Navigation Links
When the going gets tough, slime molds start synthesizing

ting components of green tea, red wine, and soybeans."

Turns out, DIF-1 belongs to the same crowd. "While reading a review article on the diversity of polyketides in the journal Nature, we realized that the core chemical structure of DIF-1, an important developmental signal in Dictyostelium, is similar to natural products made by plant type III PKSs," recalls Austin.

At the time, Dictyostelium was in the midst of having its genome sequenced, and the bits and pieces of raw DNA sequencing data were being deposited in publicly available databases. Austin recalled, "One night I performed a bioinformatics search to look for genetic evidence that would suggest the existence of a type III PKS in Dictyostelium." Using various computer programs to find, assemble, and translate in silico the relevant raw DNA sequencing fragments first into genes then into the proteins these genes encode, Austin reconstructed two type III PKS-like gene sequences, and also found a surprise.

Unexpectedly, these deduced genetic blueprints for type III PKSs revealed each Dictyostelium type III PKS to be fused to other enzymatically active protein domains. This never seen before hybrid arrangement works like a very efficient bucket brigade that synthesizes polyketide molecules in slime mold cells.

"Nature has paved the way to exploit this novel domain arrangement to bioengineer more efficient ways of making modified polyketides for human uses," said Austin.

Moving to the bench, Austin and Noel lab manager Marianne Bowman isolated Dictyostelium DNA encoding the type III PKS domains and not only determined their structure, which indeed resembled a plant PKS, but also showed that one of them, called Steely2, made the chemical scaffold of DIF-1 in a test tube. All that was left was to prove was that slime molds themselves used the newly discovered enzyme to make DIF-1.

For that Noel and Austin turned to co-senior author Robert Kay, Ph.D., a Dicty
'"/>

Source:Salk Institute


Page: 1 2 3 4

Related biology news :

1. Mayan stingless bee keeping: Going, going, gone?
2. The shape of things to come: Morphology database going global
3. Watch your step when the going gets rough
4. EGF receptor activation prevents microbes from going more than skin deep
5. Birds going extinct faster due to human activities
6. Ongoing collapse of coral reef shark populations
7. Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are now species of slime-mold beetles -- but strictly in homage
8. Jump-starting T Cells In Skin Cancer
9. Technique may allow cancer patients to freeze eggs, preserving fertility before starting treatment
10. Nanotechnology may find disease before it starts
11. Suicide risk does not increase when adults start using antidepressants, study finds
Post Your Comments:
(Date:7/1/2009)...g plague, Ebola and Rift Valley Fever are being ta...ational partnership involving African researchers ...IDC). The Southern African Centre for Infectious D...erinary institutions from five African countries a...tutions to detect, identify and monitor infectious...
(Date:7/1/2009)... genes had been associated with the formation of m...f the Max Delbrck Center for Molecular Medicine (M...rlin, Germany, have identified 115 genes that are ...metastases. In the future, their findings may help...rlier stage ( Gastroenterology 2009, doi:10.1053/...
(Date:7/1/2009)...the formation of the centromere, a key cellular st...regation and accurate cell division, has just earn...tigious EMBO installation grant, of 50,000 euro pe...en moved from California to the Instituto Gulbenki... the Epigenetic Mechanisms group. The Nature Cell...
(Date:7/1/2009)...mice responsible for repairing DNA strands damaged...oviding additional evidence that such stress contr...nclusion of a recent study* in DNA Repair by res...d Technology (NIST), Oregon Health and Science Uni...of Medicine (NYUSM). , Although all cells need o...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Research network wins approximately £5.7 million to target human and animal diseases in Africa 2Research network wins approximately £5.7 million to target human and animal diseases in Africa 3Colorectal cancer 2Double success for Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia scientists working on chromosome segregation 2Genetically engineered mice yield clues to 'knocking out' cancer 2Bionovo Inc to Announce First Quarter Fiscal Year 2009 Financial Results on Thursday May 7 2009 44192 1Bionovo Inc to Announce First Quarter Fiscal Year 2009 Financial Results on Thursday May 7 2009 44192 2Columbia Greenville Charleston Walkers Cover 3 000 Miles During Lunch 44188 1Columbia Greenville Charleston Walkers Cover 3 000 Miles During Lunch 44188 2Growth in Wyoming Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44186 1Growth in Wyoming Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44186 2Growth in Wyoming Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44186 3Growth in Wyoming Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44186 4Growth in Utah Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44182 1Growth in Utah Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44182 2Growth in Utah Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44182 3Growth in Utah Long Term Care Costs Outpacing the Rate of Inflation According to Annual Genworth Financial Study 44182 4
...tists at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jeffer...ene that is involved in regulating aging also bloc...ed by Kimmel Cancer Center director Richard Pestel...ll aid in better understanding the development of ...disease. , SIRT1 is a member of a family of enzym...
...e first known laboratory studies that explores mem...the central nervous system, Mayo Clinic researcher...mory loss late in life. The study, which was condu...time of an individual, a picornavirus-related infe...mory late in life. , "Our study suggests that viru...
...ow understand how an important protein converts ch...he process of cell division, thanks to a new struc...pel Hill researchers. , The structural model help...in fuels itself to perform cellular functions vita...l division into identical cells. , Dynein uses ...
...sts have identified a cell population that is a pr...wn as frontotemporal dementia, which is as common ...entia before age 65. , Because the cells arose on... ancestor of great apes and humans-- and are parti...ts the concept that evolution has rendered the hum...
Other Biology News:Jefferson scientists find aging gene also protects against prostate cancer development 2Mayo Clinic study suggests that a central nervous system viral infection can lead to memory deficits 2Mayo Clinic study suggests that a central nervous system viral infection can lead to memory deficits 3UNC scientists solve mystery of how largest cellular motor protein powers movement 2Study offers window into human behavior, brain disease 2Study offers window into human behavior, brain disease 3Study offers window into human behavior, brain disease 4
(Date:7/1/2009)...PRNewswire/ -- Cellular Dynamics International ... expansion of their existing agreement to test dru...use cardiotoxicity, or damage to heart tissue. The...y testing in order to bring promising therapies to...I will supply purified cardiomyocytes, created fro...
(Date:7/1/2009)...wswire/ -- Biocept, Inc. ("Biocept"), an emerging ...ntment of Daniel H. Petree and M. Faye Wilson as D...nd Faye to our Board. Their experience will be inv...velopment," said Stephen M. Coutts, President and ...lson Boyles and Company, a business management and...
(Date:7/1/2009)...ational sustained follicle stimulant achieves simi...ta given over a one week period in Phase III Study...- Schering-Plough Corp., (NYSE: SGP ) today anno...rial demonstrating that a single injection of cori...follicle stimulants, achieved similar efficacy to ...
(Date:7/1/2009)...swire-FirstCall/ -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE Amex: NB...gross funds of over $4 million from institutional ...the $11 million private placement from three Asia-...e total investment obtained by NeoStem in the past...tion, affiliates of Suzhou Erye Pharmaceuticals Co...
Breaking Biology Technology:Cellular Dynamics International and Roche Expand Existing Cardiotoxicity Screening Agreement 2Cellular Dynamics International and Roche Expand Existing Cardiotoxicity Screening Agreement 3Biocept, Inc. Announces Two New Director Appointments 2Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 2Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 3Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 4Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 5Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 6Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 7Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 8Schering-Plough Announces Phase II and III Data for Corifollitropin Alfa 9NeoStem Raises Additional Funds from Principals of Suzhou Erye Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd. and U.S. Institutional and Private Investors, Bringing the Total Recent Financings to Over $15 Million; Funds Will Support Expansion Activities in the United State 2NeoStem Raises Additional Funds from Principals of Suzhou Erye Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd. and U.S. Institutional and Private Investors, Bringing the Total Recent Financings to Over $15 Million; Funds Will Support Expansion Activities in the United State 3
...,, ,Determine retroviral transductio...y target cell line , Brenda Rogers Katherin...escribe three new ViraPort retroviral reporter vec... ,and pFB-Luc ,which can be used to de...n in,virtually any target cell line. To assay fo...
...first precast gels for automated sequencing and ge... Harry Osterman Mark,Vanek ,LI-COR Biotechno...e first commercially available precast,gels for ...atagenes CastAway , gels* for the LI-COR system...in less than 30 minutes. Use the CastAway gels wit...
...dy isotyping in only 5 minutes , Weiping Yan...elli ,Stratagene Cloning Systems, Inc. , Strat...ng kit is a,simple, rapid and sensitive method f...s in a single step. Each IsoDetect test card is a ...gated anti-mouse antibodies for isotype determinat...
...itate study of DNA mismatch repair , , Mar...ratagene has designed RT-PCR primer sets from t...e genes code for specialized proteins,that parti...NA. We have,assembled primer pairs specific for ... mouse (mMSH2, mGTBP, mPMS2 and Rep-3) mismatch,...
Other Biology Technology:Versatile Reporter Vectors for Monitoring Viral Transduction 2Versatile Reporter Vectors for Monitoring Viral Transduction 3Versatile Reporter Vectors for Monitoring Viral Transduction 4Versatile Reporter Vectors for Monitoring Viral Transduction 5Versatile Reporter Vectors for Monitoring Viral Transduction 6CastAway Precast Gels for Rapid Automated DNA Sequence Analysis 2CastAway Precast Gels for Rapid Automated DNA Sequence Analysis 3CastAway Precast Gels for Rapid Automated DNA Sequence Analysis 4CastAway Precast Gels for Rapid Automated DNA Sequence Analysis 5Simple, Sensitive Isotyping of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies 2Simple, Sensitive Isotyping of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies 3Simple, Sensitive Isotyping of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies 4Simple, Sensitive Isotyping of Mouse Monoclonal Antibodies 5RT-PCR Primer Sets for Human and Mouse Mismatch Repair Genes 2RT-PCR Primer Sets for Human and Mouse Mismatch Repair Genes 3RT-PCR Primer Sets for Human and Mouse Mismatch Repair Genes 4RT-PCR Primer Sets for Human and Mouse Mismatch Repair Genes 5
Prepared in 0.85% saline.
TACS Apoptotic DNA Laddering Kits are used to assay cells and tissues for apoptosis by
RABBIT ANTI HUMAN APP (KP1 DOMAIN) Immunogen: Synthetic peptide composed of amino acids 292-312 from the KPI domain of human APP.
Anti-Goat HRP-AEC Cell & Tissue Staining Kit
Biology Products: