Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) reveal that metabolic enzymes known for their roles in energy production and nucleotide synthesis are taking on unexpected "second jobs" within the nucleus, orchestrating critical functions like cell division and DNA repair. The discovery, reported in two separate research papers in Nature Communications , not only challenges longstanding biological paradigms in cellular biology but also opens new avenues for cancer therapies, particularly against aggressive tumors like triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). For decades, biology textbooks have neatly compartmentalized cellular functions.
Mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell, the cytoplasm is a bustling factory floor for protein synthesis , and the nucleus a custodian of genetic information. However, Dr. Sara Sdelci and her team at the CRG have discovered that the boundaries between these cellular compartments are less defined than previously thought.
"Metabolic enzymes are moonlighting outside of their traditional neighborhood. It's like discovering your local baker is also a brewer in the next town over. There's an overlap in the skillset, but they're doing entirely different jobs for entirely different purposes," says Dr.
Sdelci, lead author of both research papers. "Surprisingly, their secondary roles in the nucleus are just as critical as their primary metabolic functions. It's a new layer of complexity that we hadn't appreciated before," she adds.
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