Pohang University of Science and Technology reports research in enzyme research.

"Tumor suppressor programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) inhibits the translation initiation factor eIF4A, an RNA helicase that catalyzes the unwinding of secondary structure at the 5'-untranslated region of mRNAs and controls the initiation of translation. Here, we determined the crystal structure of the human eIF4A and PDCD4 complex," scientists writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America report (see also Enzyme Research).

"The structure reveals that one molecule of PDCD4 binds to the two eIF4A molecules through the two different binding modes. While the two MA3 domains of PDCD4 bind to one eIF4A molecule, …