Geneticists show ripple effects of gene mutations
... investigators isolated a series of smell-impaired flies that were genetically identical but with one particular disrupted gene, and showed enhanced effects when these genes interacted. "We were able to place them into a network of genetic interactions which provided us with a little view of how genes migh...Leishmania mutant provides insight into disease and may lead to a vaccine
...utants showed a 10-fold lower survival in the sand flies after three days, after which point they were completely eliminated. They also were unable to survive in macrophages. Next, the investigators injected the parasites into mice that were genetically susceptible to leishmaniasis. As expected, the anima...Research on relative species abundance provides new theoretical foundation
...s if they were essentially identical. "This theory flies in the face of 50 years of research that has celebrated the uniqueness of all species in nature," said Hubbell, a professor of plant biology at UGA. "And while I certainly do believe that many aspects of species are unique, this theory is, more and m...Molecules discovered that extend life in yeast, human cells
...researchers report that preliminary experiments in flies and worms are encouraging. Mouse studies are in the works. They are exploring synthetic variations on the molecules, which they call sirtuin activating compounds or "STACs," to improve the sirtuin activity. They are also searching for endogenous acti...Genes that paint fly derrieres hint at convergence
...rn and color pigmentation on the abdomens of fruit flies across many species. The discovery of this example of molecular convergence, according to Carroll and Gompel, provides biologists with new insight into how genes that are shared by many animals can be used in different ways to influence body plans. "...Controlling body size by regulating the number of cells
...colleagues from the University of Zrich used fruit flies to investigate the role of the insulin-signalling ... expressing FOXO in parts of the fly and analysing flies that contained no functional FOXO protein, to investigate what FOXO does. They found that flies wit...Parasites prevent ants from protecting coffee plants
...sts. But the whole system goes awry when parasitic flies called phorids enter the picture. When they get the chance, the flies lay eggs in Azteca ants' heads, but they also influence the ants' behavior, with far-reaching result...Study of leishmania parasite may lead to vaccine, new treatments
...he parasite is spread by the bite of infected sand flies and can cause leishmaniasis, a sometimes fatal and disfiguring disease. Cutaneous leishmaniasis causes open, slow-healing and sometimes disfiguring skin sores. Visceral leishmaniasis spreads to several organs and is usually fatal if left untreated. ...Researchers identify protein modules that 'read' distinct gene 'silencing codes'
...opment of embryos in a range of species from fruit flies to humans. Loss of HP1 correlates with metastasis in human breast cancer cells, and mutations in Polycomb proteins have been linked to cancers of the prostate and the immune system. "Methylated Lys9 and Lys27 are two of the hottest histone modificat...Gene helps regulate longevity in flies, and perhaps humans
... animals. "We can make designer genotypes in fruit flies and test the effects of mutations," said Mackay. ...s in the DDC gene increased life span of the fruit flies and others decreased it. Interestingly, some variants that were associated with increased life span ...New imaging vehicle maps coral reefs to determine health of reef and fisheries
...hered by a new autonomous underwater vehicle which flies through the sea like a helicopter. Scientists and engineers used an autonomous underwater vehicle and imaging platform called SeaBED during a first-of-its-kind study to determine the health of deepwater coral reefs and related spawning areas for co...Researchers locate tumor-suppressor gene in fruit flies that controls cell production, death
...rchers replaced the tumor-suppressor gene in fruit flies with a protein in humans called MST2. This resulte...ause the fruit fly genome is easily mutated. Fruit flies carry approximately 70 percent of the same disease genes as humans. Dr. Pan is currently studying th...UC Riversides Derek Roff says global warming may threaten endangered species
...gs that show that a population of rainforest fruit flies had no genetic variation in an ecologically important trait: 'desiccation resistance' or the protective strategy used by cells against drought stress in order to prevent water loss. In the perspective, Roff also discusses the implications of the stu...Lone gene could force re-think on pest insect control
...as baffled and worried the researchers is that the flies are rarely targeted with insecticides and many of the chemicals it is resistant to, it has never been exposed to before. "The fact that a single mutation can confer resistance to the banned insecticide DDT and a range of unrelated pesticides, even ...Melbourne scientist overturns 30 year calcium dogma
...it tends to be conserved through evolution. Fruit flies without this protein are sterile. Three international teams, including Hubbard's, are now trying to pinpoint the role of this protein. "We know it is important, but its exact role is proving hard to pin down. Every stone we turn over tells us it is ...U. Iowa study adds to understanding of salt-taste
...ese proteins, known as ion channel proteins. Fruit flies and humans share the ability to detect salt. Fruit flies also respond to salt in ways that are similar to those seen in humans and other animals. For example...Scientists find what type of genes affect longevity
... have since been shown to affect lifespan in fruit flies and mice, and therefore are likely to control lifespan in humans as well. Her lab found that daf-2 affects lifespan through a second gene, known as daf-16, whose function was known to control the expression of other genes. But the finding left unansw...Public Library of Science acts to increase public access to scientific research
...her than getting into a car, the man takes off and flies to work! The campaign is linked to the October launch of PLoS Biology, a new peer-reviewed, scientific journal that will compete with prominent publications such as Science, Nature, and Cell to publish the most significant works of biomedical researc...Pancreatic cancer linked to errant reactivation of embryo cell pathway
...in a wide variety of organisms, ranging from fruit flies to humans. In adult tissues, the pathway becomes dormant as cells become differentiated to perform specialized functions. But, when the pancreas is injured or diseased, Notch signaling may be reactivated in the adult pancreas, resulting in conversi......puts out a flower shoot instead, hoping to attract flies carrying pollen from another of its kind. Ted was grown from a seed planted in 1995. This was its first flowering. The plants can live for several decades but are thought to flower only every few years. The scientists may get a chance to repeat their...