Navigation Links
Bacteria pack their own demise
Date:7/31/2009

Brussels - Numerous pathogens contain an 'internal time bomb', a deadly mechanism that can be used against them. After years of work, VIB researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) were able to determine the structure and operating mechanism of the proteins involved. This clears the road for finding ways to set the clock on this internal time bomb and, hopefully, in the process developing a new class of antibiotics. The research was accepted for publication by top journal Molecular Cell, with congratulations from the editorial board.

It's in the genes

For years, Nathalie De Jonge, Remy Loris and their colleagues of the VIB Department of Molecular and Cellular Interactions at VUB, have applied their relentless dedication to the study of the precise structure and function of the toxin-antitoxin complex, a system that had not been the focus of much interest in the past. Only in the last couple of years the rest of the scientific world come to realize its importance and as a result the number of papers in this field has exploded.

All living creatures, people as well as bacteria, store their genetic information in the same way, i.e. in the DNA. Every human cell contains 46 neatly folded DNA strands that together measure two meters, while bacteria have to make do with around one millimetre of DNA. A piece of DNA containing the recipe for one characteristic, such as "how to make citric acid" or "how to make hair curl," is called a gene. Humans have several tens of thousands of genes.

Toxin and antitoxin

If your genetic information becomes damaged, you have a good chance of becoming ill or even dying. This is also true for bacteria, which over time developed a handy way of providing extra protection to important genes the toxin-antitoxin (T-A) system. These T-A genes are tucked in near the genes to be protected. T-A genes contain instructions for both a toxin and its antitoxin. As long as the cell is prod
'/>"/>

Contact: Pieter Van Dooren
info@vib.be
329-244-6611
VIB (the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology)
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3

Related biology technology :

1. Quick microchip test for dangerous antibiotic resistant bacteria
2. GlaxoSmithKline Awarded U.S. Department of Defense Contract to Pursue Novel Antibacterial Research Program
3. University of Leicester scientists discover technique to help friendly bacteria
4. ICBS acquires 30% interest in Bacteria Bank Ltd.
5. Verenium Explores Bacterial Genes Inside Termite Guts to Understand How Wood is Broken Down and Converted to Energy
6. NOLabs AB Achieves Break-Through in Fight Against MRSA-Bacteria
7. Free White Paper Available for Clinical Laboratory Managers: Effectively Isolating Anaerobic Bacteria
8. Venter Institute Scientists Create First Synthetic Bacterial Genome
9. Immune system protein starves staph bacteria
10. Study Confirms Anti-Infective ARIKACE(TM) Effectively Penetrates Mucus and Biofilm, and Kills Pseudomonas, a Bacteria Plaguing Cystic Fibrosis Patients
11. Rib-X Pharmaceuticals to Present at Cambridge Healthtech Institutes 2nd Annual Challenge of Antibacterial Development Conference
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/21/2013)... Custom Learning Designs, Inc.(CLD) unveils ... using Tin Can API combined with its own ... a leading developer of training content and solutions ... , Tin Can API is a cost-effective ... trainers more accurately measure the Return on Education ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... Wisc. (PRWEB) May 21, 2013 ... parts distributor , will be exhibiting for the ... Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) 2013 Conference and ... purchase, support, distribute, and manufacture healthcare technologies. This ... in Long Beach, California. , The three-day ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... (PRWEB) May 21, 2013 ... services company for clinical trials, announced today it ... Solutions, LLC. Clinverse’s ClinPay® FLS eClinical commerce ... payment process. SpendMD ™, Aggregate Spend ... solution for tracking and reporting transfer of value ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... (PRWEB) May 21, 2013 As ... a strong push within the industry to deliver ... Manufacturing Organizations and pharma companies often means turning ... , Microtablets, developed in collaboration with Sensidose AB ... outsourcing can bring products to market sooner. The ...
Breaking Biology Technology:CLD Integrates Tin CAN API with its eLearning Solutions and Launches its Excelerometer Tracking Statement Dashboard 2CLD Integrates Tin CAN API with its eLearning Solutions and Launches its Excelerometer Tracking Statement Dashboard 3Alpha Source, Inc. to Exhibit at the AAMI 2013 Conference and Expo 2Clinverse, Inc. Announces Strategic Alliance with Aggregate Spend Solutions, LLC 2Clinverse, Inc. Announces Strategic Alliance with Aggregate Spend Solutions, LLC 3The Development of an Innovative Microtablet Dosage Form, a Success Story: Live Webinar Hosted by Xtalks 2
... Germany is Europe,s largest market for,medical devices. Total industry ... nearly 7 percent increase on 2006 figures. Investors looking ... Germany at Life Science Alley,the largest convention of life ... place December 10, 2008 in Minneapolis,Minnesota. , ...
... deCODE genetics,(Nasdaq: DCGN ) today ... from deCODE and major European and US academic ... genome (SNP) that is associated with,increased fasting glucose ... deCODE,will employ its CLIA-registered genotyping laboratory and existing ...
... on new Rapid-Fill ASF colored label and Productivity and ... of Health-System Pharmacists Mid-year Clinical Meeting and Exhibition beginning ... FL. , , ENGLEWOOD, ... new Rapid-Fill colored labels, along with the Productivity and ...
Cached Biology Technology:Life Science Alley: R&D Makes German Medical Technologies Top in Europe 2deCODE to Integrate New Genetic Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes Into Its deCODEme(TM) Personal Genome Scan Service 2deCODE to Integrate New Genetic Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes Into Its deCODEme(TM) Personal Genome Scan Service 3deCODE to Integrate New Genetic Risk Factor for Type 2 Diabetes Into Its deCODEme(TM) Personal Genome Scan Service 4Baxa Features Rapid-Fill(TM) Colored Labels, PACT(TM) Products, Exacta-Mix(TM) 2400 Compounders and Abacus(TM) Software at the ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting 2Baxa Features Rapid-Fill(TM) Colored Labels, PACT(TM) Products, Exacta-Mix(TM) 2400 Compounders and Abacus(TM) Software at the ASHP Mid-Year Clinical Meeting 3
(Date:5/21/2013)... infections occur in the body, stem cells in ... and differentiating into mature immune cells that can ... can deplete these cell populations, potentially leading to ... cancer. Now, a team of researchers led by ... has found that, in mouse models, the molecule ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... available in pharmacies and health stores, phosphatidylserine is ... and soy. Proven to improve cognition and slow ... people experiencing memory impairment. Now a team headed ... of Tel Aviv University,s Department of Human ... supplement improves the functioning of genes involved in ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... , Where? Copenhagen, Denmark: Bella Center ... 2013 , Why? An annual ... policy developments, manufacturing and installation, drawing on leading experiences ... 2013 edition from a record of more than 900 ... 240 plenary and oral presentations, more than 460 visual ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Keeping stem cells strong 2Common food supplement fights degenerative brain disorders 221st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 221st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 321st European Biomass Conference and Exhibition 4
... leads to fewer "superbugs." That's the take-home message ... issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, now available online. ... pediatric respiratory tract infections resulted in lower rates ... bacteria, commonly called "superbugs," are fast becoming a ...
... spectacular economic growth during the last decade has brought ... of nitrogen dioxide pollution performed by ERS-2's GOME and ... hanging above Beijing and northeast China, as reported in ... Programme, European and Chinese researchers are using results returned ...
... from the forthcoming Quarterly Review of Biology, biologists from ... of laughter ?laughter which is stimulus-driven and laughter which ... during everyday social interaction in response to banal comments ... Gervais and David Sloan Wilson. "The unstated issue is ...
Cached Biology News:Reducing antibiotic use lowers rates of drug-resistant bacteria 2Breath of the dragon: ERS-2 and Envisat reveal impact of economic growth on China's air quality 2Breath of the dragon: ERS-2 and Envisat reveal impact of economic growth on China's air quality 3Breath of the dragon: ERS-2 and Envisat reveal impact of economic growth on China's air quality 4Breath of the dragon: ERS-2 and Envisat reveal impact of economic growth on China's air quality 5
AC input: 230 V...
... the only Gradient thermal cycler which enables you ... a screen. ,Wide linear gradient - The ... an amazing range of,30C. Protocols can be optimised ... The Touchgene Gradient incorporates a large, 115 x ...
... The TC-3000 is one of the smallest thermal ... a choice of either the 0.5ml (20 samples) ... Features: , Fast heating and cooling rate ... reliability and high performance Fast track programming ...
Preparation Note: by a modification of the procedure of C.W. Hancher et al., Biotechnol. Bioeng. 11, 1055 (1969) Assay: ~ 20 A 260 /mg Solubility: water 10 mg/mL, clear, light-yellow Suitab tst...
Biology Products: