Interaction in Biological News

Studies offer guide as protein interaction mapping comes of age

BOSTON--During the past 20 years, researchers have identified thousands of cell protein interactions, with the ultimate goal of inventorying all that occur within cells of various organisms a comprehensive catalogue known as the interactome. Such information will be critical to understanding the ...

Gene-environment interaction in yeast gene expression

The nature vs. nurture debate is familiar to most people, and modern conclusions usually predict a balance between the two. A new paper published this week in the open-access journal PLoS Biology shows that there is a similar balance between the genes we inherit—nature—and the environment—nurture—...

Odd protein interaction guides development of olfactory system

Scientists have discovered a strange mechanism for the development of the fruit fly antennal lobe, an intricate structure that converts the chaotic stew of odors in the environment into discrete signals in the brain. The fruit fly antennal lobe is analogous to the olfactory bulb in humans. R...

Novel living system recreates predator-prey interaction

DURHAM, N.C. The hunter-versus-hunted phenomenon exemplified by a pack of lionesses chasing down a lonely gazelle has been recreated in a Petri dish with lowly bacteria. Working with colleagues at Caltech, Stanford and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a Duke University bioengineer has deve...

Scientists discover rare 'gene-for-gene' interaction that helps bacteria kill their host

Scientists have discovered that a cousin of the plague bacterium uses a single gene to out-fox insect immune defences and kill its host. In research published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, scientists have found that Photorhabdus bacteria produce an antibiotic whic...

Biologists visualize protein interaction that may initiate viral infection

Biologists at Purdue University have taken a "snapshot" of a Velcro-like protein on a cell's surface just after it attached to the dengue virus, a linkup thought to initiate the early stages of infection. The virus, which is spread by mosquitoes, infects more than 50 million people annually, kill...

Image of myosin-actin interaction revealed in cover story of Molecular Cell

Scientists from the Burnham Institute for Medical Research and the University of Vermont have captured the first 3-dimensional (3D) atomic-resolution images of the motor protein myosin V as it "walks" along other proteins, revealing new structural insights that advance the current model of protein ...

Physical and functional interaction of key cell growth molecules linked to cancer

Scientists have uncovered new information about a specific mechanism involved in the biology of malignant human tumor cells. The findings, published in the June issue of Cancer Cell, significantly advance knowledge about epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). EGFR is a well-studied cell surface...

Confirmation of human protein interaction data by human expression data

As the brain develops, neurons reach out helter-skelter forming new connections, only a small number of which take hold. How the brain chooses which connections to keep and which to prune back appears to be governed by which branches have the most electrical activity—a finding that could help to ex...

Carnegie donates landmark clones to biology

... They just donated 2010 of the clones for genes that function in the cell's interaction with its environment to the Arabidopsis Biological Resource Center (ABRC is...ce fields from medicine to farming. These genes are now used to unravel the interaction of the membrane proteins amongst each other. Recent research at the Carn...

Antibody targeting of glioblastoma shows promise in preclinical tests, say Lombardi researchers

...ated with ESBAtech in Switzerland who created a small single-chain antibody fragment in yeast that would itself bind to the sweet spot, blocking ALK's interaction with PTN. In the present study, the researchers successfully tested the antibody in human glioblastoma cells, and also showed that in mice implanted w...

Microbes and their hosts -- exploring the complexity of symbiosis in DNA and cell biology

... representative of the broad range of scientific topics and disciplines related to microbial symbiosis. These include "The Oral Microbial Consortium's interaction with the Periodontal Innate Defense System," which describes a process called "local chemokine paralysis," in which the membership and characteristics...

Researchers capture bacterial infection on film

... The researchers used developing fruit fly embryos as a model organism, injecting fluorescently tagged bacteria into the embryos and observing their interaction with the insect's immune system using time-lapse confocal microscopy. The researchers can also tag individual bacterial proteins to follow their mo...

Sticky protein helps reinforce fragile muscle membranes

...at a virus called LCMV (Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis virus), which binds tightly to alpha dystroglycan, also disrupts the basal lamina muscle membrane interaction and compromises the integrity of the muscle membranes. LCMV is a member of a group of viruses that can cause hemorrhagic diseases. The study suggests ...

New windows opened on cell-to-cell interactions

...ence of rigid, rod-like brushy glycoprotein (sugar-containing compounds) -- 30 billionths of a meter long -- similar to natural cell-surface proteins. interaction between cells occurs when these rods stand up from the membranes, a property whose control remains poorly understood. The surprise, Parthasarathy s...

Reveal the enemy

...nanotubes. If the biosensor is put into a salmonella-containing sample, the microbes stick to the aptamers like flies to flypaper. This influences the interaction between the aptamers and the nanotubes, which makes a change in the electrode voltage noticeable within seconds. Using this biosensor, the researc...

University of Miami receives stimulus funds for study of hurricane impacts on structures, ecosystems

...omponents: an 8,520 square foot state-of-the-art Surge-Structure-Atmosphere interaction (SUSTAIN) research facility and a Marine Life Science Center. The SUSTAI... associate professor of Applied Marine Physics and director of UM's Air-Sea interaction Saltwater (ASIST) Facility. "Developing a more complete understanding of ou...

Wolf reintroduction proposed in Scottish Highland test case

...id William Ripple, a professor of forest ecosystems and society at Oregon State University, and one of the world's leading experts in the study of the interaction of grazing ungulates and large predators. "There's an increasing awareness that the loss of large predators is a global issue, both marine and terr...

LincRNAs serve as genetic air-traffic controllers

...ture is so precisely targeted by specific enzymes and not others. "By utilizing a technology known as RIP-Chip we were able to examine RNA-protein interaction on a large scale and determine which lincRNAs are associated with each enzyme we examined," he adds. To analyze this tremendous amount of data, coauth...

Study explains potential failure of oral contraceptives with obese women

...idered "overweight," with a body mass index of 25-30, may also be at increased risk of contraceptive failure. "Although our research has found this interaction between obese women and oral contraceptives, we don't have enough information yet to recommend changes in clinical practice, other than choosing a con...

Baylor researchers unravel mystery of DNA conformation

...es/530228.jpg ) of Nobel laureates Drs. Francis Crick and James Watson show the pair discussing with a rigid model of the famous double helix. The interaction represented produced the famous explanation of the structure of DNA, but the model pictured is a stiff snapshot of idealized DNA. As researchers from ...

Hush little baby... Linking genes, brain and behavior in children

..." and are easily distressed and more difficult to soothe. In this study, Louis Schmidt from McMaster University and his colleagues investigated the interaction between brain activity and the DRD4 gene to see if it predicted children's temperament. In a number of previous studies, the longer version (or allele...

Results from trials of DHA in Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive decline

...firmation." "One of the issues raised by this study and other recent Alzheimer's and mild cognitive impairment therapy trials concerns a possible interaction between certain therapies and genetic status. This issue needs to be explored more completely in future trials," Thies added. Memory Improvement ...

22nd Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Sept. 12-16, 2009, Turkey

...sorders. Breakthroughs in molecular genetics shed light on hereditary diseases, i.e. Huntingtons disease and other life-threatening disorders. The interaction between nerve cells that underlies complex mental functions such as thinking, learning, memory or emotion is mediated by a large number of chemical ne...

Funxional successfully completes initial clinical trial of FX125L, an anti-inflammatory drug with a novel mechanism of action

...naltherapeutics.com ). About BSCIs BSCIs are anti-inflammatory compounds with an entirely novel mechanism of action that involves the selective interaction with a well-characterized receptor, resulting in a potent inhibition of inflammatory cell migration. The compounds are anticipated to have broad appli...

Ozone depletes oil seed rape productivity

...uman consumption, however, an increase in glucosinolates, in cabbage plants for example, would be favourable due to their anticarcinogenic properties. interaction of these factors and their impact on the food web in changing climates will be investigated further throughout the course of this ongoing project. ...

Canadian researchers set to study impact of nanomaterials on aquatic ecosystems

... to properly engineer their products with reduced environmental impact." The research resulting from this study will help regulators understand the interaction of new molecules within our ecosystem, and inform and facilitate the development of sound regulatory policies in this area.The goal is to expedite the...

GUMC discovery highlights new direction for drug discovery

...ical for tumor formation. The researchers say this interaction is unique and is especially surprising since the ...design treatment for other disorders caused by the interaction between two proteins, and may be especially useful...proof of principle that inhibiting protein-protein interaction can work as a novel therapeutic that will target o...

Neural stem cell differentiation factor discovered

... stem cells. The self-renewal potential of these cells depends on an intact interaction of the ligand Jagged1 and its receptor Notch1. Addition of EGFL7 blocked the essential interaction and reduced the division of neural stem cells. At the same time, EGFL7 stim...

Ozone depletes oil seed rape productivity

...uman consumption, however, an increase in glucosinolates, in cabbage plants for example, would be favourable due to their anticarcinogenic properties. interaction of these factors and their impact on the food web in changing climates will be investigated further throughout the course of this ongoing project. ...

New trigger for chronic inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis discovered

...ch has shown that mice without TLR4 do not show chronic joint inflammation. The researchers hope scientists can develop new treatments that target the interaction between tenascin-C and TLR4, which may help to combat rheumatoid arthritis. Dr Kim Midwood, lead author of the study from the Kennedy Institute of ...

MicroRNAs help control HIV life cycle

... our advantage in developing new drugs for HIV," said Dr. Rana. "Retroviral therapies greatly reduce viral load but cannot entirely eliminate it. This interaction between HIV and miR29 may contribute to that inability. Perhaps, by targeting miR29, we can force HIV into a more active state and improve our ability...

Evolution of a contraceptive for sea lamprey

.... The model developed by the UC San Diego research team uncovered a unique interaction between 15alpha-hydroxy-estradiol and an amino acid called methionine, found only in lamprey estrogen receptors. "The unique aspect of this interaction suggests that there are compounds that can bind specifically to the lamprey...

A Canada-wide technology platform for mapping the human interactome

... that scientists throughout the world are facing in the post-genome era is the mapping of the interactome, which can be defined as the complete set of interaction networks underlying the functioning of our cells. The creation of a nation-wide platform will allow Canadian scientists to position themselves favorab...

Targeting helpers of heat shock proteins could help treat cancer, cardiovascular disease

...and cancer cells. A recent grant from the American Heart Association will enable him to further decipher how GCUNC45 interacts with Hsp90 and how that interaction affects steroid receptor function. "By understanding how these interactions are happening, we could modulate the function of the receptor, Hsp90 or bo...

Prostate Cancer Translational Research in Europe meeting: Search for biomarkers continues

...The Netherlands. "It is important that people with research background can communicate with clinicians and vice versa. By doing so we maximise the interaction amongst specialists. It is essential that we show our results to each other," said Prof. Peter Mulders (Nijmegen, The Netherlands), chairman of the Eu...

Discovery of a water snake that startles fish in a way that makes them flee into its jaws

...e direction so it can begin swimming away from danger as quickly as possible. Catania is the first scientist to study this particular predator-prey interaction with the aid of a high-speed video camera. When he began examining the movements of the snake and its prey in slow motion, he saw something peculiar. ...

Cancer-causing protein can also help fight the tumors it causes

...that help the immune system and act against the cancer." Transferring potential into a drug Rechavi says that understanding the nature of this interaction between mutated Ras and immune t-cells can unlock mysteries about the nature of proteins and cells. The next step is to identify other proteins that, ...

New piece found in the puzzle of epigenetics

...phosphate group. If this is lacking, mRNA will be produced, but not any snRNA. The reason for that is presumably that this phosphorylation enables the interaction with a protein complex the so-called integrator complex which is necessary for snRNA formation. In other words, the modification of the enzyme RNA p...

TRAPping proteins that work together inside living cells

... on another core protein called the beta subunit, suggesting the tail of the alpha subunit makes contact with the beta subunit as it plugs along. This interaction had never been seen before. "No one knows what the polymerase looks like when it is running," said Uljana Mayer. "Here we see the C-terminus swings...