Had to look this up too. Wasn’t aware either. This is what the machine brains ⚙️ 🧠 told me
In cellular biology, **vaults** are large, barrel-shaped ribonucleoprotein complexes found in eukaryotic cells. They are among the largest cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs), with a size of approximately **70 nm** in length and **40 nm** in diameter. Here's a breakdown of their key features:
### 1. **Structure**:
- **Shape**: Resemble hollow octagonal barrels with a "cap" at each end, reminiscent of cathedral vaults (hence the name).
- **Components**:
- **Major vault protein (MVP)**: Forms the structural shell (≈70% of the particle).
- **Vault RNA (vRNA)**: Small, non-coding RNA molecules (≈5% of mass) bound to the interior.
- **Other proteins**: Telomerase-associated protein 1 (TEP1) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 4 (PARP4).
### 2. **Function**:
The exact biological role remains debated, but proposed functions include:
- **Transport**: Shuttling molecules (e.g., mRNA, drugs) between the nucleus and cytoplasm.
- **Cellular defense**: Protecting cells from xenobiotics (e.g., chemotherapeutic drugs) by sequestering or exporting them.
- **Stress response**: Involved in resistance to apoptosis (cell death) under stress conditions.
- **Nuclear pore association**: Vaults localize near nuclear pores, suggesting a role in nucleocytoplasmic transport.
### 3. **Relevance to Disease**:
Vaults are linked to **multidrug resistance in cancer**, as elevated MVP levels correlate with poor response to chemotherapy. They may pump drugs out of cells or shield critical pathways.
Despite their discovery in the 1980s, vaults remain enigmatic, with ongoing research to unravel their precise mechanisms and applications in biomedicine.
sweptpilot
npub1gs…xht67
2025-02-16 17:17:48
in reply to nevent1q…5yqj
Author Public Key
npub1gsazzaay3z0ss8y87vhpm8swd70wexje3avlr7e706rydvj0rfsqhxht67Published at
2025-02-16 17:17:48Event JSON
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"content": "Had to look this up too. Wasn’t aware either. This is what the machine brains ⚙️ 🧠 told me \n\nIn cellular biology, **vaults** are large, barrel-shaped ribonucleoprotein complexes found in eukaryotic cells. They are among the largest cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs), with a size of approximately **70 nm** in length and **40 nm** in diameter. Here's a breakdown of their key features:\n\n### 1. **Structure**: \n- **Shape**: Resemble hollow octagonal barrels with a \"cap\" at each end, reminiscent of cathedral vaults (hence the name). \n- **Components**: \n - **Major vault protein (MVP)**: Forms the structural shell (≈70% of the particle). \n - **Vault RNA (vRNA)**: Small, non-coding RNA molecules (≈5% of mass) bound to the interior. \n - **Other proteins**: Telomerase-associated protein 1 (TEP1) and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 4 (PARP4). \n\n### 2. **Function**: \nThe exact biological role remains debated, but proposed functions include: \n- **Transport**: Shuttling molecules (e.g., mRNA, drugs) between the nucleus and cytoplasm. \n- **Cellular defense**: Protecting cells from xenobiotics (e.g., chemotherapeutic drugs) by sequestering or exporting them. \n- **Stress response**: Involved in resistance to apoptosis (cell death) under stress conditions. \n- **Nuclear pore association**: Vaults localize near nuclear pores, suggesting a role in nucleocytoplasmic transport. \n\n### 3. **Relevance to Disease**: \nVaults are linked to **multidrug resistance in cancer**, as elevated MVP levels correlate with poor response to chemotherapy. They may pump drugs out of cells or shield critical pathways. \n\nDespite their discovery in the 1980s, vaults remain enigmatic, with ongoing research to unravel their precise mechanisms and applications in biomedicine.\n",
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