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The 2024 Nobel Prize just went to Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for “the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.” But who are they and why is their discovery so momentous?
A Quick Introduction
In biology, our DNA strands act as templates for the synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA) strands, in a process called transcription.
These mRNA strands then act as templates to produce all the proteins in our body through a process called translation. (Think structural proteins like collagen, metabolic proteins like hemoglobin, and hormones like insulin!)
What Did Ambros and Ruvkun Contribute?
Ambros and Ruvkun first discovered the role of microRNA in regulating gene expression (referring to the above-mentioned processes). They found this in the C. Elegans worm, which shares some genes with other animals like us.
Using these worms,
Ambros showed that the lin-4 gene in C. Elegans hindered the lin-14 gene.
Ruvkun found that lin-4 did not stop the production of mRNA from lin-14 (transcription), suggesting that the lin-4 gene instead interfered with the protein production process (translation).
Both worked together, concluding that an extremely short RNA (which came to be known as microRNA) was produced by the lin-4 gene. This microRNA binds to the mRNA strands, blocking translation and the production of lin-14 protein.
This process of regulation would be known as “post-transcriptional regulation.”
While their results were published in 1993, this process of gene regulation was thought to be exclusive to C. Elegans. However, research has since shown that microRNA is found in all multi-celled organisms, including us!
Why Is This Nobel Prize Worthy?
Understanding gene regulation has been a goal of scientists for decades. Think about it, if your genes are expressed too much or too little, it can lead to an under- or overproduction of important proteins that keep us alive! This can lead to serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or autoimmunity.
Without microRNA, this delicate balance cannot be maintained, leading to abnormal cell growth. Mutations in microRNAs have for instance been associated with congenital hearing loss and skeletal disorders.
Ambros’ and Ruvkun’s work has revolutionized biology, affecting just about all fields in this science. For example, there is now ongoing research to make treatments or utilize microRNAs to treat cancer. As Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the Nobel Assembly puts it, “We’re awarding this because of its fundamental importance for the basic understanding of physiology. We know historically that these big discoveries, they translate into clinical improvements but it takes time.”
Reference List
Central Dogma and Gene Expression. (2022). Central Dogma and Gene Expression. [online] Available at: https://ensureias.com/blog/science-&-technology/central-dogma-and-gene-expression [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
Davis, N. (2024). Nobel prize in medicine awarded to scientists for work on microRNA. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/07/nobel-prize-in-medicine-awarded-to-scientists-for-work-on-microrna-victor-ambros-gary-ruvkun.
Explained Desk (2024). Nobel Prize for Medicine out: What exactly have the winners worked on. [online] The Indian Express. Available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/nobel-prize-for-medicine-what-winners-worked-on-9608464/ [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
Nature.com. (2024). Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2024 | Nature Research Intelligence. [online] Available at: https://www.nature.com/research-intelligence/Nobel-Prize-in-Physiology-or-Medicine-2024 [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
ResearchGate. (2024). Figure 13 : Les phénotypes mutants pour lin-4 et lin-14 chez C.elegans.... [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Les-phenotypes-mutants-pour-lin-4-et-lin-14-chez-Celegans-La-mutation-lin-4-chez_fig5_278644265 [Accessed 25 Oct. 2024].
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