Vitamin deficiency may exacerbate motor neuron disease
...ions of target proteins that are rich in the amino acids arginine and glycine. “When we tested binding of SMN to these proteins directly in vitro , however, we found a surprisingly low affinity,” said Dreyfuss. “We then began to suspect that something else must influence the binding, b...Higher fat diets show same positive effects on LDLs as low fat diet
...at diets and diets higher in monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil, peanut oil, peanuts and peanut butter decrease LDL-oxidative susceptibility and thereby contribute to a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Kris-Etherton notes that these results offer people trying to manage their CHD ris...Structural studies reveal how potassium channels are inactivated
...y did very specific point mutations of those amino acids to describe which ones were important for this pro...ic amino acids. Intriguingly, the first ten amino acids of the N-terminal peptide tail were also hydrophobic, and the next ten were hydrophilic. Since hydro...The world's most powerful NMR spectrometer
...ree-dimensional structures of proteins and nucleic acids provides important insights into the basic questions about how living organisms function and change, and how particular alterations can lead to human disease. Structural biology is seen by scientists as particularly important in today's research env...Scientists push enzyme evolution into high gear
...ciency, the first step was to find out which amino acids in the parental enzyme could change the enzymes sp...all the possible combinations of nature's 20 amino acids in those six spots, for a total of 64 million varieties. Then they inserted these genes into a bacte...Study uncovers structure of key molecule responsible for clearing drugs from the body
... for this selectivity. By changing only four amino acids in mouse PXR to the corresponding residues in human PXR, we were able to 'humanize' the mouse PXR receptor in its response to specific chemicals. "These results will further help us to identify and prevent dangerous drug-drug interactions in hu...Using lasers, biologists succeed in getting cells to change course
...onally. "We put caging groups on particular amino acids of the protein we were interested in inside single cells and that makes the proteins less active," said Dr. Kenneth A. Jacobson, professor of cell and developmental biology at the UNC School of Medicine. "Then we directed the laser beam into part of ...Walnut consumption may reduce heart disease risk by beneficially redistributing cholesterol
...a rich source of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). In a study of older subjects, Almario et al. demonstrated that walnuts added to the diet have a dual effect of lowering both total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The 5 men and 13 postmenopausal women in the stu...Researchers use computers to redesign protein folding
...roteins first synthesized as long chains of amino acids assume the three-dimensional architecture that enables them to function asenzymes and other key cellular components. Baker and University of Washington colleagues SehatNauli and Brian Kuhlman redesigned the folding pathway of protein G, a smallprotei...'Gene pill' patent extended to include all proteins secreted into blood
... show, among other obstacles, that neither stomach acids nor intestinal enzymes would destroy the DNA. "People thought the oral delivery of genes might be possible in some vague, general way, but few believed it would really work," said Rothman, who serves as chair of the scientific advisory board for Gent...... into complex structures such as proteins, nucleic acids like DNA and three-dimensional viral compounds. The team will use the atoms that give rise to these naturally occurring molecules as templates in their attempt to develop single-molecule functional nanostructures. "Its currently very hard to match b......ggest that the pioneer lichen fungi, which produce acids strong enough to dissolve rocks, also could have helped to reduce carbon dioxide. When washed away by rainwater, the calcium released from the lichen-encrusted rocks eventually forms calcium carbonate limestone in the ocean, preventing the carbon at...UNC scientists develop new way to calculate stability of proteins
...ysis of what happens to proteins if specific amino acids are altered to create protein mutations or variants. Using this database of known protein structures, Carter and his co-authors were able to relate protein structure to stability by making computational manipulations. This allowed them to predict th...Flaxseed may fight breast cancer in postmenopausal women
... to lower the cancer risk, including omega-3 fatty acids and soluble fiber. Further studies are needed to determine whether these or an undetermined chemical contributes to the beneficial effects of flax and to determine the chemical mechanisms underlying this effect, she says. Flaxseed comes from the flax...Bizarre new protein blocks a real-life terminator
...ate the production of tryptophan - one of 20 amino acids that are the building blocks of most proteins in a.... A protein is essentially a large chain of amino acids strung together inside a tiny cellular factory known as the ribosome. The human body uses the amino ...Moving gene in plant results in increased production of amino acid
...osynthesis of tryptophan and other essential amino acids occurs in these plastids, said Archie R. Portis Jr., a University of Illinois crop scientist and researcher in the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Photosynthesis Research Unit at the UI. However, the genes encoding these enzymes are located in th...Mutant proteins may be key to defeat chemical warfare
...d them with the amino-acid alanine. Fourteen amino acids were changed (six in the small group, four in the ... which compound and define the corresponding amino acids for any of the three pockets. For six of the compounds, the two forms in which they appear in nature...Researchers discover new family of naturally occurring antibiotics
... are very small proteins, or short chains of amino acids linked together. Natural, peptide antibiotics are known to be produced by many microorganisms, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates; they can kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria and other pathogens. Noga and Silphaduang have named this new family...U-M scientists find gene for low-frequency hearing loss
...ged just one amino acid in the string of 890 amino acids that make up the protein, it was enough to produce progressive hearing loss." One of the most challenging parts of the study was locating families with this type of hearing loss. "People who can't hear low-frequency sounds may not be aware of it, be......dvantages in the ability to absorb essential fatty acids from food."...