Glowing Cyanobacteria Gives Researchers New Clues To Circadian Rhythms
...s, theresearchers used a gene for a bioluminescent enzyme to indicate the activity ofanother gene that they knew the circadian clock controlled. Whenever thecircadian clock was working, the cell made bioluminescent proteinsrhythmically-causing the cell to glow with a predictable pattern throughout theday. ...Scientists Find New Clues About Fatal Childhood Disease, Ataxia Telangiectasia
... protein, called ATM for A-T, mutated, isa type of enzyme called a protein kinase that reacts to DNA damage by chemicallymodifying and triggering accumulation of a molecular "brake," or tumorsuppressor, called p53. This tumor suppressor is defective in about half of allhuman cancers and is the master contr...Biotech Foods Ready For Primetime, Experts Say
...uction and processing. "The genetically engineered enzyme chymosin is used in two-thirds to three-quarters of the cheese produced," Martin says. "Bt-corn, which allows the corn plants to resist the corn borer, has found wide acceptance. So everyone is already eating foods produced through biotechnology." In...Combination Therapy For Brain Tumors Holds Promise For Longer Survival After Surgery
...overexpressed at very high levels, lead toabnormal enzyme activity and deregulated cell growth. "The mutated oroverexpressed receptors tend to be associated with cancers of the brain,breast, ovary, prostate, and pancreas," explains lead author O'Rourke."There are either more receptors on the cell than norma...UD Education News: HHMI Award Supports Undergraduate Discovery
... chemistry andbiochemistry, she's investigating an enzyme from the human immunodeficiencyvirus (HIV) that triggers key replication reactions. Last year, Heidenfelder's research, sponsored by the Howard Hughes MedicalInstitute of Silver Springs, Md., earned a first-place prize in a competitionorganized by t...Tightly Controlled Protein Destruction Drives The Cell Cycle
... as ubiquitin-mediatedproteolysis, a large tubular enzyme called a proteosome recognizes theprotein-ubiquitin pairing and destroys the protein while releasing the ubiquitinto be used again. The destruction of the metaphase proteins frees the cell tocontinue to the anaphase step in the cell cycle. Currently......and Ixion Biotechnology study has shown that daily enzyme treatmentmay prevent kidney stone formation. Researchers have found that givinglaboratory animals a pill containing proteins that Oxalobacter uses to degradeoxalate with meals successfully lowers oxalate levels and eliminates crystals inthe urine. "...Team Solves X-ray Structure Of Powerful Enzyme
...three dimensionalmolecular structure of a powerful enzyme responsible for activating many cellfunctions. Rep...s to produce large quantities of one member of the enzyme familyexactly as it is found in its natural state. The large, accurate quantities wererequired for c...Gene Therapy In A Liquid May Lead To Quicker, Easier Methods For Treating Disease
...ted a beta-galactosidase gene--whichencodes for an enzyme that breaks down lactose--into an adeno-associated virusvector. They then gave this orally through a special tube to lactose-intolerantrats. The gene incorporated into the cells lining the rats' gastrointestinaltract, allowing them to break down lact...Antioxidant Treatment Holds Promise For Combating Malnourishment
... necessary tissues,lacks an enzyme necessary to turn OTC into GSH, so the OTC travels directly to the lungs and liver. OTC thencombines with other compounds in these organs to form GSH. Major organs in a malnourishe...Fetuses Destined For Abortion May Be Used To Test Gene Therapy
... immune deficiency (SCID),caused by the lack of an enzyme vital for the development of the immune system.At a meeting of the National Institutes of Health Recombinant DNA AdvisoryCommittee (RAC) on 24 September, Anderson described how fetuses with SCID wouldbe given healthy copies of the gene for the enzyme...Plant-Based Fat Inhibits Cancer-Cell Growth By Enhancing Cells Signaling System, UB Researchers Show
...increase in the activity of one enzyme. The second enzyme showed a 31 percentincrease in activity after one day of treatment; an increase of 11 percentremained after five days. "If we know how phytosterols work, we can advise people how to modifytheir diets to reduce their risk of prostate cancer, ......archers have found a gene that encodes DGAT, a key enzyme in fatproduction. Their study results are publish...ing DGAT gives us a valuable tool to evaluate this enzyme and to exploretriglyceride synthesis as it relates to human energy cycles, obesity, andcardiovascula...Researchers Make Breakthrough In Gene Transfer
...ut several foreigngenes, including luciferase, the enzyme that makes fireflies glow. Some of thegenes were expressed at high levels, even after the host cells had divided 30 to40 times. In unpublished work, the group also has used these vectors to expressproteins of hepatitis C virus, an important ...Cell Suicide Prevented By Survival Signals
...athways. Inone of those pathways, Ras turns on the enzyme MAP-kinase, which adds aphosphate group to specific proteins, including Hid. "Hid is harmless as long as it is phosphorylated, but if survivalsignaling drops or disappears, unphosphorylated Hid accumulates and thatleads to apoptosis," Steller says....Virginia Tech Scientist Seek Genetic Solution To Malaria
...has established itself." The gene for the enzyme responsible for nitric oxide production inmosquitoes is very similar to the same gene in humans. Luckhart is looking atwhat drives nitric oxide production, such as the signaling that turns on thegene in mosquitoes. "We've completed character...... are essential to replication--including aprotease enzyme that many pharmaceutical companies are currently testing as atarget for an anti-herpes drug. "But the genes that aren't essential to replication are equally as important asthose that are," he says. "They create an environment in which the virus canr...Brookhaven, Carnegie Scientists Report First 'Morphing' Of Plant Enzyme Function
...enzymes, they swapped several amino acids from one enzyme fortheir equivalents in another enzyme. ...ds and catalyze the chemical changes. "Picture an enzyme as anindustrial punch press and its active site as the die," said Shanklin. "What wehave essentiall...