Handicapping tuberculosis may be the way to a better vaccine
...uicidea process known as apoptosis, where the cell shuts down and is shredded into little pieces. Immune system cells further chop up these cellular bits and present them to white blood cells called T lymphocytes. Each T lymphocyte specifically recognizes a different small piece of protein, known as a pep...U-M team identifies gene that regulates blood-forming fetal stem cells
...on't simply wear out; a gene called Ink4a actively shuts them down. "Each time we identify one of these genes, we get a new insight into what stem cells really are, what regulates their identity and how their age-specific functions work," Morrison said. That information could lead to new treatments for d...Doing nature one better: Expanding the genetic code in living mammalian cells
...ating ion channels, opens briefly and then quickly shuts down. Structural studies had suggested that in a process similar to threading a needle the channels flexible head feeds through a small portal and blocks the central pore of the channel. Wang and Slesinger used the new unnatural technology as a molec...Physicist cracks women's random but always lucky choice of X chromosome
...her XIST suicide gene is now freed to activate and shuts down its X chromosome. Since putting forward this explanation researchers in Harvard have observed actual plugs of protein shutting down X chromosome XIST genes in a manner giving further confirmation to Dr Nicodemis research. So the randomness is ...Prehistoric remains reveal a drastic shift in northern fur seal ecology
... productive marine ecosystem in the summer, but it shuts down in winter," Newsome said. "Sea ice also begins its southward advance. The seals have to wean their pups and move south, and they can be found off central and northern California throughout the winter." All other eared seals nurse their young f...Latent memory of cells comes to life
... or, conversely, that a previously active capacity shuts down. Same inheritance different traits In the practical experiment molecular biologists used a mutant of a yeast cell which was bi-stable, in that it could become either of a single sex or hermaphrodite. The experiment showed that a spontaneous...University of Pittsburgh discovers genetic 'shut down' trigger in healthy immune cells
...RGH, May 9 -- A fundamental genetic mechanism that shuts down an important gene in healthy immune system cells has been discovered that could one day lead to new therapies against infections, leukemia and other cancers. Results of a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study on the mechanism, called...Nitric oxide: Key to cardiovascular and pulmonary function and drug effectiveness
...o inhibit a key regulatory system which ordinarily shuts the receptors off after they are stimulated The researchers reported their latest findings on Friday, May 4, in the journal Cell. "This work is significant in that it demonstrates how two of the most pervasive physiological systems -- G-protein...Laying sleeping sickness to rest
...ed SLS (SL-RNA silencing). Triggering this pathway shuts down the synthesis of a crucial RNA molecule, which halts the production of messenger RNAs and leads to the parasites death. Inducing SLS could therefore be a novel way to eradicate parasites and prevent sleeping sickness - trypanosomiasis. The resea...Central and peripheral signals set the circadian liver clock
...dified a transcription factor called REV-ERBa that shuts down circadian gene expression via suppression of a clock gene Bmal1. The modified gene had tetracycline-responsive elements (TREs), that respond to tetracycline and similar antibiotics. Mice with this modification were bred with a strain carrying a ...Seeing a neurotoxin's deadly grip
...new information about how the botulinum neurotoxin shuts down neurons with deadly efficiency. By providing detailed views of the toxin plugged into its neuronal receptor, the new studies could aid efforts to engineer specialized versions of the powerful neurotoxin that is used to treat a wide array of medi...Starting over: Wnt reactivates dormant limb regeneration program
...te their limbs (frogs, zebrafish, and salamanders) shuts down their ability to replace missing legs and tails. "In this simple experiment, we removed part of the chick embryo's wing, activated Wnt signaling, and got the whole limb back - a beautiful and perfect wing," said the lead author, Juan Carlos Izp...New study finds on/off switch for septic shock
...-are degraded. That process of degrading the mRNAs shuts off production of these cytokines. In the study, mice lacking the auf1 gene do not seem to have that off switch; their cytokine levels were greatly elevated. A cytokine storm had caused sepsis in these animals. In summary, auf1 is a protector ......ter." In response to injury or inflammation, NF-kB shuts down the production of proteins and stimulates their breakdown, which leads to the loss of muscle substance. Blocking NF-kB has the reverse effect, protects muscle from wasting and improves healing of already degenerated muscle. Protection against mu...American Andrew Z. Fire shares Nobel Prize for discovering RNAi
...t interferes with the message-carrying process and shuts down the gene. RNAi also exists naturally as a defensive mechanism in cells. Since its discovery it has become a powerful tool to understand developmental processes, and it is now commonly used to investigate gene function. Using RNAi, scientists no...OHSU lab links gene to aged skin problems, cancer
...signaling from a group of genes called Smad, Smad7 shuts down signaling of another group of genes called Wnt, by binding to a Wnt signaling protein known as Beta-catenin and degrading it with an enzyme called Smurf2. Wnt signaling is critical for organ development, but if Wnt signaling is too active, it al...Researchers map out networks that determine cell fate
...activates the genes that lead to one cell type and shuts down the genes that lead to the alternative. Understanding the circuitry that controls these decisions is central to learning how different kinds of stem cells develop. It provides insights into how to transform stem cells into therapeutically usef...Breaks in hibernation help fight bugs
... cells is stopped. Basically all cell reproduction shuts off," says Angela Luis, a doctoral candidate in ecology at Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. However, animals regularly snap out of their torpor, and become fully active. But such sudden breaks from slumber eat into much of the...Mosquito spray increases toxicity of pyrethroids in creek, study finds
... and its synthetic counterpart, pyrethroid. "PBO shuts down the enzyme that animals use to detoxify pyrethrin, so it gives pyrethrin more punch," said Weston. "Without PBO, you'd need a greater concentration of pyrethrin or pyrethroid to be effective as a pesticide." To assess the toxicity of the water......ned to normal temperature, Tveita advised. Body shuts down As the body cools, the metabolism slows, reducing the need for oxygen. Limited blood circulation is directed to vital organs, including the brain, heart and kidneys, but not to non-vital organs such as the muscles, skin and periphery. When ...