zinc

Quantum Dots Research Leads to New Knowledge about Protein Binding in Plants

...ed cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dotscoated with zinc sulphide as fluorescent probes. The particles had adiameter of 6.3 nm. The team terminated the quantum dots withcarboxylic groups by reacting them with mercaptoacetic acid. Then theyconjugated the quantum dots with the amine groups of stigma/stylarcy...

Fox Chase Cancer Center scientists identify immune-system mutation

... identifies this defect as a point mutation in the zinc finger transcription factor Th-POK. We show that when the normal form of this factor is active in all developing lymphocytes, it can redirect would-be killer cells to the CD4 helper T cell lineage. This indicates that Th-POK is a master regulator of ...

Bioelectronic ‘signatures?hold key to DNA mutations

...ots, from four heavy metal salts of lead, cadmium, zinc and copper. Such nanocrystals were selected owing to their ability to yield distinct electronic signatures, with four well-resolved current peaks. Next, the nanocrystals are piggybacked onto individual DNA bases; these DNA bases ?each carrying a sing...

USC researchers determine mechanism of action of chemotherapy drug

...r disruption results in increases in the amount of zinc available inside the cancer cells, and because zinc is involved in protein structure and function, leads to inhibition of enzyme activity and to the dea...

Research team receives $7.5 million to study cassava

...deficient in several micronutrients, such as iron, zinc and vitamin A. And once the roots are harvested, certain strains of cassava can produce potentially toxic levels of cyanogens ?substances that induce poisonous cyanide production. "In Africa , improperly processed cassava is a major problem," Sayre ...

Zinc supplements safe for HIV-infected children

...ties where they do not receive adequate amounts of zinc from their diet should be given supplements, even ...her institutions. Previously, it was not known if zinc would speed up HIV disease progression in children by increasing their viral load. Zinc supplementat...

Sangamo BioSciences demonstrates its ZFP treatment protects cells from HIV infection

... infection by treatment with Sangamo's proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein nucleases (ZFNTM) designed to specifically disrupt the CCR5 gene. In its anti-HIV preclinical research program, Sangamo has designed ZFNs that can be used to disrupt the CCR5 gene, a receptor required for HIV entry into im...

New study reveals promising osteoporosis treatment

...Dr. LeGeros developed by combining magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), and fluoride (F) ions in a calcium-phosphate (CaP) matrix does not have the side effects of the current pharmaceutical-based treatments. Perhaps more importantly, a Mg/Zn/F-CaP supplement would be inexpensive to produce and would not require F...

New protein target may advance design of HIV and cancer drugs

... cancer by selectively targeting proteins known as zinc fingers. In the May 30 issue of the journal Chemistry & Biology, researchers reported that a zinc finger protein, known as HIV NCp7, can be inhibited when it is exposed to a platinum complex. They o...

Wheat gene may boost foods' nutrient content

...a gene from wild wheat that increases the protein, zinc and iron content in the grain, potentially offerin...s that more than 2 billion people are deficient in zinc and iron, and more than 160 million children under the age of five lack an adequate protein supply. ...

Zinc plays important role in brain circuitry

...ering a mouse with a mutation affecting a neuronal zinc target, researchers have demonstrated a central role for zinc in modulating signaling among the neurons. Significantly, they found the mutant mouse shows the same...

Antioxidant protects against lung damage in silicosis

... acute inflammation after silica exposure, whereas zinc protoporphyrin, an inhibitor of HO-1, accelerated the development of silicosis lesions. ...

Genetically engineered blood protein can be used to split water into oxygen and hydrogen

...fied the porphyrin molecule to swap the iron for a zinc atom in the middle, which completely changed the chemistry and characteristics of the molecule. This modified porphyrin molecule was then combined with albumin; with the albumin molecule itself being modified by genetic engineering to enhance the ...

Anti-dandruff compound may help fight epilepsy

... quite effective in improving channel recovery was zinc pyrithione (ZnPy), the active ingredient in many dandruff shampoos. Li explains that ZnPy has a shape that allows it to fit into the gate region of the channel protein and allow more potassium flow. “If you think of these channels as doors on the cel...

Lead with a poisonous electron shield

...od to the point of anemia. At the active center, a zinc ion binds to four ligands, three of which involve a sulfur atom. When lead replaces zinc, it only binds to the three sulfur atoms. The reason for this is the emerging free electron pair of the lead cation. It acts as an electronic shield on one side,...

Breakthrough in understanding type-2 diabetes as key genes identified

...th type-2 diabetes have a mutation in a particular zinc transporter known as SLC30A8, which is involved in regulating insulin secretion. Type-2 diabetes is associated with a deficiency in insulin and the researchers believe it may be possible to treat it by fixing this transporter. Professor Philippe...

Elucidation of the genome for diabetics with DNA chips

...tion to DT2 have been identified. They include the zinc transporter of pancreatic insulin-secreting cells ...ene encodes the ZnT8 protein, which is involved in zinc transport. This protein is involved in insulin binding in the pancreas. According to the work of the...

Heavy multivitamin use may be linked to advanced prostate cancer

... and men who also took selenium, beta-carotene, or zinc supplements. “Because multivitamin supplements consist of a combination of several vitamins and men using high levels of multivitamins were also more likely to take a variety of individual supplements, we were unable to identify or quantify indiv...

In nature, proteins sweep up nanoparticles

...y. The research team analyzed a biofilm rich in zinc sulfide that was collected from the water-filled m...bes material at the nanoscale. They found that the zinc sulfide nanoparticles were arranged in dense aggregates. Such tightly packed metal sulfide formation...

Microbes at work cleaning up the environment

...e-reducing bacteria can cause heavy metals such as zinc (Zn) to precipitate and form nanoparticles. Howeve...he formation of densely aggregated nanoparticulate zinc sulfide spheroids. They also studied whether various amino acids induce rapid aggregation in meta...