Navigation Links
Plant biologists discover unexpected proteins affecting small RNAs
Date:5/15/2008

LA JOLLA, CA - Now that high school biology students can recite that genes are made of DNA, which is transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA), which is then translated into protein, along comes a new class of molecules, sending studentsand many scientistsscrambling for updated textbooks.

A study by Salk Institute for Biological Studies investigator Joseph Ecker, Ph.D., reported in the May 15, 2008 online issue of Developmental Cell, shows that the RNA world is more complex than imagined. Ecker and colleagues tinkered with factors that process mRNAs in the mustard weed Arabidopsis thaliana and observed affects on short, or small RNAs. Their findings could impact fields as diverse as plant pathology and cancer research.

Although they dont fit neatly into the DNA-to-mRNA-to-protein progression, small RNAs or microRNAs are the next big thing in both plant and animal molecular biology. Discovered a decade ago, numerous studies show that small RNAs put the brakes on the mRNA-to-protein step, by latching onto mRNA and blocking its translation into protein or causing its destruction, a phenomenon called RNA silencing.

Ecker, a professor in the Plant Biology Laboratory and director of the Salk Institute Genomic Analysis Laboratory, started by posing a simple genetic question. Researchers knew that eliminating either one of two proteinsone an mRNA-degrading enzyme called EIN5, and another a protein called ABH1 that binds to and protects mRNA from degradationcaused developmental defects in plants. Eckers group asked what the effects of mutating both simultaneously might be.

Aided by revolutionary deep-sequencing technology, which detects rare RNAs at high resolution, the investigators combed through the collection of all small RNAsknown as the smRNAomeand found that ein5/abh1 double mutant plants ramped up small RNA levels just enough to reveal something not seen before: the mutant plant cells were churning out small RNAs made from some
'/>"/>

Contact: Gina Kirchweger
Kirchweger@salk.edu
858-453-410-01340
Salk Institute
Source:Eurekalert

3

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Circadian clock controls plant growth hormone
2. Layered approach may yield stronger, more successful bone implants
3. Clearance of hepatitis C viral infection after liver transplantation
4. Device helps patients survive, regain function til transplant
5. How the plant immune system can drive the formation of new species
6. The American Society of Plant Biologists announces 2007 awards
7. UCR plant cell biologist to study how plant stem cells maintain and change their identity
8. A study proposes a new universal rule to explain the equilibrium of plant populations
9. A study proposes a new universal rule to explain the equilibrium of plant populations
10. Study shows vitamin C is essential for plant growth
11. Clever plants chat over their own network

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:11/4/2009)...PHILADELPHIA Although scientists are reluctant to...on method, evidence continues to grow about its pr... published in Cancer Prevention Research , a jour...h, which suggests some reduction in oral cancer. ...of medicine in the Department of Thoracic/Head and...
(Date:11/4/2009)...The Singapore laboratory that deciphered the DNA c...) and elephant shark, has joined The Genome 10K Pr...ble repository of DNA sequences on 10,000 species ... scale that currently can not be achieved. , Par... a paper published in the Nov. 5, 2009 issue of th...
(Date:11/4/2009)..., BEDFORD, Mass., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/...er of broadband technology and biometrics software...quarter ended September 30, 2009. ,, Michael ...cer, said, "Earlier today, we announced an agreeme...es to Lantiq, a new fabless semiconductor company ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Does green tea prevent cancer? Evidence continues to brew, but questions remain 2Singapore scientists join international study of 10,000 vertebrates' genomes 2Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 2Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 3Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 4Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 5Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 6Aware, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Financial Results 7Prostate cancer patients disease free after five years likely to be disease free after 10 years 50669 1Pain Medicine Experts Recommend Safe and Responsible Use of Acetaminophen 50666 1Pain Medicine Experts Recommend Safe and Responsible Use of Acetaminophen 50666 2New Drug Could Work Against Leukemia 50663 1
...en as a healthy, convenient food, are also popular...Banana plants are highly prized by many as one of ... subtropical ambiance in gardens and pool environm...n Society for Horticultural Science journal HortT...a cultivars grown near Savannah, Georgia. The stud...
...cted as a world leader in scientific research, has...s being filled by foreign guest workers, but recen...y to work in the U. S. have created a need for a n...iezer Louzada and his colleagues at Texas A&M Univ...sville (UTB), and the University of Texas Pan-Amer...
... Center is hosting a lecture and symposium Tuesday...pportunities to better understand the disastrous f... Science to Policy" is the topic of this symposium...nal experts will address topics ranging from the s...splacement, from flood mitigation to flood risk in...
Other Biology News:Science internships attract students to research careers 2Public Policy Center hosts flood symposium March 10-12 2
(Date:11/5/2009)...Nov. 5 Transgenomic, Inc...cial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2... in the tables that follow. ,, Third Quarter 2...,000 or $0.01 per share for the third quarter of 2... per share for the third quarter of 2008. ,, N...
(Date:11/5/2009)...exas, Nov. 5 Wound Manag...that it has entered into a Letter of Intent to pur...lth Technologies, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VHGI)....in cash and debt, 4,000,000 shares of WNDM and a r... the Veriscrip technology being acquired from VHGI...
(Date:11/5/2009)..., Nov. 5 SpineSmith Partners has s...co-develop a unique scaffold that mimics the struc...tion of several commercial products by SpineSmith,... believes the GenOsteo scaffold represents a signi...ique and ideal environment for the delivery of adu...
(Date:11/5/2009)... LASIK Surgery and vision correction experts...re actively involved at the recently concluded Ame...eeting in San Francisco, California. Dr. Stephen B...han Davidorf, MD, Dr. Peter Rapoza, MD, Dr. Michae...e Bowman, MD, Dr. Edward Manche, MD, and Dr. Parag...
Breaking Biology Technology:Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 2Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 3Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 4Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 5Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 6Transgenomic, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2009 Results 7OTCBB-WNDM Announces LOI to Acquire VHGI Assets for $10 Million Cash/Stock 2OTCBB-WNDM Announces LOI to Acquire VHGI Assets for $10 Million Cash/Stock 3SpineSmith Partners and GenOsteo Announce Collaborative Product Development Agreement 2Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 2Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 3Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 4Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 5Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 6Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 7Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 8Leading Vision Correction Experts in Trusted LASIK Surgeons Directory Educate Fellow Doctors at AAO Annual Meeting 9
...Kyung-Ah Lee Infertility Medical Center, CHA Gener...ract , Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) is...nd reliable procurement of pure cell populations f...isolated from pure cell populations was amplified ...A) for hybridization, and the differential gene ex...
... Key words: LEADseeker • imagin g &bul... The LEADseeker™ Multimodality Imaging ...hat efficiently detects and quantitates light from...cence assays. Throughput of over 100 plates per ho...ee imaging (fluorescence assays can be read in as ...
... Key words: NK2 • GPCR • recept...Imaging Beads , , Neurokinins, als...opeptides. Members of this family include peptides... B (NKB), and the recently discovered hemokinin-1 ... the central and peripheral nervous system where t...
Other Biology Technology:Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 2Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 3Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 4Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 5Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 6Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 7Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Pure Cell Populations from Frozen UterineTissue Using Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) and cDNA Microarrays 8Integration of the LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System with automated plate loading and incubation using Overlord Instrument software 2Integration of the LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System with automated plate loading and incubation using Overlord Instrument software 3Integration of the LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System with automated plate loading and incubation using Overlord Instrument software 4Development of an NK2 neuropeptide receptor binding assay using LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System 2Development of an NK2 neuropeptide receptor binding assay using LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System 3Development of an NK2 neuropeptide receptor binding assay using LEADseeker Multimodality Imaging System 4
Chicken Anti-Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 Polyclonal Antibody, Unconjugated from GenWay Biotech, Inc.
Mouse Anti-HNF-1 Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone 2 from BD Biosciences Pharmingen
Rat Anti-p19ARF Monoclonal Antibody, Unconjugated, Clone 5-C3-1 from Upstate
EDG-1 Western blot control from Exalpha Biologicals, Inc.
Biology Products: