Biology News Net - Molecular & Cell Biology

'Jumping gene' diminishes the effect of a new type 2 diabetes risk gene

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:43:15 -0500

Research led by the German Institute of Human Nutrition (DIfE) has identified a new gene associated with diabetes, together with a mechanism that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. A genomic fragment that occurs naturally in some mouse strains diminishes the activity of the risk gene Zfp69. The researchers also found that the corresponding human gene (ZNF642) is especially active in overweight individuals with diabetes. The results of the study, which also involved scientists from the University of Leipzig and the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, are published July 3 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.

New control system of the body discovered

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 16:52:04 -0500

It has been known for a long time that T cells can attack the body's own structures and, if they infiltrate the CNS, cause diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The T cells damage the myelin sheath, the material that surrounds and protects the fibers of nerve cells. This damage slows down or blocks messages between the brain and the body, leading to various symptoms of MS such as impaired movements.

Melon research sweetened with DNA sequence

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:44:27 -0500

People smell them, thump them and eyeball their shape. But ultimately, it's sweetness and a sense of healthy eating that lands a melon in a shopper's cart.

Researchers pinpoint a new enemy for tumor-suppressor p53

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:44:26 -0500

Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have identified a protein that marks the tumor suppressor p53 for destruction, providing a potential new avenue for restoring p53 in cancer cells.

Study finds DNA barcoding requires caution without closer examination

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:05 -0500

The goal of DNA barcoding is to find a simple, cheap, and rapid DNA assay that can be converted to a readily accessible technical skill that bypasses the need to rely on highly trained taxonomic specialists for identifications of the world's biota. This is driven by a desire to open taxonomic identifications to all user groups and by the short supply of taxonomists that do not even exist in many groups. Although DNA barcoding is being rapidly accepted in the scientific literature and popular press, some scientists warn that we are being too hasty in wholeheartedly embracing this technique. Dr. David Spooner, a researcher with the USDA and an expert in the potato and tomato family (Solanaceae), offers just such a cautionary note against accepting this technique without closer examination in his recent article, "DNA Barcoding will Frequently Fail in Complicated Groups: An example in Wild Potatoes" in the June 2009 issue of the American Journal of Botany.

Pushmi-pullyu of B-cell development discovered

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:04 -0500

Although every cell in the body carries the genes necessary to function as an antibody-producing B cell, only a small proportion of stem cells mature into those important immune-system cells. James Hagman, PhD, Professor of Immunology at National Jewish Health and his colleagues have identified two "molecular motors" that work in opposing directions to control the development of B cells. They published their findings June 19 in the online version of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Structural biology scores with protein snapshot

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:35:03 -0500

In a landmark technical achievement, investigators in the Vanderbilt Center for Structural Biology have used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods to determine the structure of the largest membrane-spanning protein to date.

Climbing the ladder to longevity: Critical enzyme pair identified

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:46:58 -0500

Experiment after experiment confirms that a diet on the brink of starvation expands lifespan in mice and many other species. But the molecular mechanism that links nutrition and survival is still poorly understood. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a pivotal role for two enzymes that work together to determine the health benefits of diet restriction.

How mitochondria get their membranes bent

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:46:58 -0500

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of cells. Underneath their smooth surface they harbor an elaborately folded inner membrane. It holds a multitude of bottleneck like invaginations, which expand into elongated cavities (cristae). The narrow shape of the entrance or pore to the cristae ('crista junction') allows separation of the intracristal space and storage of molecules. Cytochrome c, for example, an important signaling protein in programmed cell death (apoptosis), is stored in this compartment. When apoptosis is triggered, the pores enlarge and cytochrome c is released into the cytosol. Thus, understanding of how the pore diameter and the shape of the inner membrane are regulated on a molecular basis is of great relevance to a better understanding of mitochondrial function in general. Recently, in cooperation with other research teams, the group of Prof. Andreas Reichert, who has been appointed as professor for Mitochondrial Biology to the Goethe University within the Cluster of Excellence Macromolecular Complexes in 2007, has identified two proteins linked in an antagonistic manner that are relevant for governing inner membrane structure.

In pursuit of a happiness gene

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:58:14 -0500

The pursuit of happiness characterizes the human condition. But for those suffering from stress, money trouble or chronic illness, a positive outlook on life can be difficult to find. Now, a Tel Aviv University researcher says we should look to our genes.