Plant genes imported from unrelated species more often than previously thought, IU biologists find
...out 100 angiosperm species and looked for sequence similarities between them. In creating a tree of relatedness between the sequences, the scientists found that the mitochondrial genes from five flowering species -- kiwi fruit, honeysuckle, birch, bloodroot and Amborella (the most primitive flowering plant in exi...Pioneering study compares 13 vertebrate genomes
...genome sequencing by taking a detailed look at the similarities and differences of the same stretch of DNA among multiple species. This program is specifically designed to complement the efforts of larger sequencing centers, which typically sequence the entire genome of an individual species, such as the rat, and...New tool helps researchers bone up on osteoporosis
...genomes of plants, animals and humans to determine similarities and differences that make them susceptible or resistant to various diseases and developmental problems. In the meantime, discovering genetic methods to lessen osteoporosis is of immediate concern to the egg industry. Before the bone-weakening disease...New principle guides memory dynamics
...we get to the "basic hardware" of memory, the more similarities exist between different animals, including humans, paves the way to the possibility that certain drugs found to be effective in eliminating memories in animals will also work on humans. Studies on humans, however, are yet to be conducted. The results...Ingenium publishes biological characterization of first mouse model for kidney stones
...renal function. Further research located multiple similarities with the human disease cystinuria type I including the presence of relatively large calculi or "stones" in the urinary tract of the animal. Ingenium researchers located the mutation responsible for the disease state in the Slc3a1 gene. Mutations in ...Northern climate, ecosystems driven by cycles of changing sunlight
...wrote. Sun-ocean-climate linkages may account for similarities in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, Hu said. In a Science paper published in 2001, one of Hu's colleagues, Gerard Bond of Columbia University in New York, and nine other authors documented a close connection between North Atlantic drift ice and ...New findings in yeast may reveal why growing older is the greatest carcinogen in humans
...t in Gottschling's laboratory, have found striking similarities between humans and simple baker's yeast with regard to the changes their genes undergo as they age. "While yeast don't get cancer, they do have one of the major hallmarks of malignancy, which is genetic instability," Gottschling said. "We found a sim...Purdue biologists' spotlight solves mysteries of photosynthesis, metabolism
... make use of similar proteins for respiration. The similarities could lead to a better understanding of our own metabolic processes. "What we see when we examine these proteins is the nature of their partial similarity," said Cramer. "The differences can now be explored more easily." Examining the membrane prote...UCSD researchers find promising new avenues for treating infections
...grades cell membrane phospholipids. There were key similarities in the sequence of amino acids-building blocks that make up proteins-between the toxin and proteins known to degrade phospholipids. In addition, by attaching a fluorescent "tag" to the toxin, the researchers were able to see that ExoU injected into t...Illinois study seeking biomarkers of canine diabetes, other diseases
... also noted that the dog's genome had more genetic similarities with humans than does the mouse -- the most-often used mammal for human health studies. Schook and colleagues say in their paper that the cat-genome map available to date is even more similar to humans genetically than the dog. To date, Schook said, ...Genes that regulate hearing link humans and fruit flies in new way
...ying the genes themselves, the scientists look for similarities in the way the genes are regulated, patterns that reveal additional linkages between flies and humans. The Wisconsin studies are a big piece in a slowly materializing puzzle suggesting that the earliest ancestor of humans and fruit flies possessed s...Leisure activity may reduce risk of Alzheimer's, says USC research team
...ot explained by differences in either education or similarities found within twin pairs such as early-life environment and, possibly, even genes" said Andel. "However, not all leisure activities may be equally protective." Crowe pointed out that few studies have looked at the relationship between leisure activity...World's largest forest birds may produce world's deepest bird calls
...to detect much of the sound. The researchers draw similarities between the birds' calls and the rumbling elephants make to communicate. "When close to the bird, these calls can be heard or felt as an unsettling sensation, similar to how observers describe elephant vocalizations," said WCS researcher Dr. Andrew ...Extraterrestrial enigma: missing amino acids in meteorites
... but with some enigmatic omissions and tantalizing similarities to life on Earth. Just why some amino acids are present in meteorites and others are absent, and why they seem to prefer the same "left-handed" molecular structure as Earth's living amino acids are questions that could unravel one of the most fundame...Activity detailed for sirtuins, involved in metabolism, aging, gene expression
...rnal Nature Structural Biology, points not only to similarities among members of the sirtuin family, but also to how differences among them permit them to perform different tasks in different systems. While all sirtuins bind to NAD to do their jobs, their second binding site shows more variability and is likely r......ir comparisons reveal maturational differences and similarities in brain activity as opposed to differences in individual skill levels. Because talking forces the head to move, which in turn may compromise the clarity of brain images, the group also employed a relatively new method of analyzing imaging results c...Smallpox in Europe selected for genetic mutation that confers resistance to HIV infection
...ation. The smallpox virus also has more biological similarities to HIV-1 than does bubonic plague, the authors point out. Plague is a bacterial disease, and there is no evidence that the bacterium, Yersinia pestis, uses the CCR5 receptor in infection. The bacteria actually reproduce outside immune cells. Smallpox...Yeast helps researchers better understand Parkinson's mystery
...roteins misfold and what happens when they do. The similarities in basic cellular processes between humans and yeast were so striking, they decided to see if they could provoke a Parkinson's-like problem in these simple, one-celled fungi. For the study, Tiago Outeiro (o-TEE-ero), a graduate student in Lindquist'...New method of identifying and isolating stem cells developed
...ison sets the ground for future research regarding similarities between slow-cycling cells and other stem cells," says Tumbar. Another ongoing comparison between the transcriptional profile of the skin slow-cycling cells (compared to their progeny) and blood stem cells (compared to their progeny) shows at least a...... produce eggs or sperm. Meiosis in corn has many similarities to the process in yeast, fruit flies, mice and humans, making this finding an important step in understanding meiosis in many organisms. "Understanding chromosome pairing in plants will eventually lead to understanding the same process in humans, ...