Plant-Based Fat Inhibits Cancer-Cell Growth By Enhancing Cells Signaling System, UB Researchers Show
... the cell membrane's cholesterol,which changes the membrane lipid composition in such a way that signaltransduction (secondary messenger activity) is stimulated, and that activationinhibits cell growth," Awad explained. "If cell proliferation can be stopped before it becomes uncontrolled,cancer can b......s and resists being pulledaway from the lipid-rich membrane environment, Farese said. He and his colleagues took advantage of computer-based searching to"find" DGAT. The team used the known DNA sequence of a related enzyme--calledACAT--involved in cholesterol metabolism to screen computer databases c...Mouse Study Trumpets New Way To Preserve Species
... the ice inside the cell expands, causing the cell membrane to rupture." Cells also may be damaged if cooled too slowly, as they become susceptible to high concentrations of salts and other compounds that are left behind as the water turns into ice. The fragile reproductive tissues in females -- nam...Cellular Target Of Leprosy, Deadly Viruses Found
...ll and his colleagues, this complex nestles in the membrane of cells throughout thebody, acting as a receptor for a protein called laminin. Laminin, in turn, linkscells to the scaffolding, or matrix, that helps knit together the body'stissues. When the complex is absent, cells do not interconnect properly wi...Scientists Show For The First Time How Leprosy Bug Targets Peripheral Nerves
...ll. Dystroglycan exists in two subunits, the outer membrane alphasubunit and the transmembrane beta subunit. alpha-Dystroglycan interacts withlaminin-2 in the basal lamina, while beta-dystroglycan binds to cytoskeletalproteins in the peripheral nerves. In the Science paper, the researchers used a cell culture...Experimental Therapy Makes HIV-Infected Cells Commit Suicide
...seem to transduce more efficiently across the cell membrane and appear to be more easily refolded inside the cell than partly misfolded proteins," he says. By genetically manipulating bacteria, Dowdy's group has made 60 transducible proteins ranging in size up to 110,000 daltons. In contrast, typical...Flexible Membranes - Moving Through The Twilight Zone Between The Nano- And The Microworld
...acted from a detailedanalysis of thermally-excited membrane fluctuations. Surprisingly, the numericalvalue of ...rs, this approach has beenapplied to rather simple membrane models. It is obvious, however, that the sameapproach can also be used for more complex models. It w......lectively allow auxin to flow from one side of the membrane to the other.Until now the nature of these doors was unknown. The only thing known was thatthey must be located at only one end of cells and that the other side of thecell must lack them. This would ensure that auxin could only flow in onedirection t......units. They all collect and arrange into a protein membrane and feed energy into thebacterium's metabolism. Having an accurate model of the structure, Schulten said, "is like having theRosetta stone [a tablet of inscriptions found in 1799 that led to thedeciphering of ancient Egyptian writing]; it provides u......h msec7-1 and Arfsare very prominent regulators of membrane transport in the Golgi apparatus ofall cells in th...he past few years, it concentrated onintracellular membrane traffic in the Golgi apparatus. Nobody had the proteinson their list of possible synaptic players....Penn State Engineers Develop New Simulation For Ultrafine Particle Growth Process
...es ranging from powdered milk production toceramic membrane development to air pollution control. Dr. Themis Matsoukas, assistant professor of chemical engineering andleader of the project, says the new simulation is not only simpler than theothers available, but is also fast, accurate and uses only m......e between the cell surface and theendosomes, small membrane engulfed vesicles bud from the cell surface like s...Rab5 does not actalone: effectors are required for membrane fusion activity. Nevertheless, theview of the machinery regulating this process was far from being c...... "Every enzyme requires aspecific fluidity in the membrane in which it resides in order to be activated,"he said. "If the membrane is too fluid, the enzymes may not function properly." Other options include the possibility ......bryos use to transmit outside information from the membrane allthe way to the actin cytoskeleton. In p...ommunication linking a receptor in a growth cone's membrane to actin,the final agent of change. The cell's cytoskeleton is a continuously changing fabri......atthe level of the basement membrane. The basement membrane is a protein layersurrounding capillaries. Edward A. Neuwelt, M.D., professor of neurology at OHSU and theVAMC, describes the second barrier as a "spider web" because it seems to trapsome viral particles, while others ...UI Study Reveals Important Information About Molecular Defect In Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy
...in-glycoproteincomplex is thought to stabilize the membrane against contraction-induced damage.Past studies have shown that mutations to the sarcoglycan complex cause varioustypes of limb girdle muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases characterized by hereditaryprogressive muscle weaknes...Vesicle Chemistry: A New Way To Get Life-Like Reactions
...searchers found that they can reliablycreate these membrane sacs in a few minutes. They do so by floating a layer ofartificial membrane on the surface of a mixture of a desired chemical and asuitable solvent, such as a mixture of alcoho...Viral Harpoon Structure Suggests Measles, HIV And Ebola Viruses Related
...ke protein that is launched into thegel-like outer membrane of the target cell. "It's much like a harpoon goinginto a target," said Lamb. He emphasized, however, that more research is needed to answer two importantquestions: What triggers the harpoon molecule to unfurl, and how does the fusionprotein refold...Vastly Different Virus Families May Be Related
...in Illinois. The fusion protein is embedded in the membrane that envelops the virus. Itserves as a grappling hook that snags the membrane of a host cell and pulls thetwo membranes together so that they fuse into one, like soap bubbles, du......ial cells is sufficient. -- The bioengineered cell membrane targets and transports only a specific metal,such ...ged metal is safely contained inside the bacterial membrane untilreleased by high-temperature incineration. Then the pure metal can be recoveredand recycled. "...