When Good Cells Go Bad: Scientist Researchers Cellular Structure
(PhysOrg.com) -- While some biological research may not directly provide cures for major diseases, it can provide the scientific basis for research that might. Work by Kansas State University's Jeroen...
View ArticleNew role for the JNK protein
Put simply, a tumor is the result of out-of-control cell growth. To assure that the cell cycle - the cell's process of duplicating itself to make more cells - goes smoothly, a large network of proteins...
View ArticleScientists uncover mysterious workings of cholera bacteria
Researchers have found that an enzyme in the bacteria that causes cholera uses a previously unknown mechanism in providing the bacteria with energy. Because the enzyme is not found in most other...
View ArticleCancer-causing bacterium targets tumor-suppressor protein
Researchers have discovered a mechanism by which Helicobacter pylori, the only known cancer-causing bacterium, disables a tumor suppressor protein in host cells.
View ArticleFat serves as cells' built-in pH sensor: research
A specific type of fat present in cell membranes also serves as a cellular pH sensor, a team of University of British Columbia researchers has discovered.
View ArticleReleasing the brakes
Two regulators of protein filament assembly use dramatically different -- and competing -- methods to inhibit a common target.
View ArticleTargeted agent shows promise for chronic lymphoid leukemia
Researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) have identified an experimental agent that...
View ArticleMastermind steroid found in plants
Scientists have known for some time how important plant steroids called brassinosteroids are for regulating plant growth and development. But until now, they did not know how extensive their reach is....
View ArticleRare genetic disorder highlights importance of selenium
A rare genetic disorder has highlighted the importance to human health of selenium, a little known trace element. The discovery, reported today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, may also shed...
View ArticleAntibiotic offers potential for anti-cancer activity
An antibiotic known for its immunosuppressive functions could also point the way to the development of new anti-cancer agents, researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine have reported.
View ArticleHow disordered proteins spread from cell to cell, potentially spreading disease
One bad apple is all it takes to spoil the barrel. And one misfolded protein may be all that's necessary to corrupt other proteins, forming large aggregations linked to several incurable...
View ArticleStudy finds promising clue to mechanism behind gene mutation that causes...
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a way that mutations in a gene called LRRK2 may cause the most common inherited form of Parkinson's disease. The study, published online...
View ArticleA question of gene silencing
When investigating cancer cells, researchers discovered numerous peculiarities: Particular RNA molecules are present in large numbers, particular genes are overactive. Do these characteristics have a...
View ArticleBionic bacteria may help fight disease and global warming
A strain of genetically enhanced bacteria developed by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies may pave the way for new synthetic drugs and new ways of manufacturing medicines and...
View ArticleNew technique gives precise picture of how regulatory RNA controls gene activity
A new technique developed by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine allows researchers to identify the exact DNA sequences and locations bound by regulatory RNAs. This information is...
View ArticleManipulating single molecules to unravel secrets of protein folding
Physicists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) are opening a new window into the life of biological cells, using a technique that lets them grab the ends of a single protein molecule and...
View ArticleFruit fly intestine may hold secret to the fountain of youth
One of the few reliable ways to extend an organism's lifespan, be it a fruit fly or a mouse, is to restrict calorie intake. Now, a new study in fruit flies is helping to explain why such minimal diets...
View ArticleFlatworms' minimalist approach to cell division reveals molecular...
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have discovered that planarians, tiny flatworms fabled for their regenerative powers,...
View ArticleHow muscle cells seal their membranes
Every cell is enclosed by a thin double layer of lipids that separates the distinct internal environment of the cell from the extracellular space. Damage to this lipid bilayer, also referred to as...
View ArticleLong-predicted fluctuations in cell membranes observed for first time
(Phys.org) -- A long-standing mystery in cell biology may be closer to a solution thanks to measurements taken at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and France's Institut...
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