Secret behind hard exoskeletons, spreading wings revealed
...ursicon. "Based on previous research, we knew that certain nerve cells produce bursicon and that the very same cells produce another protein, crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP)," Honegger said. "We used a molecular probe that would attach to bursicon messenger RNA and an antibody that would work against ...UCSD biologists discover cell's defense mechanism against class of disease-causing bacterial toxins
...mals, have a natural defense mechanism to ward off certain kinds of bacteria that secrete toxins in order to form tiny holes in the membranes of the cells they infect. Scientists estimate that such "pore-forming" bacterial toxins account for approximately one-quarter of the known protein "virulence factors"...XsalF comes to the fore in brain regionalization
...; and Tcf3, known to antagonize Wnt signaling in certain contexts, and found that the expression of both factors was dependent on XsalF. Gain- and loss-of-function studies reconfirmed the connection between XsalF and these Wnt antagonists, showing that XsalF alters the receptivity of anterior neural cells ...Report outlines steps needed to lessen smallpox threat
...us because its impact would be diminished. "We are certain that such antiviral drugs are feasible, because there has been a clear proof of principle with drugs against HIV and herpes," said Harrison. "They demonstrate that relatively conventional kinds of drugs that target key viral enzymes can be important ...Genetic mutation found that is major contributor to type 1 diabetes
...rom around the world, the researchers found that a certain natural mutation of that SUMO-4 gene increases the...y known that NFκB regulates the production of certain cytokines and that cytokines have a role in type 1 diabetes as well as other autoimmune diseases. Wh...Confidentiality of genetic databases questioned by Stanford researchers
... will provide early warning of a predisposition to certain diseases or predict how the patient will respond to certain drugs. The relationship between DNA and such traits is usually quite subtle, however, and decoding i...Stem-cell research and reproductive cloning laws should be separate
...ry or group of countries can legitimately not fund certain controversial types of scientific or biomedical research. But a decision is preferable to a stalemate. Scientists who do not know what types of research proposals can be considered for funding are likely to shy away from a particular area of investig...Access to DNA secrets yields better understanding of genes, possible tool for disease diagnosis
...nes. The researchers also will investigate whether certain compaction and expansion states might be indicative of cancer or other diseases. "Our current study describes the platform technology necessary to try to understand larger questions," Dr. Garner said. "The next step will involve using the technique t...'Weed from hell' found in Texas
... what works in other states, but we don't know for certain what works here on our soils and environment," he said. "We want to find the most economical solution, one that uses the least amount of herbicide (for effective control.)" The testing went well, Baumann said. "Preliminary results two weeks aft...Structure solved at Scripps shows how one human protein reduces potency of chemotherapy
... AGT that is known to interfere with the action of certain chemotherapy drugs. AGT repairs damaged DNA insid...y structure may help scientists find ways to fight certain cancers, such as brain tumors, which express high levels of AGT making them resistant to chemotherap...Study identifies genetics of fat metabolism, red wine link
...st, the researchers said, but it's too early to be certain of its effects in humans. "It would be very premature to suggest that supplements of resveratrol would have any benefits, because this compound oxidizes very quickly and easily loses its metabolic effectiveness," Leid said. "Because of that we have a...Wistar-discovered antibody will help diagnose appendicitis
... by the Food and Drug Administration for detecting certain difficult-to-diagnose cases of appendicitis quickly and accurately, is based on a monoclonal antibody called SSEA1 discovered at The Wistar Institute. Developed further by Palatin Technologies Inc., located in Cranbury, NJ, with assistance from Thoma...Animal research suggests plant estrogens in soy do not increase breast cancer risk
...vors to turn to soy," he said. Researchers are not certain how plant estrogens and the estrogen produced by the body, or given in pills, act together. One theory is that the plant estrogens bind to cells that have estrogen receptors, such as breast tissue, and block the effects of the other types of estrogen...UCSD team determines cellular stress within body is critical
...sults in very high levels of osmotic stress within certain areas of the kidney. "As immunologists, we were at first rather puzzled when we found that a protein that was thought to help cells of the kidney adapt to osmotic stress was also expressed in tissues of the immune system," Ho said. "There was no pri...How DNA repair machinery is a 'Two-Way Street'
...esting cells. The mismatch repair machinery senses certain types of DNA damage, which leads to activation of ...or development, but also renders them resistant to certain anti-tumor drugs. "Such findings as the ones we are reporting build on the basic understanding of mi...Digital evolution reveals the many ways to get to diversity
...at long-standing questions in ecology, such as why certain environments support more species than others," said Richard Lenski, MSU Hannah Distinguished Professor of microbial ecology and a co-author. "With Avida, we could look at changes in species diversity across thousands of generations, and see how the ...Gene alteration points to longevity, thinness
...guess what the gene does because transporters have certain structural features and the protein made by this gene has the same kind of structural features of the transport system," Dr. Ganapathy says. The structure looked a lot like two dicarboxylate transporters Drs. Fei and Ganapathy had been studying for y...Why does cloning create abnormalities? Scientists take a step towards finding out
...the length of the culture or the concentrations of certain media components such as serum or even a specific amino acid. Finally, we cannot exclude the contribution of the peculiar genetic makeup of patients' gametes, together with the specific ART procedure", he said. Identification of gene expression ab...Birds show superior listening skills
...e shown that humans just aren't cut out to discern certain pitches like their feathered friends. Testing completed on humans, rats, and three different species of birds shows that the birds--even ones that have been raised in isolation--are better at identifying, classifying, and memorizing absolute pitches ......c modifications, or marks, involve the addition of certain molecules, such as methyl groups, to the backbone ...of the proteins that those genes encode. Also, for certain genes, the addition of methyl groups serves to distinguish between the gene copy inherited from the ...