http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/molecular_biology/ Molecular biology. Read the latest research on molecular biology or search thousands of news articles with images from leading universities and research institutes. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 10:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/molecular_biology/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508145501.htm Now that the genome of humans and many other organisms have been sequenced, biologists are turning their attention to discovering how the many thousands of structural and control genes -- the "worker bees" of living cells that can turn genes on and off -- function. Mon, 12 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508145501.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094440.htm Medical researchers have discovered a key step in the mechanism by which cells destroy themselves. In this process, called "apoptosis," certain proteins cause the cell to self-destruct by puncturing its "power plant." How the proteins do this has now been clarified. The discovery is an important step towards the identification of targets for drugs designed to regulate cell death. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512094440.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512092318.htm Researchers in California report development of a new kind of genetically modified yeast cell that produces complex proteins up to 300 times more than possible in the past. These "super yeasts" could help boost production and lower prices for a new generation of protein-based drugs that show promise for fighting diabetes, obesity, and other diseases, the researchers suggest. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512092318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508135223.htm Scientist have examined a new mechanism in the reproductive cycle of a certain species of mold. This mechanism protects the organism from genetic abnormalities by "silencing" unmatched genes during meiosis (sexual reproduction). The finding could have implications for higher organisms and may lead to precise "targeting" of unwanted genes, such as those from the HIV virus. Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508135223.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508141525.htm Scientists have revealed the function of a protein that is indispensable for passing on an accurate copy of the genome from mother to daughter cells. This study opens up new avenues of research to reduce the toxicity of chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. The protein can be compared to a cowboy's lasso: it catches chromosomes and ties them to a transitory structure assembled during cell division. Once they have been neatly tied up, the chromosomes await the end of replication to be equally distributed between the two daughter cells. Sun, 11 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508141525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143317.htm It has been widely assumed that, in single-celled organisms, each cell perceives its environment -- and responds to stress conditions -- individually. Likewise, it had been thought that cells in multicellular organisms respond the same way. But scientists have now discovered otherwise. In studies of the worm C. elegans, they found that authority is taken away from individual cells and given to two specialized neurons to sense temperature stress and organize an integrated molecular response for the entire organism. Sat, 10 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143317.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143310.htm Viruses are masters of deception, duping their host's cells into helping them grow and spread. A new study has found that human cytomegalovirus can mimic a common regulatory protein to hijack normal cell growth machinery, disrupting a cell's primary anti-cancer mechanism. Sat, 10 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133239.htm By surveying the activity of thousands of genes at several different time points, researchers have uncovered new evidence that a network of influential genes act as a kind of genetic tag team to orchestrate one of the most fundamental aspects of all life: the cell cycle. Fri, 09 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507133239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507155309.htm A graduating senior has put his basic knowledge of sugars to exceptional use by creating a lab-on-a-chip device that builds complex, highly specialized sugar molecules, mimicking one of the most important cellular structures in the human body -- the Golgi Apparatus. Fri, 09 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507155309.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105601.htm Fruits and vegetables that are rich in nitrates protect the stomach from damage. This takes place through conversion of nitrates into nitrites by the bacteria in the oral cavity and subsequent transformation into biologically active nitric oxide in the stomach. This also means that antibacterial mouthwashes can be harmful for the stomach. Fri, 09 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105649.htm Prions, the infamous agents behind mad cow disease and its human variation, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also have a helpful side. New research shows that normally functioning prions prevent neurons from working themselves to death. The findings appear in the May 5 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology. Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508103623.htm For the first time, research has made possible a detailed map of how the building blocks of chromosomes, the cellular structures that contain genes, are organized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The work identifies a critical stop sign for transcription, the first step in gene expression, and has implications for understanding how the AIDS virus regulates its genes. Fri, 09 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508103623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505093416.htm Researchers in Korea report development of a way to double production of a sticky protein from marine mussels destined for use as an antibacterial coating to prevent life-threatening infections in medical implants. The coating, produced by genetically-engineered bacteria, could cut medical costs and improve implant safety, the researchers say. Thu, 08 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505093416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506120946.htm Humans and fruitflies -- those pesky little insects that are irresistibly attracted to overripe fruit -- share more than a sweet tooth. Both rely on the same insulin-regulated molecular pathway to maintain their energy balance when starved for food, reports a team of researchers. Thu, 08 May 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080506120946.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084018.htm It is pathetically true that Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB is still thriving the test of scientific interventions despite affecting almost one -third of the worlds' population. The fact that it takes approximately one human life every 15 second somewhere in the world is an unfortunate death statistics unmatched by any other microbe. Researchers have now worked out the mechanism of iron uptake system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is considered to be one of the important drug targets. Thu, 08 May 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507084018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505120757.htm A study performed on the fruit fly unveils how distinct signaling pathways operate between neighboring cells in order to activate the cell proliferation machinery that results in the organized growth of the fly wing. The signaling pathways involved in this process are also conserved in humans, and when altered give rise to the appearance of different types of cancer, including cancer of the colon and skin, and leukemia. Wed, 07 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505120757.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505094133.htm The transparent embryos of zebrafish are popular models of development, and scientists routinely tag proteins with tracers to study protein trafficking in the embryo. Sugars, which decorate 90 percent of the proteins on a cell's surface, have been harder to track. Now, UC Berkeley scientists have developed a way to attach fluorophores to sugars and follow their changing patterns throughout early development, providing a tool that could reveal the true role of cell-surface sugars. Tue, 06 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080505094133.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504153820.htm One of the tactics used by influenza virus to take over the machinery of infected cells has been laid bare by structural biologists. A new high-resolution image has been published showing a key protein domain whose function is to allow the virus to multiply by hijacking the host cell protein production machinery. Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504153820.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504194238.htm Bacteria that cause the bubonic plague may be more virulent than their close relatives because of a single genetic mutation, according to research published in the May issue of the journal Microbiology. Mon, 05 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080504194238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502154258.htm A research team offers a novel pathway for how "antiaging" products like EthylBloc and SmartFresh block ethylene in plants, delaying the plants' demise and allowing people to enjoy their beauty and products for longer than nature allows. Mon, 05 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502154258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502171324.htm Nitric oxide has emerged as an important signaling molecule in plants as in mammals, including people. In studies of a tropical medicinal herb as a model plant, researchers have found that nitric oxide targets a number of proteins and enzymes in plants. Mon, 05 May 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502171324.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430124524.htm Using an enzyme of the Japanese mushroom Grifola frondosa (Maitake or dancing mushroom), proteins can be identified without knowing the organism's genetic composition. This advance simplifies the study of proteins lying at the root of such diseases as cancer and diabetes. Sat, 03 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430124524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430154945.htm Researchers have discovered how some bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment by turning on resistance mechanisms when exposed to the drugs. The findings could lead to more effective antibiotics to treat a variety of infections. Fri, 02 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080430154945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429204239.htm German researchers have found that deer antler growth and regeneration might be reduced to a stem cell-based process. Their results strongly support the view that the growth of primary antlers as well as the annual process of antler regeneration depend on the periodic activation of mesenchymal stem cells. Thu, 01 May 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429204239.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429102646.htm Botulinum neurotoxin -- responsible for the deadly food poisoning disease botulism and for the beneficial effects of smoothing out facial wrinkles - can also be used as a dreaded biological weapon. When ingested or inhaled, less than a billionth of an ounce can cause muscle paralysis and eventual death. Although experimental vaccines administered prior to exposure can inhibit the destructive action of this neurotoxin - the most deadly protein known to humans -- no effective pharmacological treatment exists. Scientists have now taken the first step toward designing an effective antidote to the most potent form of botulinum neurotoxin. Thu, 01 May 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429102646.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429085916.htm Australian researchers are a step closer to turning plants into 'biofactories' capable of producing oils which can be used to replace petrochemicals used to manufacture a range of products. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080429085916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428165240.htm Researchers have gained the first detailed insight into the way circadian rhythms govern global gene expression in Cyanothece, a type of cyanobacterium (blue-green alga) known to cycle between photosynthesis during the day and nitrogen fixation at night. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428165240.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428083942.htm Biochemists have discovered a new pathway by which the cell selectively degrades ribosomes. The pathway is called ribophagy and will probably mean new revisions for the textbooks. Ubiquitin makes it all possible. Ribosomes are the cell's translation engines. They use genetic information to build chains of amino-acids that afterwards fold to form proteins. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428083942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428082653.htm For the first time ever, the thread-like adhesive attachment organs of the bacterium Escherichia coli have been copied in a test tube. Biologists did this using purified proteins extracted from the bacteria and from which the pili are composed. The most important discoveries include a catalyst protein that greatly accelerates the assembly of the modules of the pili. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428082653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080427194945.htm Nitric oxide has emerged as an important signaling molecule in plants -- as in mammals, including people. In studies of a tropical medicinal herb as a model plant, researchers have found that nitric oxide targets a number of proteins and enzymes in plants. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080427194945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428125221.htm A new 'artificial airway' being developed in a test tube could make it possible to develop better therapies for asthma and allergy sufferers and could reduce the need for animal testing. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080428125221.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424151500.htm Two genes that help insulin regulate mosquitoes' growth have been identified as key contributors to how the insects enter a dormant state to survive winter's cold. The research finding broadens the understanding of the mosquito life cycle and appears to shed some light on how other insects and invertebrate species weather the winter months. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424151500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425065354.htm Viruses use various tricks and disguises to invade cells. Researchers have now discovered yet another strategy used by viruses: the vaccinia virus disguises itself as cell waste, triggers the formation of evaginations in cells and is suspected to enter the cell interior before the immune defense even notices. The research results have been published in Science. Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080425065354.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424121443.htm Got food? A team of scientists think they know how many -- if not most -- living organisms answer this question. They recently showed that when food supplies dwindle, mammals, fruitflies, or frogs probably activate the same ancient cell signaling pathway in order to conserve energy. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424121443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423171524.htm Scientists have discovered why birds, unlike mammals, lack a tissue that is specialized to generate heat. There is a surprising implication that the same lack of heat-generating tissue may have contributed to the extinction of dinosaurs. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423171524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080426083332.htm Mitochondria, the fuel of a cell, has been found to be the "driver" for cell division, according to biochemists. This discovery could play a big role in finding cures for many human diseases, they say. The biochemists studied yeast cells and found that mitochondria, which generates 90 percent of the cell's energy, can be the deciding factor -- the "brain power" -- behind how fast cells divide. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080426083332.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424112445.htm Researchers have discovered that a crucial communications pathway in cells not only stops cells from making proteins, it also makes them go. The team was able to define the way in which proteins called beta arrestins (for their role in stopping signals) also turn on pathways that ultimately lead to the production of new proteins in virtually all tissues in the body. Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424112445.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423171527.htm Biologists have found that eliminating germline stem cells, the cells that make eggs and sperm, lengthens the life of fruit flies and alters insulin production. These findings suggest a provocative general principle at work: Molecular signals from the reproductive system affect aging and metabolism in animals -- and possibly in humans. The work also proposes a new mechanism of how this control may occur. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423171527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422151826.htm Although letters representing the three billion pairs of molecules that form the "rungs" of the helical DNA "ladder" are routinely called the human "genetic code," the DNA they comprise transmits traits across generations in a variety of ways, not all of which depend on the sequence of letters in the code. Thu, 24 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422151826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151804.htm Recent research that links specific pieces of RNA to an infectious organism's duplication and spread could lead the way to the prevention of viroids, pathogens that can kill or damage food crops and other plants. The findings could also have applications in the study of how certain viruses spread in humans because the pathogens have some similar characteristics. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422083318.htm The identification of a new class of photoreceptors in the retina of fruit flies sheds light on the regulation of the pigments of the eye that confer color vision, researchers at New York University's Center for Developmental Genetics report in a new study. The findings, they write, may also have implications for the regulating of olfactory receptors, which are responsible for the detection of smells, because both types of receptors belong to the same protein family. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422083318.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142500.htm Researchers have made a major advance in understanding how bacteria divide. This could lead to new antibiotic treatments that prevent dangerous bacteria from multiplying. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417142500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421114609.htm Researchers have identified a key function of a large family of virulence proteins that play an important role in the production of infectious disease by the plant pathogen Phytophthora sojae, which damages soybean crops, resulting in $1-2 million in annual losses in the United States and much more worldwide. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421114609.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422172818.htm The generation and function of all types of blood cell are impaired in individuals infected with HIV. HIV is thought to cause this problem by disrupting the function of cells that are the precursors of all blood cells; these cells are known as hematopoietic progenitor cells. Exactly how HIV affects hematopoietic progenitor cells has not been determined, although it seems to be an indirect effect as the cells are not themselves infected with HIV. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422172818.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130552.htm Fully differentiated mouse cells, such as mature B cells, can be reprogrammed to embryonic-stem-cell-like induced pluripotent stem cells, without the use of an egg. Using reprogrammed mature B cells, researchers may be able to create mouse models that will aid in understanding autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130552.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417163854.htm Researchers are developing a novel approach to screen for drugs to combat neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease -- using yeast cells. The clumping process of proteins takes decades in humans but the researchers could model the process within a matter of hours in yeast cells. This now allows for rapid genetic screening to identify proteins that can reverse the harmful effects of the disease protein; visualizing the clumping; and testing molecules that could eliminate or prevent clumping. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417163854.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130533.htm Scientists have uncovered details about the mechanisms through which dietary restriction slows the aging process. Working in yeast cells, they have linked ribosomes, the protein-making factories in living cells, and Gcn4, a specialized protein that aids in the expression of genetic information, to the pathways related to dietary response and aging. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130539.htm Multiple lethal pathogens such as H5N1 avian flu trigger acute lung injury with a high death rate. Scares of an epidemic have led to an increasing interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms that lead to this condition. Scientists have now identified oxidative stress and innate immunity as a common pathway that controls the severity of ARDS. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080417130539.htm