ScienceDaily: Molecular Biology News

Parasitic wasps use calcium pump to block fruit fly immunity

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:37:37 EDT

Parasitic wasps switch off the immune systems of fruit flies by draining calcium from the flies' blood cells, a finding that offers new insight into how pathogens break through a host's defenses. Researchers say their findings have uncovered an important component of cellular immunity, one that parasites have learned to take advantage of.

Do salamanders' immune systems hold the key to regeneration?

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:37:37 EDT

Salamanders' immune systems are key to their remarkable ability to regrow limbs, and could also underpin their ability to regenerate spinal cords, brain tissue and even parts of their hearts, scientists have found. In new research, scientists have found that when immune cells known as macrophages were systemically removed, salamanders lost their ability to regenerate a limb and instead formed scar tissue.

Compound in Mediterranean diet makes cancer cells 'mortal'

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:43:43 EDT

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death.

Fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Engineers have used miniaturized electronics to measure the activity of individual ion-channel proteins with temporal resolution as fine as one microsecond, producing the fastest recordings of single ion channels ever performed. They designed a custom integrated circuit to perform these measurements, in which an artificial cell membrane and ion channel are attached directly to the surface of the amplifier chip.

Making ice-cream more nutritious with meat left-overs

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:48:48 EDT

Most of the animal proteins found in the meat industry waste have, until now, been underutilized. The challenge is to transform such waste into food of higher functionality and added value.

Origins of life: In early Earth, iron helped RNA catalyze electron transfer

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:56:56 EDT

A new study shows how complex biochemical transformations may have been possible under conditions that existed when life began on the early Earth. The study shows that RNA is capable of catalyzing electron transfer under conditions similar to those of the early Earth.

Now we know why old scizophrenia medicine works on antibiotics-resistant bacteria

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:37:37 EDT

An old medicine for schizophrenia is effective at treating something completely different than it was designed for: antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So far it has been a mystery how this old schizophrenia medicine works, but now researchers have figured it out. This can lead to a new medicine against the increasingly threatening antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Developmental genetics of space and time

Wed, 15 May 2013 16:39:39 EDT

Scientists have conducted a study that reveals important and useful insights into how and why developmental genes often take inputs from two independent “morphogen concentration gradients.”

Squishy hydrogels may be the ticket for studying biological effects of nanoparticles

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:51 EDT

A class of water-loving, jelly-like materials with uses ranges ranging from the mundane, such as superabsorbent diaper liners, to the sophisticated, such as soft contact lenses, could be tapped for a new line of serious work: testing the biological effects of nanoparticles, according to scientists.

Study IDs key protein for cell death

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

Findings may offer a new way to kill cancer cells by forcing them into an alternative programmed-death pathway.

Same musicians play a brand new tune: Unusual interplay of signaling pathways shapes critical eye structure

Tue, 14 May 2013 13:54:54 EDT

A small ensemble of musicians can produce an infinite number of melodies, harmonies and rhythms. So too, do a handful of workhorse signaling pathways that interact to construct multiple structures that comprise the vertebrate body. In fact, crosstalk between two of those pathways -- those governed by proteins known as Notch and BMP (for Bone Morphogenetic Protein) receptors -- occurs over and over in processes as diverse as forming a tooth, sculpting a heart valve and building a brain.

Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Expensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body's natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response.

Alligator stem cell study gives clues to tooth regeneration

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Alligators may help scientists learn how to stimulate tooth regeneration in people, according to new research. For the first time, a global team of researchers has uncovered unique cellular and molecular mechanisms behind tooth renewal in American alligators.

Water governs cell movement: Aquaporins play key role, new research finds

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Water gives life. Researchers now show how the cells in our bodies are driven mainly by water power -- a discovery that in the long run opens the way for a new strategy in cancer therapy.

Most complete database to date of human phosphatases and their substrates

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

It is now easier to pinpoint exactly what molecules a phosphatase -- a type of protein that’s essential for cells to react to their environment -- acts upon in human cells, thanks to the free online database DEPOD, created by EMBL scientists. Published today in Science Signaling, the overview of interactions could even help explain unforeseen side-effects of drugs.

Receptor proteins could hold clues to antibiotic resistance in MRSA

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:27:27 EDT

Scientists have identified four new proteins that act as receptors for an essential signalling molecule in bacteria such as MRSA.

Serotonin mediates exercise-induced generation of new neurons

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:09:09 EDT

Mice that exercise in running wheels exhibit increased neurogenesis in the brain. Crucial to this process is serotonin signaling. Surprisingly, mice lacking brain serotonin due to a genetic mutation exhibited normal baseline neurogenesis. However, in these serotonin-deficient mice, activity-induced proliferation was impaired, and wheel running did not induce increased generation of new neurons.

Molecular basis of strawberry aroma

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:09:09 EDT

You know that summer is here when juicy red strawberries start to appear on the shelves. In Germany, this seasonal fruit has never been more popular: on average 3.5 kilos per head were consumed in 2012 -- a full kilogram more than ten years ago. Scientists decided to find out what gives strawberries their characteristic flavor.

Not all cytokine-producing cells start out the same way

Mon, 13 May 2013 09:57:57 EDT

Not all IL17-producing cells are the same, and the rules regarding how particular cell types are instructed to produce this important mediator differ. Understanding the rules that govern IL17 cell development and function will suggest ways to specifically modulate one population or the other.

Oxygen consumption of individual cells measured: Scanning electrochemical microscopy decisively optimized

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:30:30 EDT

How active a living cell is can be seen by its oxygen consumption. The method for determining this consumption has now been significantly improved. The problem up to now was that the measuring electrode altered the oxygen consumption in the cell's environment much more than the cell itself.

Research on cilia heats up: Implications for hearing, vision loss and kidney disease

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:06:06 EDT

Experiments have unearthed clues about which protein signaling molecules are allowed into hollow, hair-like “antennae,” called cilia, that alert cells to critical changes in their environments.

Individual efficacy of chemotherapies

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:54:54 EDT

The function of the mitochondria – also defined as “power plants” within the cells – is essential as to whether, and how, some chemotherapeutic agents take effect in tissue. Scientists have thus discovered a significant cell characteristic that could possibly predict the success of therapy.

Mapping the embryonic epigenome: How genes are turned on and off during early human development

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:36:36 EDT

A large, multi-institutional research team has published a sweeping analysis of how genes are turned on and off to direct early human development.

Research reveals cancer-suppressing protein 'multitasks'

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:35:35 EDT

The understanding of how a powerful protein called p53 protects against cancer development has been upended by a new discovery.

Studies generate comprehensive list of genes required by innate system to defend sex cells

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:35:35 EDT

Investigators have published studies revealing many previously unknown components of an innate system that defends sex cells -- the carriers of inheritance across generations -- from the ravages of transposable genetic elements.

Genes define the interaction of social amoeba and bacteria

Thu, 09 May 2013 12:34:34 EDT

Researchers have used the model of the social amoeba -- Dictyostelium discoideum -- to identify the genetic controls on how the amoeba differentiate the different bacteria and respond to achieve their goal of destruction.

Scientists find key to gene-silencing activity

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:32:32 EDT

Scientists have found how to boost or inhibit a gene-silencing mechanism that normally serves as a major controller of cells’ activities. The discovery could lead to a powerful new class of drugs against viral infections, cancers and other diseases.

Differences between 'marathon mice' and 'couch potato mice' reveal key to muscle fitness

Wed, 08 May 2013 10:26:26 EDT

Using "marathon" and "couch potato" mouse models, researchers have discovered that microRNAs link the defining characteristics of fit muscles: The abilities to burn fuel and switch between muscle fiber types. They also found that active people have higher levels of one microRNA than sedentary people.

A trick to fold proteins more quickly: 'Clever' technique speeds up the analysis of protein dynamics

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:28:28 EDT

Scientists have devised a method to reduce the time used to simulate how proteins take on their signature three-dimensional shape. Such important information to comprehend their function is usually obtained using often very costly experimental techniques.

Combining strategies speeds the work of enzymes

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:58:58 EDT

Enzymes could break down cell walls faster -- leading to less expensive biofuels for transportation -- if two enzyme systems are brought together in an industrial setting, new research suggests.

New insights into Ebola infection pave the way for much-needed therapies

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:45:45 EDT

The Ebola virus is among the deadliest viruses on the planet, killing up to 90 percent of those infected. A new study reveals how the most abundant protein making up the Ebola virus -- viral protein 40 -- allows the virus to leave host cells and spread infection to other cells throughout the human body. The findings could lay the foundation for the development of new drugs and strategies for fighting Ebola infection.

Silk and cellulose biologically effective for use in stem cell cartilage repair

Tue, 07 May 2013 12:48:48 EDT

Over 20 million people in Europe suffer from osteoarthritis which can lead to extensive damage to the knee and hip cartilage. Stem cells offer a promising way forward but a key challenge has been to design a 'smart material' that is biologically effective for cartilage tissue regeneration. Now researchers have identified a blend of naturally occurring fibers such as cellulose and silk that makes progress towards affordable and effective cell-based therapy for cartilage repair a step closer.

Pathogen turns protein into a virulence factor in one easy step

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:11:11 EDT

To infect its host, the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa takes an ordinary protein usually involved in making other proteins and adds three small molecules to turn it into a key for gaining access to human cells. Researchers have now uncovered this previously unknown virulence factor in P. aeruginosa, one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired pneumonia.

And the beat goes on...: The reliable heartbeat of hibernators

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:08:08 EDT

At the current temperatures, all hibernators have probably emerged from their winter hibernation and are enjoying the warm weather. However, this is quite different during the cold season. Many small mammals such as marmots, hedgehogs, bats and some hamsters, and even some birds have a particular skill: they can induce a state of inactivity and reduced metabolic rate to significantly lower their energy consumption when food becomes limited and ambient temperatures drop.

Boosting 'cellular garbage disposal' can delay the aging process

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

Biologists have identified a gene, previously implicated in Parkinson's disease, that can delay the onset of aging and extend the healthy life span of fruit flies. This research has important potential implications for aging and disease in humans. The gene, Parkin, serves at least two vital functions. By increasing Parkin activity, the scientists extended the lifespan of the flies by more than 25 percent.

New technique to track cell interactions in living bodies developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:16:16 EDT

Researchers have developed a new technique to see how different types of cells interact in a living mouse.

Critical link in mammalian odor detection identified

Mon, 06 May 2013 16:12:12 EDT

Researchers at the Monell Center have identified a protein that is critical to the ability of mammals to smell. Mice engineered to be lacking the Ggamma13 protein in their olfactory receptors were functionally anosmic – unable to smell. The findings may lend insight into the underlying causes of certain smell disorders in humans.

Endogenous antibiotic discovered in the brain

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:52:52 EDT

Scientists have discovered that immune cells in the brain can produce a substance that prevents bacterial growth: namely itaconic acid. Until now, biologists had assumed that only certain fungi produced itaconic acid.Scientists have now shown that even so-called microglial cells in mammals are also capable of producing this acid.

Activity of cancer inducing genes can be controlled by the cell's skeleton

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:51:51 EDT

Cancer is a complex disease, in which cells undergo a series of alterations, including changes in their architecture; an increase in their ability to divide, to survive and to invade new tissues or metastasis. A category of genes, called oncogenes, is critical during cancer progression, as they codify proteins whose activity favors the development of cancer. One of these molecules, Src, is implicated in a large number of human cancers. However, it is still not clear how healthy cells constrain its activity not to become tumorous. Researchers have now identified a novel mechanism by which the activity of Src is limited by the cell's skeleton (cytoskeleton) limiting the development of tumors.

Assembly of a protein degradation machine could lead to treatments in cancer, neurological diseases

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:49:49 EDT

Scientists have discovered new details about an assembly intricate process in cells and the proteins named chaperones that controls it. Their finding may advance treatments for cancer and neurological diseases.

Epilepsy cured in mice using brain cells

Fri, 03 May 2013 23:03:03 EDT

Epilepsy that does not respond to drugs can be halted in adult mice by transplanting a specific type of cell into the brain, researchers have discovered, raising hope that a similar treatment might work in severe forms of human epilepsy.

Human brain cells developed in lab, grow in mice

Fri, 03 May 2013 23:03:03 EDT

A key type of human brain cell developed in the laboratory grows seamlessly when transplanted into the brains of mice, researchers have discovered, raising hope that these cells might one day be used to treat people with Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease, as well as and complications of spinal cord injury such as chronic pain and spasticity.

Computer simulations reveal the energy landscape of ion channels

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Ion channels are important drug targets. A young team of researchers investigated the opening and closing mechanisms of these channels. The time consuming calculations were performed using the high performance computer cluster, which is currently the fastest computer in Austria.

New mechanism discovered in meiosis: How modification of an enzyme governs critical processes in sexual reproduction

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Scientists have made an important discovery in meiosis research. They have identified a new mechanism that plays an important role in meiosis.

Ebola's secret weapon revealed

Thu, 02 May 2013 19:22:22 EDT

Researchers have discovered the mechanism behind one of the Ebola virus' most dangerous attributes: its ability to disarm the adaptive immune system.

Link between heart, blood, and skeletal muscle

Thu, 02 May 2013 18:54:54 EDT

New research has shown that by turning on just a single gene, Mesp1, different cell types including the heart, blood and muscle can be created from stem cells.

Cell biology: Active transporters are universally leaky

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Biochemists found that as active transporters in cell membranes undergo conformational changes to allow their main substrates to pass through through, small molecules like water slip through as well.

Finding Nematostella: Ancient sea creature shines new light on how animals build an appendage

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:35:35 EDT

A study of tentacle formation in a sea anemone shows how epithelial cells form elongated structures and puts the spotlight on a new model organism.

New imaging technique to visualize bio-metals and molecules simultaneously

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:17:17 EDT

Metal elements and molecules interact in the body but visualizing them together has always been a challenge. Researchers have now developed a new molecular imaging technology that enables them to visualize bio-metals and bio-molecules simultaneously in a live mouse. This new technology will enable researchers to study the complex interactions between metal elements and molecules in living organisms.

It slices, it dices, it silences: ADAR1 as gene-silencing modular RNA multitool

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:20:20 EDT

RNA, once considered a bit player in the grand scheme by which genes encode protein, is increasingly seen to have a major role in human genetics. Researchers now report how the RNA-editing protein, ADAR1, also combines with the protein called Dicer to create microRNA and small interfering. These varieties of RNA, in turn, play a crucial role in gene regulation -- silencing or "switching off" the production of specific proteins.

Hypothalamus: Brain region may hold key to aging

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:18:18 EDT

While the search continues for the Fountain of Youth, researchers may have found the body's "fountain of aging": the brain region known as the hypothalamus. For the first time, scientists report that the hypothalamus of mice controls aging throughout the body. Their discovery of a specific age-related signaling pathway opens up new strategies for combating diseases of old age and extending lifespan.

Scientists find dissimilar proteins evolved similar seven-part shape

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:17:17 EDT

Solving the structure of a critical human molecule involved in cancer, scientists have found what they call a good example of structural conservation —- dissimilar genes that keep very similar shapes.

Researchers look to mathematics, nature, to understand the immune system and its role in cancer

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Can patterns in tree branches or the meandering bends in a river provide clues that could lead to better cancer therapies? According to a new study, these self-similar, repeating patterns in nature known as fractals help scientists better understand how the immune system is organized and may one day be used to help improve stem cell transplant outcomes in leukemia patients by predicting the probability of transplant complications.

How 'traffic' in our cells works both for and against us

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:07:07 EDT

A mechanism that permits essential substances to enter our cells while at the same time removing from them harmful components also has a “down side.” This negativeaspect prevents vital drugs, such as anti-cancer drugs, from achieving their designed functions, while also enabling bacterial cells to develop resistance to penetration of antibiotics.

How petals get their shape: Hidden map located within plant's growing buds

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:43:43 EDT

Why do rose petals have rounded ends while their leaves are more pointed? Scientists have revealed that the shape of petals is controlled by a hidden map located within the plant's growing buds.

Synthetic derivatives of THC may weaken HIV-1 infection to enhance antiviral therapies

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:15:15 EDT

A new research report shows that compounds that stimulate the cannabinoid type 2 receptor in white blood cells, specifically macrophages, appear to weaken HIV-1 infection.

Membrane remodeling: Where yoga meets cell biology

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:25:25 EDT

Endocytosis lets cells absorb nutrients, import growth factors, prevent infections and accomplish many other vital tasks. This study suggests that, in contrast to earlier theories, dynamin proteins and membrane lipids work together synergistically. Also, GTP completes the final act of separation (membrane fission) not through brute force, but by encouraging the highly stressed membrane to relax.

Tactics of new Middle East virus suggest treating by altering lung cells' response to infection

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:25:25 EDT

The deadly Human Coronavirus-Erasmus Medical Center, which first appeared April 2012 in the Middle East, is revealing its stronghold tactics. The virus dysregulates 207 lung cell genes to turn RNA levels up and down. The dysregulation makes it harder for cells to recognize the virus and also creates an environment for the virus to multiply. Currently available drugs are predicted to treat the infection by altering the infected cells' response, rather than killing the virus directly.

Scientists discover how a protein finds its way

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:59:59 EDT

Scientists have uncovered how an enzyme co-factor can bestow specificity on a class of proteins with otherwise nonspecific biochemical activity. Proteins can have more than one function, but they often need to be very specific in their action or they create cellular havoc, possibly leading to disease.

Comparing proteins at a glance: Technique for easy comparisons of proteins in solution

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:05:05 EDT

A revolutionary X-ray analytical technique enables researchers at a glance to identify structural similarities and differences between multiple proteins under a variety of conditions and has already been used to gain valuable new insight into a prime protein target for cancer chemotherapy.