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Tag: "blocks" at biology news

Scientists genetically engineer tomatoes with enhanced folate content

...n both the production of nucleotides--the building blocks of DNA--and many other essential metabolic processes. Deficiencies of the nutrient have been linked to birth defects, slow growth rates and other developmental problems in children, as well as numerous health issues in adults, such as anemia. "...

Gut research yields new anti-cancer approach

...vels of the proteins called tubulins, the building blocks of cancer cell skeletons," said Katherine L. Schaefer, Ph.D., a research assistant professor within the Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and first author of the paper. "B...

Mine runoff continues to provide clues to microbial diversification

... II bacteria in these streams are exchanging large blocks of genes. While scientists have seen extensive gen... the first observation of exchange of huge genomic blocks in a natural microbial community. “Consequently, this provides important information about the co...

New compound prevents alcoholic behavior, relapse in animals by blocking stress response

...nimals shows that a newly discovered compound that blocks chemical signals active during the brain’s response to stress effectively stops excessive drinking and prevents relapse. The new, synthetic compound, known as MTIP, also muted the anxiety that typically develops in rats experiencing the equivalent ...

Synthetic peptide targets latent papilloma virus infections

...in is found only in papilloma viruses, a drug that blocks it shouldn't have side effects in humans. The strategy the researchers used to block HPV spread might also prove useful against other infectious viruses, such as the related Epstein-Barr virus, the cause of mononucleosis and an aggressive form of l...

A genetic 'gang of 4' drives spread of breast cancer

...p had been studying. Cetuximab is an antibody that blocks the action of epiregulin and is used to treat advanced colorectal cancer. Celecoxib is an inhibitor of COX2 that is used as an anti-inflammatory, and is being tested in clinical trials against many types of cancer. The researchers also tested whether...

Researchers find gene mutation that causes infertility in male mice

...on leads to a change in an amino acid in Dmc1 that blocks meiosis in its tracks, preventing sperm production. The mutant allele (one version of the pair of genes we inherit from each parent) is dominant; females who carry it remain fertile but carry the defect and pass the mutation on to future generations....

Renegade RNA -- Clues to cancer and normal growth

... Consisting of only 20 to 25 nucleotide building blocks (compared to other types of RNA that can be thousa... blocks. Mendell's team realized that six building blocks at the end of the wayward miR-29b microRNA were noticeably different from the ends of other microRNA...

Robotic therapy helps restore hand use after stroke

...Test, which assesses manual dexterity as one moves blocks from one side of a box to another in one minute. The patients also developed a 17 percent greater range of motion in their hands and wrists and were rated as less disabled on a standard occupational therapy assessment tool called the Fugl-Meyer ...

New study sheds light on 'dark states' in DNA

...ate produced in single nucleotides -- the building blocks of DNA and RNA -- when they absorb ultraviolet (UV) light. This is the first time scientists have been able to probe the "dark" energy state -- so called because it cannot be detected by fluorescence techniques used to study other high-energy states...

Tumor-suppressor gene is critical for placenta development

...velopment of the placenta and into how the Rb gene blocks tumor growth. They also raise the possibility that this important tumor-suppressor gene might play a role in miscarriages. The study, led by researchers at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, is published in the January 2007 ...

Genes and biomarkers that allow doctors to choose the right therapy for the right patient

... Tykerb is an enzyme inhibitor that effectively blocks two cell receptors, ERBB2 and EGFR, from receiving molecular signals. By blocking these signals, Tykerb could effectively shut down the growth of solid tumors, such as those found in breast, lung and head and neck cancer. However, molecular mechanism...

Cheaper, better disease treatments expected from faster approach to developing antibodies

...ction between the antibody and the disease protein blocks the protein from doing harm in the body, effectively short-cutting a disease process. Georgiou, who holds the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering #9, and Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Brent Iverson, the Warren J. and Viola Mae Ray...

Discovery of an HIV inhibitor in human blood points to new drug class

...natural ingredient of human blood that effectively blocks HIV-1, the virus predominantly responsible for human AIDS, from infecting immune cells and multiplying. The virus blocker might play a role in the progression of HIV to full-blown AIDS and—because it works in a different way than existing antiretrovi...

Termites get the vibe on what tastes good

.... By offering them a choice between normal wooden blocks and specially designed blocks made of wood and other materials, the researchers found that the termites always preferred the block...

Scientists unlock mystery of embryonic stem cell signaling pathway

...ative and differentiative. More specifically, IQ-1 blocks the coactivator p300 from interacting with the protein ß-catenin; this prevents the stem cells from being ‘told?to differentiate into a more specific cell type. At the same time, IQ-1 enhances the interaction between the coactivator CBP and ß-catenin...

Inhibiting blood to save the brain

...ved motor function. "Importantly, this approach blocks fibrin's interaction with microglia, but not with platelets, so clotting wouldn't be impacted," said Akassoglou, adding that this potential MS therapy might also have applications to other blood-brain barrier diseases where blood leakage and microgli...

Scripps Research study reveals new activation mechanism for pain sensing channel

...nsult." "Cysteines, one of the twenty building blocks of all proteins, are known to undergo oxidation/reduction reactions," Patapoutian continued. "Somehow the TRPA1 protein is tuned to sense cysteine modifications. In fact, any cysteine reactive agent seems to activate TRPA1, although we don't know exa...

Morphine makes lasting -- and surprising -- change in the brain

Morphine, as little as a single dose, blocks the brain’s ability to strengthen connections at inhibitory synapses, according to new Brown University research published in Nature. The findings, uncovered in the laboratory of Brown scientist Julie Kauer, may help explain the origins of addiction...

Killing the messenger RNA -- But which one?

... that information to create proteins, the building blocks of the body. Several hundred species of microRNAs have been identified to date, and increasingly they are being seen as vitally important players in regulating the genome. Now, a new study led by researchers at The Wistar Institute shows that these ...

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