Genetic reconnaissance identifies new colon cancer genes
...the noise," in this case, the mutations that would trigger cancer from the huge number of harmless variants in kinase genes. "We saw hundreds of changes in genes in cancer cells that had not been identified before, and for each of these, HHMI research associate Alberto Bardelli had to perform comparisons wit...Engineered proteins will lead to 'synthetic biology'
... neurotransmitter molecule that nerve cells use to trigger nerve impulses in neighboring cells. Fluctuating serotonin levels are associated with certain psychiatric disorders and elevated levels are indicative of certain bowel tumors. Also, building a serotonin-sensing protein is a special design challenge, ...New study in rats matches genetic influences and cognitive impairment
...e increases in cellular calcium levels which could trigger cell death, cholesterol synthesis (also implicated... compromise of their insulating myelin sheaths may trigger brain inflammation, eventually leading to loss of the cells' function. The changes in gene expressio...A new mechanism that triggers autoimmune disease
...th System have discovered a new mechanism that may trigger autoimmune disease in newborn babies. The research is published in the May issue of the Journal of Immunology. The researchers found that certain antibodies in female mice attached to an antigen in the cells of their babies. That process then st...'Work stinks': It's more than just a slogan among ants, researchers find
... a simple response to patroller extract alone." To trigger foraging, the scented beads also had to be dropped into the nest at a pace that the foragers seem to recognize. "An ant responds to the rate at which it meets ants of another task," Gordon explained. "Meeting one patroller every 10 seconds seems to b...Researchers discover structure of Nature's 'circuit breaker'
...ls in the cell membrane sense voltage changes that trigger them to snap open or slam shut with extraordinary speed and precision. Voltage-dependent ion channels are central to the function of nerves and muscles, and without them the brain would immediately suffer neural gridlock and the heart would seize up....MacKinnon lab's newest picture tells action potential story
... and organisms of all varieties. Without this hair trigger electrical system, life would be more than calm. There would be scant possibility of thinking, breathing or movement. A picture is worth a thousand differential equations The burst associated with the paired activities of sodium and potassium vol...Researchers discover effective method for killing prostate cancer cells
... at Georgetown University have discovered a way to trigger extensive prostate cancer cell death. This findin...vity of this protein in prostate cancer cells will trigger extensive cell death. "Once prostate cancer has metastasized, or spread, men have few treatment opti...Small talk--The gabfest of microbial communication
...ize, a quorum, the amount of LuxI is sufficient to trigger cellular effects. Scores of bacteria species use this quorum sensing every day. But why would bacteria care how many others are around them? Bacteria are the biggest biomass on the planet, and in order for them to be as successful as they are, they m...Purification of signaling protein may boost tissue engineering
... that purified Wnt protein, long known as a potent trigger of development and cell proliferation, can also ca...echanism for activation and whether they, too, can trigger proliferation of other types of stem cells. In some ways, Nusse and his colleagues have a head start...Stanford researchers isolate protein needed for stem cell maintenance
...owed that other components of the Wnt pathway also trigger stem cell growth and that the pathway is required for stem cell maintenance. Reya describes these studies in a second Nature paper published alongside Nusse's work. "It's a big deal to understand how these hematopoietic stem cells expand their number...Virgin birth method could found stem cells
...ariation in the surface proteins on cells that can trigger immune reactions. Wininger thinks it will possible to establish a bank of parthenogenetic stem cells that could provide cells to suit most individuals. And such banks would be much cheaper than creating stem cells from scratch for each individual....Study suggests ovarian cancer cells can alter surroundings to promote chemotherapy resistance
... new scientific evidence suggests cancer cells can trigger changes in their immediate surroundings that promote self-preservation. Collagen VI, a protein produced by ovarian cancer cells, appears to help these cells alter their microenvironment so they are more resistant to chemotherapeutic drugs commonly us...An unexplored genomic terrain in a handful of dirt
...ch genes include those that code for proteins that trigger immune responses in tuberculosis and leprosy, he said. Another phage gene identified by the researchers resembles a human gene called Ro that is involved in the autoimmune disease lupus. The scientists detected sequences in one of the phages that re...U.of Colorado researchers solve molecular structure involved with heart disease
...he crystal structure of a molecule switch that can trigger heart disease and cancer, paving the way for future drug designs to mitigate these diseases. The key component of the switch is a protein called MEF2 that binds to the DNA and is involved in muscle cell, T cell and nerve cell development. In cases i...New study finds yogurt may help burn body fat
...fat. Getting enough calcium in your diet seems to trigger the body to burn more fat and reduces the amount of new fat the body makes. His previous studies have found that in a reduced-calorie diet, as calcium intake goes up, weight and body fat go down. A diet low in calcium appears to stimulate the produc......e human gut, and temperature increases cause it to trigger bleaching," he says....Fears grow over 'mad elk disease'
... in Ann Arbor. So if CWD-contaminated venison does trigger a new form of CJD in people, there could be dozens of extra cases of CJD without them being detected. Part of the problem is that CJD resembles common diseases such as dementia in the elderly. Doctors have no set guidelines on what to look for and on...Fruit fly cells reveal Hedgehog's secrets
...is critical to proper embryo development and a key trigger in some cancers, including the deadly childhood brain cancer medulloblastoma. By using the technique, called RNA interference, to "knock down" the messages of specific genes in fruit fly cells, researchers from Johns Hopkins and the National Instit...St. Jude researchers decipher structure, activity of enzyme key to biochemical pathways of life
...cell uses ubiquitin-like proteins such as NEDD8 to trigger special molecules that act as on switches for a variety of biochemical pathways, according to Brenda Schulman, Ph.D., an assistant member of the St. Jude Departments of Structural Biology, Genetics and Tumor Cell Biology. The pathways switched on by...