DNA unwinding protein runs on two motors
RecBCD, an enzyme that unwinds the DNA double helix so that it can be copied or repaired, is powered by two motor units that run in opposite directions, according to a report by UC Davis researchers in the June 19 issue of Nature. RecBCD is one of a class of motor proteins that travel along either DNA...Cadmium studies suggest new pathway to human cancer
... Soon after the discovery of the DNA double helix 50 years ago, studies showed environmental chemicals and stresses could cause mutations in the DNA that could result in uncontrolled cell growth, leading to cancer. But the NIEHS group's new contribution is to show that cadmium causes mutations in a...Virus researchers close in on the secret life of DNA
...A sometimes assumes instead of the familiar double helix conformation (known as B-DNA). Certain sequences of DNA in the normal B conformation will "flip" into the Z form (which is less stable), apparently in response to genes being transcribed immediately "downstream" on the molecule's sequence. Coiled to ...Fifty years later, famous photo is in OSU's Pauling collection
...journal Nature that they had discovered the double helix structure of DNA, the photo that helped them unrav...ction that help detail the discovery of the double helix - including Franklin's manuscript and famous photo - are available online through the OSU Special Co...Molecular machine shuffles beads on a DNA string
... nucleosomes out of the way, expose the DNA double helix and begin the process of stitching a new piece of DNA into place. The work is published in the March issue of Nature Structural Biology....The structure behind the switch
... differs from the standard Watson-and-Crick double helix and plays a critical role in the production of antibodies, or immunoglobulins. The research will be published online in the journal Nature Immunology this week, and will appear in print in the journal's May issue. "The way in which the five different...Carnegie Mellon scientists create unique DNA probe with great potential
...ial. Normally, DNA occurs as the well-known double helix first proposed by James Watson and Francis Crick 50 years ago. Each strand of the helix consists of a backbone of sugar-phosphate groups linked to nucleobases, which occupy the inside of t...... and Crick announced their discovery of the double helix the structure of DNA and started the genetics revolution that's led to the mapping of human genome, GM crops, genetic medicine and so much more. What will the next 50 years bring and what are the implications for the human race? The International ...Metal ions may play big role in how we sense smells
...mbrane, a portion of the receptor protein's fourth helix is pushed outside the membrane, Suslick said. Whe... loop is ejected from the membrane, and the fourth helix is dragged back in, triggering a sequence of events leading to nerve cell activity. Then, when the ...Teasing apart the molecules of life
...w measure the forces needed to tear the DNA double helix apart. The work was carried out using the first successful simultaneous combination of two important techniques for looking at single molecules - single molecule fluorescence and optical trapping. Optical trapping, or 'optical tweezers', uses laser b...Berkeley scientists create first 3-D map of protein universe
...ial peptides, those containing fragments with high helix and/or strand propensity found their way to fold into small alpha, beta, and alpha plus beta structures," Kim says. "The alpha slash beta fold structures do not appear until proteins of sufficient size rose through evolution and the formation of sup...First draft of 'periodic table' of protein structures helps visualize nature's universe of proteins
...esent significant differences in folding. An alpha helix is one common structural element of protein motifs..." One evolutionary pathway elaborated on the alpha helix structure. Another developed from the basic beta sheet, a pair of side-by-side chains of amino acids...New strategies against disease revealed as scientists probe genes' tasks
...how microarray chips work, think of the DNA double helix as a zipper that can be unzipped down the middle, splitting the molecule into two single strands. A microarray chip is covered with "unzipped" DNA sequences representing thousands of genes. To see whether a sample of genetic material contains any of ...Cell density determines extent of damage caused by cigarette smoke exposure
...tinct molecules, all of which have a unique triple helix configuration of three polypeptide subunits known as chains. At least 13 types of collagen have been identified, each with a different polypeptide chain. Fibroblasts, spindle-shaped cells with cytoplasmic processes present in connective tissue, are ...First potentially clinically useful independent marker for lung cancer identified
...such as cisplatin, works by bonding the DNA double helix in the cancer cell together so that the strands break when they try to unwind to start the process of cell division. But ERCCI mends the damage in the cancer cell, making the tumour drug resistant. Dr Gerold Bepler, joint lead investigator with Dr G...Tailor-made cancer drugs: Wave of the future?
...gar, which combine to form the sides of the double helix "ladder," and a base that forms the ladder's "rungs." All variances in DNA, including cancerous mutations, are the result of unique sequencing of the four types of bases, denoted A, G, C and T. Taylor's approach, described as "nucleic acid-triggered...Finding a 'Holy Grail': simulated and experimental protein folding compares nicely
..., the beta sheet formed first, in others the alpha helix formed first, and in still others the loop formed first. Because the protein can follow more than one pathway, a variety of folding times will result." By comparing absolute quantities through experiment and simulation, the researchers can determine...DNAs oscillating double helix hinders electrical conduction
...ture as stated in textbooks. In reality the double helix of DNA forms a very dynamic chaotic system. The rigid structure in textbooks should be regarded as the average position of many structures taken over a period of time. The Amsterdam researchers showed that the chaotic movements limit the electrical c...New method of DNA testing promises to transform medical diagnostics
...ccustomed to think of the DNA molecule as a double helix with two strands of DNA that come together via specific base pairing rules for DNA's constituent four types of nucleic acids whose sequential pattern determines the genetic code. Note that the DNA molecule is similar to a polymer molecule in that bo......Whats twice as good as a double helix? A quadruple helix especially when it forms a long stable wire that ...ayered in the presence of potassium. The quadruple helix structure has a channel down the center that fills with potassium ions and has electronic properties...