Scientists a step closer to understanding how anaesthetics work in the brain
... no direct way to test this idea. Because a single mutation can block the effects of anaesthetics on this potassium channel without affecting it in any other way, it could be introduced into mice to see if they also become insensitive to anaesthetics. If they do, then this establishes the channel as a key tar...Gene identified for Crohn's disease in children
...nisms are not fully understood, said Baldassano, a mutation in the gene may weaken a cells ability to degrade cellular waste products, including bacteria. When unprocessed waste products pile up within the cell, they may stimulate the inflammatory response that characterizes Crohns disease. Although much ...Sequencing method yields fuller picture
.... Because the human genome has a relatively low mutation rate, the method cannot be applied to people. However, Kim said, the method might be useful in sequencing parts of the human genome that display high variability. As a by-product of their analysis, the researchers added to growing evidence that...Better sleep may put Huntington's disease sufferers back on track
Mice carrying the genetic mutation that causes Huntington's Disease (HD) showed marked improvements in alertness and their ability to learn after they were given drugs that put them to sleep. Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that daily treatments of Alprazolam or chl...Tips from the Journals of the American Society for Microbiology
...sion, researchers predict genetic reassortment and mutation during adaptation in the host to be the two most likely avenues. In the study experimental groups consisting of one inoculated ferret and two contact ferrets were used to monitor the transmissibility of four human H5N1 viruses isolates collected i...Gene discovered for type 1 diabetes in children
...se gene variants. Our hypothesis is that a special mutation in KIAA0350 may influence the sugar binding of the protein, and trigger an autoimmune response that activates these NK cells in such a way that they attack and destroy the islet cells in the pancreas, resulting in type 1 diabetes. A particular versio...Researchers witness natural selection at work in dramatic comeback of male butterflies
... whether the suppressor gene emerged from a chance mutation from within the local population, or if it was int...migratory Southeast Asian butterflies in which the mutation had already been established. "We'll likely know more in three years' time when the exact location...Research team discovers gallstone gene
...er cent. Cholesterol pump at full speed "The mutation concerns what is known as the ABCG8-gene," Dr. Gruenhage explains. "It contains the instructions for building a pump responsible for transporting the blood lipid cholesterol from the liver into the bile ducts." Most of the gallstones consist to a hig...A first-principles model of early evolution
... of genes in the evolving organisms depends on the mutation rate, demonstrating the intricate relationship between macroscopic properties of organisms their genome sizes and microscopic properties stabilities of their proteins. The results of the study suggest a plausible comprehensive scenario of emerg...New way to target and kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria found
... in the bloodstream. Any bug that has a protective mutation against the antibiotic survives. These drug-resist...e, to obtain and pass on their resistance genes. A mutation that provides antibiotic resistance can sweep through a colony as quickly as the latest YouTube hit....New gene mutation identified in common type of dementia
...PAUL, MN -- Researchers have identified a new gene mutation linked to frontotemporal dementia, according to a ... Terme, Italy. The researchers discovered a new mutation in the gene named progranulin in an extended family in southern Italy. The genealogy of this family ...A gene that protects from kidney disease
...idney degeneration in NPHP. The genetic cause is a mutation in a gene called GLIS2. GLIS2 normally prevents ...ly required during the development of the organ. A mutation interfering with GLIS2 function reactivates these harmful genes the result being that large numbers ...Researchers identify genetic mutation that may alter tumor cell proliferation
...e (TGen) today announced finding a novel recurring mutation of the gene AKT1 in breast, colorectal and ovarian...ing proteins. This is the first evidence of direct mutation of AKT1 in human cancer tumors: it was discovered in clinical samples from cancer patients, yet has ...Tick-related disease thrives on cholesterol, study suggests
...uately maintain blood cholesterol. In humans, this mutation can cause blood cholesterol levels to significantly increase when they eat a diet high in cholesterol, Rikihisa said. A high-cholesterol diet really boosted infection levels in the mice without apoE, Rikihisa said. The findings suggest that humans ...Loss of cell's 'antenna' linked to cancer's development
... mutated in PKD has also been found as a target of mutation in colorectal cancer. ...Support for chromosomal theory of cancer found in cancers' development of drug resistance
...er is unique, and there is no magic bullet. "The mutation theory of cancer says that a limited number of gen...use and effect and to prove or disprove either the mutation or chromosomal theories. Drug resistance, however, often occurs quickly. Many cancer patients are in...A small leak will sink a great ship
...ch scientists showed that in the two plant species mutation in the same gene conferred altered identity to the floral organs. This gene turned out to code for a microRNA, a small ribonucleic acid consisting of little more than 20 nucleotides. MicroRNAs can recognize and bind to complementary sequences present...Penn researchers report that gene therapy awakens the brain despite blindness from birth
...o measure brain activity in blind dogs born with a mutation in gene RPE65, an essential molecule in the retinoid-visual cycle. The same mutation causes a blindness in humans called Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA. It is the first human eye-r...Scientists identify first gene linked to scoliosis
...in. The researchers speculate that this particular mutation alters the binding of a molecule that controls whether the gene is turned on. In this case, they think the gene is turned off more often than it should be, which reduces the amount of CHD7 protein produced. "The change in the amount of the protein ......rmation, and then stay that way by turning off the mutation rate. The study appeared this week in the Royal ...or with set characteristics, then changed the cell mutation variable to see under which circumstances the tumor grew best. The mutation rate serves as the con...