A team of researchers has advanced our understanding of how the brain processes learning and memory at the molecular level by examining a key protein, Asc1, in neuronal membranes. The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights the role of Asc1 as a transporter gate that facilitates the movement of crucial amino acids across neuron membranes. This protein is vital for cognitive functions such as learning and memory.

This research is a collaborative effort involving the Spanish National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), the Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), and the University of Barcelona.

"Understanding the structure of Asc-1 at an atomic level allows us to identify new targets for drugs that could influence its activity, potentially offering new treatments for neurological conditions such as stroke and schizophrenia," stated Dr. Oscar Llorca from CNIO.

Dr. Manuel Palacin, head of the Amino Acid Transporters and Disease laboratory at IRB Barcelona, and Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biomedicine at the University of Barcelona, emphasized the importance of the collaboration for providing unprecedented insights into the protein's structure and function.

This significant discovery was primarily funded by "la Caixa" Foundation and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. The first authors of the study, Josep Rullo-Tubau (IRB Barcelona) and Dr. Maria Martinez Molledo (CNIO), conducted experiments that led to a detailed understanding of Asc-1's structure via cryo-electron microscopy.

This advanced imaging revealed that Asc-1 can open inward to intake amino acids essential for synaptic connections, crucial for brain adaptability and cognitive function. The unique ability of Asc-1 to operate differently from other transport proteins in its family, by facilitating the inward movement of amino acids without a corresponding outward exchange, marks a critical advance in our understanding of neuronal chemistry.

Research Report:Structure and mechanisms of transport of human Asc1/CD98hc amino acid transporter