The Latest Biology News And Medical NewsBiology News 2Health News 2Biology News 3Health News 3
HOME >> BIOLOGY >> NEWS
UW-Madison scientists find a key to cell division

MADISON - A cellular structure discovered 125 years ago and dismissed by many biologists as "cellular garbage" has been found to play a key role in the process of cytokinesis, or cell division, one of the most ancient and important of all biological phenomena.

The discovery of the function of the dozens of proteins harbored within this structure - which are necessary for normal cell division - by a team of scientists led by a University of Wisconsin-Madison geneticist was announced in today's edition of the journal Science.

The discovery promises a better understanding of the role of cell division in the growth and development of all organisms and, critically, of abnormal cell division, when the key proteins fail. These failures can lead to infertility, birth defects, cancer and neurological problems such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases.

"Going from one cell to two, or cytokinesis, is one of the most fundamental of cellular events," dating to a time when life evolved from single-celled organisms, explains Ahna Skop, an assistant professor of genetics with the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. "It applies to all species and organisms, and it is fundamental to the growth and development of all life on this planet."

However, just as cell division is the key to life, failures in the process can lead to certain diseases, says Skop.

"Several diseases are caused by cells that don't divide properly, or divide out of control, as in cancer," she says. "In addition, proteins that work during cell division may also work in the neurons in our brain or during wound healing, for example. So understanding how cell division works can help us understand how many other specific types of cells function."

With a new understanding of which proteins affect cell division, medical researchers can potentially develop new drugs to prevent cancer and birth defects, treat fertility and neurological disorders, or aide
'"/>

Contact: Ahna Skop
skop@wisc.edu
608-262-1593
University of Wisconsin-Madison
27-May-2004


Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. National nanotech expert to address UW-Madison conference
2. UW-Madison scientists return to rat as biomedical research tool
3. UW-Madison researchers identify key to cancer cell mobility
4. UW-Madison team develops technique to create flu viruses
5. DNA lends scientists a hand, revealing new chemical reactions
6. Conference at UH opens doors for new scientists, engineers
7. Wisconsin scientists develop quick botox test
8. UCI scientists successfully target key HIV protein; breakthrough may lead to new drug therapies
9. Alaska scientists find Arctic tundra yields surprising carbon loss
10. UAF scientists discover new marine habitat in Alaska
11. Information system to help scientists analyze mechanisms of social behavior
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Madison scientists find key cell division

(Date:1/8/2009)...international journal Neurobiology of Aging by M...y fit helps the brain function at the top of its g...search Senior Scholar, Poulin finds that physical ... a result, cognitive abilities. , "Being sedenta...dementia," says Poulin, a scientist in the Faculti...
(Date:1/8/2009)... Spanish . , Anti-inflammatory drugs affect...but also those that do not. This is why it is impo...which affect healthy cells. With this aim in mind,...is working on analogues of the C1P molecule. , ...l drugs are available: steroids and those known as...
(Date:1/8/2009)...w race cars to take tight turns at high speeds. Hi...ages: They are not necessary for basic flight but ...dators. , "To escape a predator, you don,t have t... Tom Eisner, a world authority on animal behavior,...n Professor Emeritus of Chemical Ecology at Cornel...
(Date:1/7/2009)...lution has already spurred public health officials... more pressing concern in a warmer world. , So s...the journal Oecologia . , Sue Natali, a postdoc...rida and the paper,s lead author, compared mercury...ed with carbon dioxide to soil beneath trees in am...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Research finds older women who are more physically fit have better cognitive function 2The quest for specific anti-inflammatory treatment 2The quest for specific anti-inflammatory treatment 3Hind wings help butterflies make swift turns to evade predators, study finds 2To climate-change worries, add 1 more: Extended mercury threat 2To climate-change worries, add 1 more: Extended mercury threat 3GetWellNetwork Offers Comprehensive Education Package Enabling Hospitals to Meet Compliance Requirements for Patient Education 7931 1GetWellNetwork Offers Comprehensive Education Package Enabling Hospitals to Meet Compliance Requirements for Patient Education 7931 2GetWellNetwork Offers Comprehensive Education Package Enabling Hospitals to Meet Compliance Requirements for Patient Education 7931 3GetWellNetwork Offers Comprehensive Education Package Enabling Hospitals to Meet Compliance Requirements for Patient Education 7931 4New study shows worlds protected areas threatened by climate change 7926 1New study shows worlds protected areas threatened by climate change 7926 2The birth and death of dopamine neurons 3A A new model for neurodegeneration 1514 1Datascope Recommends Shareholders Re Elect its Two Incumbent Directors and Reject Ramius Opposition Slate 7918 1Datascope Recommends Shareholders Re Elect its Two Incumbent Directors and Reject Ramius Opposition Slate 7918 2Datascope Recommends Shareholders Re Elect its Two Incumbent Directors and Reject Ramius Opposition Slate 7918 3Datascope Recommends Shareholders Re Elect its Two Incumbent Directors and Reject Ramius Opposition Slate 7918 4Datascope Recommends Shareholders Re Elect its Two Incumbent Directors and Reject Ramius Opposition Slate 7918 5
Other News:
...about glucosamine's efficacy in treating arthritis... the 64th American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) me...lement has effects on skin with the particular ab...cells damaged by UV radiation exposure. ......"Whi...
...public-private research team led by scientists at ...oday the construction and availability of an exten... human and mouse genes. As described in the March ...NA molecules that can switch off genes individuall...
Seismologists at Columbia University and Harvard University have found a new indicator that the Earth is warming: "glacial earthquakes" caused when the rivers of ice lurch unexpectedly and produce tem
...an diagnosed with breast cancer has the same chanc...ancer according to the latest findings presented t...C-5). ......Scientists have known for a while that...sis. It was thought to be because younger women we...
New studies show topical glucosamine targets pigment overproduction 2New studies show topical glucosamine targets pigment overproduction 3New RNAi tools enable systematic studies of gene function 2New RNAi tools enable systematic studies of gene function 3Scientists detect seasonal pattern to glacial earthquakes in Greenland, see signs of increase 2Age is an independent risk factor in young women with breast cancer 2
...ern University professor Richard C. Deth.has disco...ion that could open.new avenues for the treatment ...icit/hyperactivity disorder. The findings are pub...atry...The breakthrough centers around the brain's...
...ght on the biology of violence, a Penn.State-led t...gnant teens that.lower concentrations of a stress ... of depression and conduct disorder symptoms... ...ey Professor of.Biobehavioral Health and leader of...
...ation Program's Step I and Step II.Dietary Interve...ors: A.Meta-analysis..by S. Yu-Poth et al ..A comp...udies shows that.progressive reduction in dietary ...ve benefit in reducing serum lipids and lipoprotei...
...5 percent) of American women cross their.legs most...ow that it is bad for.circulation, according to a ...t.Great American Cross-OutTM. . . "Leg cros...they should.just say 'No' to the behavior as a sim...
health news:Stress Hormone Tied To Depression And Conduct Disorder In Pregnant Teens 2health news:National Survey: Leg Crossing Is Taboo But Women Indulge Anyway 2health news:National Survey: Leg Crossing Is Taboo But Women Indulge Anyway 3
Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in...the Parkinsonian Rat...Franois Windels, Carole Carcenac, Annie Poupard, and Marc Savasta......Neurons in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) show increased neural activi
...e popular diet item grapefruit have strong antioxi...tomach ulcers, according to a new study presented ...second study, researchers clarified that while fem...hey are more susceptible to alcohol-related liver ...
...iple tips in the treatment of liver tumors by radi...aking it a useful alternative to surgery in select...f Brescia in Italy.......In RFA, electrodes are us...to the tumor in order to destroy it. "Expanding el...
...sition of a mother's breast milk may depend not ju... research at Wake Forest University Baptist Medica...ol the nutrient levels in cow's milk" said Richard...idered how genes might affect human breast milk. T...
health news:Study shows grapefruit extract can heal stomach ulcers 2health news:Study shows grapefruit extract can heal stomach ulcers 3health news:Study shows grapefruit extract can heal stomach ulcers 4health news:Genes may influence nutritional composition of breast milk 2