Navigation Links
Study offers new clues about hereditary spastic paraplegia
Date:7/8/2011

ow it worked."

Membranes are both the brick walls and the zip-lock bags of microbiology. Every living cell is encased in a water-tight membrane of fatty acids, and all of the cell's interactions with the outside world are mediated by what can and cannot pass through that membrane. When a virus invades a healthy cell, it uses membrane fusion. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, it uses membrane fusion. Membranes are also used inside the cell, where they serve as biochemical reaction chambers, as cargo containers and as pipelines.

To find out how atlastin initiates membrane fusion, McNew, Daga and colleagues conducted experiments involving the fruit-fly version of atlastin, which is remarkably similar to the version found in humans. By selectively disabling portions of the protein and examining how those modifications affected atlastin's ability to promote membrane fusion in the test tube and cell cultures, the team gradually built a picture of how atlastin works. They found that pairs of atlastin proteins, each of which is anchored in a separate membrane, can bind to one another when both partners are functional enzymes. That action draws the separated membranes together and allows fusion to occur.

Additionally, they found that a small piece near the end of atlastin was required for fusion activity.

"Atlastin has a fairly short tail, which protrudes from the site where the protein is anchored into the membrane," Daga said. "When we deleted this tail, we found that the protein could not stimulate membrane fusion, even when the two copies bound together normally."

McNew said prior gene sequencing studies have show that some HSP patients have genetic mutations that result in defects in this critical tail region of the atlastin protein.

"This study, as well as work by others, suggests the area of the cell where atlastin promotes membrane fusion, the endoplasmic reticulum, is a good target for future studies into the caus
'/>"/>

Contact: Jade Boyd
jadeboyd@rice.edu
713-348-6778
Rice University
Source:Eurekalert  

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology news :

1. Study suggests new strategy to prevent infertility, birth defects
2. UTMB-led researchers awarded $7.8 million for Gulf spill study
3. LSUHSC conducts landmark study of mid, long-term health effects of oil exposure
4. Nordic study shows marginally higher but overall low risk of stillbirth in ART children
5. First whole-genome lung cancer study by TGen and Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center set for conference
6. Twin study shows lifestyle, diet can significantly influence course of macular degeneration
7. Study: Preventive use of one form of natural vitamin E may reduce stroke damage
8. Behavioral treatment for migraines a cost-effective alternative to meds, study finds
9. ARS and cooperators study cotton gin dust emissions
10. Study finds pregnancy and birth environment may affect development of autism in twins
11. Study shows answers for treating obesity-related diseases may reside in fat tissue
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
Related Image:
Study offers new clues about hereditary spastic paraplegia
(Date:5/18/2013)... 18, 2013) Research presented today at Digestive Disease ... with findings about the impact of coffee on autoimmune ... While coffee consumption recently has been associated with reduced ... a few more cups of java each month also ... disease. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, linked ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... day, insects provide the white noise of the South, but ... year, the Southern air hangs heavy from the humidity and ... more than 140 species of frogs, toads and salamanders, is ... the ponds and swamps are the auditorium for their symphonic ... and Monitoring Initiative, or ARMI, have front-row seats. ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... 2013, Shenzhen, China---- Why Tibetan antelope can live ... In a collaborative research published in Nature ... other institutes provide evidence that some genetic factors ... harsh highland environments. The data in this work ... mechanisms and the biology of other ruminant species. ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Coffee consumption associated with reduced risk of autoimmune liver disease 2Front-row seats to climate change 2Front-row seats to climate change 3Front-row seats to climate change 4The genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation 2
... pieces of DNA in 100 small fish have opened ... technologies, researchers now know many of the genomic regions ... water in several independently evolved populations. The discovery ... National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health -- ...
... HOUSTON, Feb. 25, 2010 Just weeks into his ... chair of the University of Houston,s new department of ... He was selected and recently inducted into ... Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the ...
... a paradox that,s puzzled scientists for a half-century. ... depends on those species responding differently to the availability ... species draw a blank? Competitors like black gums ... shaded understories of eastern U.S. forests, yet species-level data ...
Cached Biology News:Stickleback genomes shining bright light on evolution 2Stickleback genomes shining bright light on evolution 3New biomedical engineering chair earns high honors 2New biomedical engineering chair earns high honors 3Forest tree species diversity depends on individual variation 2Forest tree species diversity depends on individual variation 3
(Date:5/19/2013)... The JM Internet Group (web: jm-seo.org), ... proudly announced that the company's YouTube channel on ... views on YouTube. The company uses YouTube as a ... and training for small businesses with much success. , ... tips helpful for their SEO strategies", explained Jason McDonald, ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... transplant rejection occurs when the transplant recipient,s immune system ... it. It was previously thought that T cells, the ... by molecules known as chemokines in order to migrate ... Journal of Clinical Investigation , Fadi Lakkis and ... demonstrate that chemokine stimulation of T cells is not ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., USA (PRWEB) May 17, 2013 ...     Green Globes Certified for sustainability , ... and insect pressures , Syngenta ... opening celebration today at the company’s RTP Innovation Center. ... Lab allows company researchers to simulate any agricultural climate ...
(Date:5/17/2013)... May 17, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Aridis is pleased ... with Switzerland -based Kenta Biotech ... monoclonal antibody (mAb) products, and technologies. This asset ... for treatment of infections by common pathogens including ... , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Acinetobacter baumannii ...
Breaking Biology Technology:YouTube Channel on SEO Tips Surpasses 175,000 Views, Announces JM Internet Group 2Syngenta Opens Unique $72 Million Advanced Crop Lab 2Syngenta Opens Unique $72 Million Advanced Crop Lab 3Aridis Pharmaceuticals Announces Acquisition of Monoclonal Antibody Products and Technologies From Kenta Biotech 2Aridis Pharmaceuticals Announces Acquisition of Monoclonal Antibody Products and Technologies From Kenta Biotech 3
... 11 Friendly LRL Holdings LLC ("FLH") today announced that ... of the outstanding shares of common stock of Startech Environmental ... offer was scheduled to expire at 11:59 pm, New York ... previously tendered pursuant to the tender offer and not withdrawn ...
... PARIS, September 11 Novexel, a specialty pharmaceutical,company ... antibiotics,designed to overcome the significant global problem of ... subject of 16 posters and one slide,presentation at ... on,Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC). The ICAAC meeting, ...
... 10 Bioheart, Inc., (OTC Bulletin Board: BHRT) a company ... diagnose and treat heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases announced ... development has been invited to participate in the 2009 World ... , Ms. Comella will speak on the concurrent ...
Cached Biology Technology:Friendly LRL Holdings Terminates Offer To Acquire Startech Environmental Corporation 2Friendly LRL Holdings Terminates Offer To Acquire Startech Environmental Corporation 3Novexel Presents 16 Posters and one Slide Presentation at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Meeting in San Francisco 2Novexel Presents 16 Posters and one Slide Presentation at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Meeting in San Francisco 3Novexel Presents 16 Posters and one Slide Presentation at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Meeting in San Francisco 4Novexel Presents 16 Posters and one Slide Presentation at the 49th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) Meeting in San Francisco 5Bioheart Inc. to Participate in the 2009 World Stem Cell Summit on September 23rd 2Bioheart Inc. to Participate in the 2009 World Stem Cell Summit on September 23rd 3
... product contains 5 ml of DETACHaBEAD ... from Dynabeads CD19 (Pan B). ... (Pan B) and released with DETACHaBEAD ... Cells are suitable for applications such ...
This Malachite Green Phosphate Detection Kit...
5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl b -D-galactopyranoside (X-Gal)...
...
Biology Products: