The discovery of a 'switch' that modifies a gene known to be essential for normal heart development could explain variations in the severity of birth defects in children with DiGeorge syndrome.
A study of Drosophila embryos found that parental methylated histones are not transferred to daughter DNA. Rather, after DNA replication, new nucleosomes are assembled from newly synthesized unmodified histones.
A new study helps to explain how human airways clear mucus out of the lungs. The findings may give researchers a better understanding of what goes wrong in many human lung diseases, such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma.
Scientists have discovered a molecular mechanism by which body temperature rhythms influence the expression of 'clock genes' and synchronize local oscillators. This study also demonstrates how the production of DBP, a protein involved in detoxification and drug metabolism, is modulated by daily variations of temperature.
Rather than trying to kill bacteria outright with drugs, researchers have discovered a way to disarm bacteria that may allow the body's own defense mechanisms to destroy them. "To understand this strategy one could imagine harmful bacteria being like Darth Vader, and the anti-virulence drug would take away his armor and lightsaber," explained the study's lead author.
Ninety-six percent of a chimpanzee's genome is the same as a human's. It's the other 4 percent, and the vast differences, that has intrigued researchers. For instance, why do humans have a high risk of cancer, even though chimps rarely develop the disease? In a new study, scientists have looked at brain samples of each species. They found that differences in certain DNA modifications, called methylation, may contribute to phenotypic changes. The results also hint that DNA methylation plays an important role for some disease-related phenotypes in humans, including cancer and autism.
(Phys.org)—Scientists at the University of Cambridge have produced hydrogen, H2, a renewable energy source, from water using an inexpensive catalyst under industrially relevant conditions (using pH neutral water, surrounded by atmospheric oxygen, O2, and at room temperature).
Scientists have pinpointed a gene that enables rice plants to produce around 20 percent more grain by increasing uptake of phosphorus, an important, but limited, plant nutrient.
Scientists have discovered what may possibly be a key ingredient in the fight against Parkinson's disease. Researchers have demonstrated that the nuclear receptor liver X receptor beta may play a role in the prevention and treatment of this progressive neurodegenerative disease.
Sodium chloride, better known as salt, is vital for the organism, and the kidneys play a crucial role in the regulation of sodium balance. However, the underlying mechanisms of sodium balance are not yet completely understood. Researchers in Germany have now deciphered the function of a gene in the kidney and have thus gained new insights into this complex regulation process.
A team headed by Dr. Naoe Hosoda at the National Institute for Materials Science is engaged in research and development of "Future joining technology for reversible interconnection" as an environment-friendly technology.
(Phys.org)—Researchers have discovered that a genetic difference in a 'switch', which causes over-activity in parts of the brain, may explain why some people could be more susceptible to conditions such as obesity and addiction, and may play a role in chronic pain and psychosis.
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