Penn scientists discover cells reorganize shape to fit the...( PHILADELPHIA - Flip open any biology...)
Navigation Links
Penn scientists discover cells reorganize shape to fit the situation
Date:11/24/2008
PHILADELPHIA - Flip open any biology textbook and you're bound to see a complicated diagram of the inner workings of a cell, with its internal scaffolding, the cytoskeleton, and how it maintains a cell's shape. Yet the fundamental question remains, which came first: the shape, or the skeleton?
Now a research team led by Phong Tran, PhD, Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has the answer: Both.
The findings, published online this week in the journal Current Biology by co-senior authors Tran and Matthieu Piel of the Institut Curie, Paris, combine genetics, live-cell imaging, and microfluidics technology. They were able to force normally rod-shaped yeast cells to grow within tiny curved channels. Using the channels, they made rod-shaped cells deform into curved-shaped mutant cells and conversely, curved-shaped cells straighten out into a rod. The surprising finding: as the cells bend, they reorganize their cytoskeleton, and as they reorganize their internal skeletons, the cells further adjust their shape.
Cell shape gone awry has been implicated in some forms of cancer. In the future, one potential implication of Tran's findings is that it might be possible to rescue certain disease states via squeezing or otherwise applying mechanical pressure to tissues or organs. But that, he concedes, is "completely science fiction on my part." Instead, he says at this point this study is pure, basic research. "It was just a cool experiment."
The findings point to a type of feedback loop. "The cytoskeleton changes the shape of the cell and the shape of the cell also changes the organization of the cytoskeleton," he says. "In fact they feed back on each other, so any perturbation on one system will change the other, and visa versa."
Related biology news : 1. Scientists discover 21st century plague 2. Bipolar disorder genes, pathways identified by Indiana University neuroscientists 3. Scripps research scientists identify blood component that turns bacteria virulent 4. Barrow scientists solve 200-year-old scientific debate involving visual illusions 5. Scientists find facial scars increase attractiveness 6. Chicks to give scientists clearer picture of fetal development 7. NYU biologist Bonneau named among 20 "visionary" scientists under 40 by Discover magazine 8. Scientists announce major progress towards historic Census of Marine Life in 2010 9. Washington University scientists first to sequence genome of cancer patient 10. Scripps research scientists identify compounds for stem-cell production from adult cells 11. 12 outstanding young scientists named as EMBO Young Investigators Post Your Comments:
Related Image:
(Date:1/8/2009)...etic Investigation of Anthropometric Parameters) c... So far, the scientists have analyzed two million ...es with a total of more than 32,000 participants. ...ed in 14 further studies including 59,000 particip...y known, it was now possible for six more obesity ... (Date:1/7/2009)...hed in Cancer Prevention Research , a journal of ...tifies components of black raspberries with chemop...tate Comprehensive Cancer Center found that anthoc..., inhibited growth and stimulated apoptosis in the...inogen. , "Our data provide strong evidence tha... (Date:1/7/2009)...anslates a cell,s DNA code into the proteins of li..., Johns Hopkins researchers, reporting this week...step" during which the suite of translational tool...r making them, and definitively responds by hittin...ut, the Johns Hopkins researchers say, that the ri... (Date:1/7/2009)...ricket fights has been part of Chinese cultural tr...1278). This ancient practice has resulted in quite...ractitioners think make for champion fighters. "Be...tive for the practitioners of this sport to observ...e, a biology postdoctoral researcher at University... Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Obesity starts in the head? 6 newly discovered genes for obesity have a neural effect 2Lost in translation 2Male crickets with bigger heads are better fighters, study reveals, echoing ancient Chinese text 2Parents Worries Hamper Kids Asthma Treatment 478 1Parents Worries Hamper Kids Asthma Treatment 478 2Marlabs in the Top 10 BPO Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Companies 474 1Marlabs in the Top 10 BPO Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Companies 474 2S C BlueCross to Integrate Care Management with Personal Health Record in Real Time 470 1S C BlueCross to Integrate Care Management with Personal Health Record in Real Time 470 2S C BlueCross to Integrate Care Management with Personal Health Record in Real Time 470 3CIGNA Group Insurance Shows Consumers Theres More to Life Through a New Consumer Education Toolkit 466 1CIGNA Group Insurance Shows Consumers Theres More to Life Through a New Consumer Education Toolkit 466 2CIGNA Group Insurance Shows Consumers Theres More to Life Through a New Consumer Education Toolkit 466 3...iscovered the mechanism that enables some CD4 T ce...us. The discovery, reported on April 13 in the onl...ntirely new strategy for preventing the spread of ...e senior author of the study, Gladstone Institute ...ne, MD, PhD. , The researchers, led by Ya-Lin Chiu... ...tudied a man-made wetland in Ohio for two years co...ned water as well as or better than would a natura...icultural area, reduced levels of phosphorus by ne...orus and nitrates are prime ingredients in both fe... these nutrients can cause algae to flourish, ofte... ...Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children...e on target to halve deaths from measles, a leadin...ear. Global measles deaths have plummeted by 39%, ...03. , The largest reduction occurred in Africa, t...where estimated measles deaths decreased by 46%. ,... ...e McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), in Montr...In a new study, published in the on-line edition o...the researchers document a reduction in the growth...ion of the gene. , The new target gene is called m...archers were able to inhibit the function of the g... Other Biology News: Gladstone investigators discover how resting T cells avoid HIV infection 2 Gladstone investigators discover how resting T cells avoid HIV infection 3Man-made wetland's effectiveness similar to natural marsh 2Man-made wetland's effectiveness similar to natural marsh 3Measles Deaths Worldwide Drop By Nearly 40% Over Five Years 2(Date:1/8/2009)...h Physician Spent Last 10 Years Helping Implement ... CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 8 Abt Asso...e company as a Principal Associate and HIV/AIDS an...certified physician in the United Kingdom and Euro...ith extensive experience working on HIV/AIDS and i... (Date:1/8/2009)...n. 8 /PRNewswire/ - Aegera Therapeutics Inc. annou...ndomized Phase 2 study of AEG35156, their targeted...r multiple oncology indications. , The study, ent...zed Study of the X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis (... Carboplatin/Paclitaxel or the Combination of Carb... (Date:1/8/2009)...M, January 8 Karolinska Developmen...w share issue, raising SEK 147 million,(USD 19 mi...utet Holding AB,Tredje AP-fonden; Ostersjostifte...Praktikerinvest - took their share of the new issu...illion. Karolinska Development was advised by EFG,... (Date:1/8/2009)... The International Conference on Health I...ca in a special workshop titled "Open Source ... Porto, Portugal (PRWEB) J... a special workshop of the upcoming International ...January 14-17, 2009 in Porto, Portugal. The worksh... Breaking Biology Technology:Dr. John Stephen Osika, HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Expert, Joins Abt Associates 2Aegera Therapeutics Initiates A Randomized Phase 2 Combination Study of AEG35156 for 1st Line Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 2Karolinska Development Closes Fully Subscribed New Share Issue 2Karolinska Development Closes Fully Subscribed New Share Issue 3OpenClinica to Present at International Conference on Health Informatics, January 14-17, Porto, Portugal 2[0] Dr. John Stephen Osika, HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Expert, Joins Abt Associates[0] Aegera Therapeutics Initiates A Randomized Phase 2 Combination Study of AEG35156 for 1st Line Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer[0] Karolinska Development Closes Fully Subscribed New Share Issue[1] OpenClinica to Present at International Conference on Health Informatics, January 14-17, Porto, Portugal ...ate: Can the UW-Madison survive as a public univer... of its budget? , ,Thats the question being posed ...ose believes the universitys role as a catalyst fo...iminish if state investment in higher education st...ecome less accessible to students from middle-clas... ...., a provider of business storage solutions and t...at it is now a Sun Microsystems iForce Partner. Ea...nt on successful completion of advanced training i... , ,"As the storage expert in this region since 19...to bring their server technology to this market," ... ...stics help manufactures manage some of the most co...tics networks in the world. The company will now o...help companies save millions of dollars with impro...er Logistics plans to target customers who choose ... build competitive operations with the industry,s ... ...riend Marie the other day: Thats it! This makes th...to have it be bought, and see my job go away. Im d...imate notwithstanding, people are still leaving th...r own (and women in greater numbers than men). May...consultant you would make. Maybe you would! But is... Other Biology Technology:UW-Madison Chancellor Wiley Challenges State to Think About Universitys Future 2UW-Madison Chancellor Wiley Challenges State to Think About Universitys Future 3Schneider Logistics Helps Manufacturers Secure Competitive Advantage 2Is Now the Time to Go on Your Own? 2Is Now the Time to Go on Your Own? 3... will enable researchers to simultaneously charact...and identify gene activity during important biolog... representing probes representing 6,256 known ORFs..., sourced from the Saccharomyces Genome Database 2... Membrane Proteins from over 50 different human Alzheimer, Diabetic, Liver Cirrhosis, and Lupus diseased tissues are available. ...ions of dollars worldwide, pharmaceutical manufact...to reduce expensive rework costs. In tablet produc...is known to impact important quality parameters su... hardness. However, to date there have been no con... This free-standing laminar flow hood provides a vertical flow of HEPA-filtered air to create a clean processing area. It includes a fluorescent light and motorized sliding shield. Options include wor Biology Products:
| |||||||||
