AI Summary

A brain enzyme previously thought to have a single function has been found to have an unexpected property. This enzyme, studied at Nagoya University in Japan, has the ability to build a polysialic acid chain on itself. The enzyme's behavior was discovered by chance and has been documented in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. According to the findings, the enzyme becomes secreted from the cell once it builds the polysialic acid chain, and it deactivates. However, once the chain is removed, the enzyme becomes active again outside the cell. This discovery challenges a long-held assumption about the enzyme's behavior and highlights the complexity of cellular processes. The enzyme's ability to modify itself and reactivate outside the cell suggests a level of adaptability and regulation that was not previously understood.

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