Gene regions beyond protein instructions important in disease
...ins have discovered a common genetic mutation that increases the risk of inheriting a particular birth defect not by the usual route of disrupting the gene's protein-making instructions, but by altering a regulatory region of the gene. Although the condition, called Hirschsprung disease, is rare, its complex g...JCI table of contents May 1, 2005
...omotes cardiovascular calcification, with parallel increases in vascular proteins called BMP2 and Msx2. The authors now show that vascular cells expressing Msx2 upregulate another protein called Wnt. Using both in vitro and in vivo models, they show that Msx2-Wnt signaling contributes to calcification and va...The promise of new medical uses for sodium nitrite for heart attack and organ damage
...(NO), a strong blood vessel dilating molecule that increases blood flow. The conversion of nitrite to NO will occur only in tissue or blood that is very low in oxygen. It was this finding that triggered the team's interest in sodium nitrite as a treatment/preventive for the tissue damage and cell death that ...Nitrogen fertilization of soil puts rare plant species at risk, nationwide study determines
...s nine ecosystems in North America. While nitrogen increases the production of plants, an excess amount of it, ...s. In the arctic tundra of Alaska, a birch shrub increases five-fold due to nitrogen fertilization, and diversity plummets to a handful of species. The resea...Anammox bacteria produce nitrogen gas in oceans' snackbar
...than denitrifying bacteria). This new finding even increases the importance of anammox bacteria in the ocean. New species The anammox bacteria discovered in the Atlantic Ocean are closely related to the bacterial species Scalindua sorokinii, which was recently discovered in the Black Sea (Kuypers et al., 2003 ...Readers of genome decipher signatures of cancer patient outcomes
... MTHFR enzymatic activity. Reduced MTHFR activity increases the amount of folate in tumor cells. The prediction power of the signature set analysis was enhanced when a combination of genes in the set were considered together, Wu noted. Wu's data also indicated that certain genetic polymorphisms, such as XR...Genes influence how heart failure patients respond to drugs
...o variants were three times more likely to require increases in heart failure medications to treat worsening symptoms after they began taking beta-blockers and required more frequent follow-up. The National Institutes of Health, Orchid Biosciences Inc. and UF funded the study, which was conducted at UF and the...UCLA researchers discover new method to generate human bone
...ht combination of carrier and protein that further increases the stability and activity of UCB," Ting said. "For certain clinical applications, we will need to develop injectable options that are minimally invasive. For other clinical applications, we will need moldable carriers that can hold the UCB in place ...Researchers make gains in understanding antibiotic resistance
...new structural data indicate that the L22 mutation increases the size of a "tunnel" in the ribosome, through which the growing peptide chain moves during synthesis. This tunnel is normally blocked by macrolide antibiotics. In the mutant form, the tunnel widens, which may explain why macrolide antibiotics are n...Faulty body clock leads to obesity and diabetes
...often referred to as the metabolic syndrome, which increases an individual's risk of developing a serious disease, said Bass and Turek. In addition to excess body weight, factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels and one or more abnormal cholesterol levels and, at the whole animal level, an inab...Brain scans reveal how gene may boost schizophrenia risk
...eased activity in the front of the brain predicted increases in the neurotransmitter dopamine in the middle of the brain in subjects with the suspected schizophrenia-related version of the gene. Yet, the opposite relationship held for subjects with the other of two common versions of the gene. "A tiny variati...Glaciers from Antarctic peninsula in widespread retreat, Science study says
...w of ice into the ocean could contribute to future increases in the rate of sea level rise. The forthcoming maps highlighting the patterns of glacial change should be of interest to biologists and those choosing new sites for research stations. Biologists studying colonization in newly ice-free parts of Antar...Alzheimer's cognitive decline slowed
...tive PET scans in four subjects showed significant increases in the brain's absorption of a radioisotope called 18-fluorodeoxyglucose, an indicator of increased metabolic activity in the brain. The researchers noted that the increase was observed in most cortical regions that receive cholinergic input from fo...Viral protein influences key cell-signaling pathway
... and Human Retroviruses. The study found that p12 increases the activity of an important gene in host cells. That gene controls production of a cell protein called p300. The p300 protein, in turn, controls a variety of other genes in many types of cells, including T lymphocytes, the cells that HTLV-1 infects....Royal Society study on adaptability of fish to warming oceans
...t surprisingly, past research has shown that rapid increases in water temperature of only a few degrees have a negative impact on the performance and survival of Antarctic fish. Here we show that after being exposed to warmer water for several weeks, Antarctic fish compensate for the initial negative impact of...Hereditary colorectal cancer risk lowered in those without certain gene defect
...rium, stomach, small intestine, and ureter, but no increases in incidence of cancer of the breast, lung, prostate, or other sites. Group B families showed only a modest increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer, and no increase in the risk of other malignancies. "The literature regarding cancer risks in ...Pulsating ultrasound enhances gene therapy for tumors
...ious studies by Dr. Li have shown that pulsed-HIFU increases the uptake of drugs. Now we've shown that it works for genes and we're making the case that there's a connection between the two." Other methods currently being investigated for enhancing gene delivery, such as lasers and electric current, are limite...'Live fast, die young' true for forests too
... heat-trapping gas implicated in climatic warming, increases as carbon storage in forests decreases, and decreases as carbon storage in forestsincreases. Information regarding such potential changes is therefore needed to reduce uncertainties in predicting future climatic changes....USC researchers determine mechanism of action of chemotherapy drug
...ern California. The cellular disruption results in increases in the amount of zinc available inside the cancer cells, and because zinc is involved in protein structure and function, leads to inhibition of enzyme activity and to the death of the cells. A paper describing these findings was published in the May ......cells activate a signaling pathway that ultimately increases fatty acid synthesis. The cellular proteins that are activated in the liver upon CB1 stimulation are the same as those known to be activated in the brain and thus may be a common molecular target for metabolic regulation and appetite control. In an...