Common gene variant increases risk of atherosclerosis
...rly, this new study suggests that it's possible to modify that risk by making lifestyle changes, which makes the possibility of genetic testing worth considering," says Dietz, who adds that no test is commercially available at this time. Japanese scientists were the first to learn that variations in klot...U.of Colorado researchers solve molecular structure involved with heart disease
... known as histone deacetylases, or HDACs, that can modify DNA structure to suppress specific gene expression. MEF2 does so by either binding directly to HDACs or to an adaptor protein known as Cabin1 that in turn binds to HDACs. Chen and his team recently determined the crystal structure of MEF2 that is ......ous studies have shown how caterpillars create and modify habitats through the construction of leaf shelters, increasing biodiversity around the leaves. In their study, Lill and Marquis wanted to see what effect shelter-building caterpillars had on the entire community living on oak saplings. In Missouri a...Bacterial infections alter allergic response
...time, we have shown that a bacterial infection can modify the allergic response," said Dr. Martin, Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at National Jewish. "Timing is everything, however. Our results suggest that M. pneumoniae, or a related pathogen, could help prevent asthma and other allergic diseases......distant from the shore so that its removal doesn't modify currents and waves which could make the existing erosion process worse. Biological impacts have to be considered as well. Paul Work, a South Carolina Sea Grant researcher at Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program in Savannah, and George Voulgaris...National vision experts converge for research symposium
...lens research; advances in refractive surgery to modify defects in the eye; new surgical procedures to address presbyopia, the deterioration of the eye's ability to switch from focusing on distant objects to those nearby; loss of vision associated with aging; research related to new treatment options...Symposium on how 'nature and nurture' impact child development
...ch treat patients with these disorders are able to modify the deleterious effects of these genetic vulnerabilities. This symposium attempts a more balanced approach to the "nature-nurture" controversy. HOW a child is raised may be able to ameliorate genetic vulnerabilities, or exacerbate them. Individuals ...Worlds leading journal editors urge self-governance and responsibility ...
... potential risks outweigh benefits, editors should modify articles or decline to publish them. The editorial statement will be published 18 February in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS); 20 February in the journal, Nature; and 21 February in the journal, Science. In an accompanying ...U-Iowa scientists gain insight on how enzyme uses oxygen to produce useful chemicals
...ymes catalyze reactions, the better able we are to modify them -- to improve or stop reactions, as desired" said S. Ramaswamy, Ph.D., UI professor of biochemistry and one of the study's authors. "The question was: how does the enzyme actually work at the molecular level?" said David Gibson, Ph.D., UI profes...New antibody library speeds search for new detection tools
...urface display method, PNNL scientists can readily modify how an antibody binds to proteins. Being able to increase how tightly a protein and antibody bind together, for example, could increase antibody effectiveness for detecting pathogens or disease. The library developed at PNNL identifies antibodies mo...Powerful technologies probe innate immunity
...ists find targets for new drugs that can precisely modify the inflammatory response. NIAID also recently awarded two contracts to support research in a key area of systems biology, bioinformatics. Bioinformatics is the computational analysis and organization of biological data such as gene sequences and pr...UNC studies target molecular defects implicated in cancer, genetic diseases
...e improvements will allow the oligonucleotides to modify splicing in patients in the not-too-distant future." Besides these two reports, the Kole laboratory last year demonstrated the therapeutic potential of this method in blood from patients with a form of beta-thalassemia, a genetic disease that affects...Sirtuin protein has a new function; May play role in lifespan extension
...titute for Basic Biomedical Sciences. "If sirtuins modify this enzyme in other organisms, turning on production of acetyl-CoA, it could help explain why restricting regular sources of calories -- sugars and fats -- leads to extended lifespan in many kinds of organisms." Identified in all living creatures, i...Gene responsible for anemia (type CDA-1) discovered
...c gene correlate with the disease. These mutations modify a previously unknown protein, which they named Codanin-1. The protein, they suspect, is present in the nuclear envelope of bone marrow cells, which divide and give rise to red blood cells. Studies of this protein, which may become an important pharma...Scientists shed new light on the body's internal clock
...wed that animals lacking rods or cones could still modify their internal clocks in response to changing light conditions. This led scientists to hunt for an alternate photoreceptor that could regulate the circadian system. Melanopsin, a molecule originally found in frog skin, was the most likely suspect. Sc...Scientists identify 'master' molecule that controls action of many genes
...f SCIENCE. "Many enzymes have been identified that modify chromosome structure and trigger gene transcription, but this is the first example of a molecule that regulates these restructuring enzymes and can affect many, many genes at once," said Erin O'Shea, PhD, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigato...University of Pittsburgh findings published in Science illustrate how KSHV causes cancer
...ds, the virus is able to sense its environment and modify that environment to make it more habitable for the virus. By inhibiting a normal immune mechanism to evade the immune system, the virus can accidentally trigger tumor cell growth." Dr. Moore and Dr. Chang caution that this mechanism does not entirely...Study helps explain gene silencing in the developing embryo
...here is that histones, specifically processes that modify them including methylation, are thought to play a major role in gene expression and cell division. "Basically, we found that the Polycomb proteins function through methylating a particular lysine residue, lysine 27, on histone 3," Zhang said. When en...Study predicts Amazon deforestation could affect climate in US
...ch land as Texas. "What we say here is that if you modify the landscape of the Amazon, it affects other parts of the world. It is not enough for a country to make national decisions about land use because it does not just affect the water resources of your own country." He and Werth are now looking for si....... That search continues at UIC, along with work to modify the compound UIC-1005. "Once you find the active structure, you can modify that structure to improve its activity, find out what it binds in the cell, and how," Fenteany said....