India, Jan. 13 -- For the first time, scientists have answered a longstanding question in cell biology about a partnership of proteins called the "KICSTOR-GATOR1 complex" which operate as a control system inside our cells, telling them when to grow and when to stop based on nutrient availability (especially amino acids).
The Monash University study, published in the prestigious journalCell,used an ultra powerful imaging method called cryo-EM to reveal at near-atomic detail that KICSTOR positions GATOR1 so it can "switch off" cell growth when nutrients run low, helping the cell conserve resources.
The discovery provides a potentially transformative new window into understanding how our body's cells control growth, respond to stress, and wh...