, those that lacked S6 did not produce new ribosomes and did not undergo even a single cell division.