Summary of the science
The Krebs cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle or the TCA cycle, is a fundamental process that occurs within our cells to generate energy. It takes place in the mitochondria, often referred to as the "powerhouse" of the cell. During the Krebs cycle, molecules derived from the breakdown of sugars go through a series of chemical reactions. These reactions transform the molecules into energy-rich compounds and release carbon dioxide as a byproduct. During one stage of the cycle, the compound fumarate is formed. If there is a mutation in the protein responsible for breaking it down, as a result of a mutation caused by disease, the compound can start to build up in the cell. This can cause changes to the RNA. RNA is the messenger for DNA that is required for the normal functioning of the cell and when this is altered, it can cause the disease to progress faster.
About the research
Pedro J Batista and his colleagues investigate the importance and role of RNA in gene expression during both development and disease. Their primary focus revolves around determining the effect of RNA modifications on RNA function, understanding how the loss of the RNA modification m6A (involves methylation) impacts differentiation and gene regulation, and how these RNA modifications are interacting with metabolic pathways.
Mutations in the enzymes involved in the Krebs cycle enzymes are known to drive specific cancer types, such as a loss of function of the fumarate hydratase enzyme in renal cell cancer. They found that the resulting accumulation of Fumarate in the Krebs cycle has a greater effect on the demethylases acting upon m6A than other RNA demethylases. These results suggest that the metabolic changes occurring in renal cancer affect different RNA modifications differently, which in turn may lead to changes in gene expression that could be beneficial to disease progression.
About the illustration
As the research revolves around the Krebs cycle, we wanted it to be represented clearly in the poster, but to make it more interesting we visualised each stage as the molecule that is formed. When Fumarate (molecule bottom left) starts to accumulate, it acts on RNA demethylases, which in turn lead to RNA modifications. We wanted to clarify this interaction, so the elements that have been acted on by Fumarate are coloured in a lighter pink. To not distract from the main image, we decided to represent Fumarate as a silhouette.