Sex life of worm hides a protein with links to ALS

A protein that helps worm sperm to fertilise an egg may be related to a human protein that plays a role in inherited forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

ALS, often called Lou Gehrig's disease in the US, paralyses muscle cells that control movement. There is no cure or treatment, and no conclusive evidence of what causes it. Those with the condition almost always die within a few years.

The new discovery, by Michael Miller at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and colleagues at Baylor University in Texas, has highlighted a protein that may be a culprit. The protein, called MSP, was first found in male Caenorhabditis elegans nematode worms 11 years ago. It is secreted by sperm cells to prepare eggs for fertilisation.

In 2004, a similar protein was discovered in a large human family with the inherited form of ALS. In humans it appears to be involved in signalling between cells, especially muscle cells.

Miller's team has now found that if worms and fruit flies have a mutation that makes them produce less MSP, they suffer mitochondrial defects like those in people with ALS. This suggests that a lack of the protein might help trigger the disease. Every person with ALS studied so far also has less of the protein than healthy people, adds Miller.

"The science is certainly interesting," says Jeffrey Rothstein, director of the Robert Packard Center for the Study of ALS at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. "But I don't know that there is a therapy in there somewhere." He says that although the protein may be involved in inherited forms of ALS, it is not yet clear that it is also relevant to the more common non-familial forms of the condition.

Journal reference: Developmental Cell, DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2011.12.009

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/1c49498b/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn2140A50Esex0Elife0Eof0Eworm0Ehides0Ea0Eprotein0Ewith0Elinks0Eto0Eals0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

lisfranc injury ronan ronan diane sawyer clay matthews kenny chesney matt kemp