Saturday, February 04, 2012

ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

ScienceDaily: Biotechnology News

Discovery of extremely long-lived proteins may provide insight into cell aging and neurodegenerative diseases

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 03:09 PM PST

One of the big mysteries in biology is why cells age. Now scientists report that they have discovered a weakness in a component of brain cells that may explain how the aging process occurs in the brain.

Collective action: Occupied genetic switches hold clues to cells' history

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:20 AM PST

If you wanted to draw your family tree, you could start by searching for people who share your surname. Cells, of course, don't have surnames, but scientists have found that genetic switches called enhancers, and the molecules that activate those switches – transcription factors – can be used in a similar way, as clues to a cell's developmental history. The study also unveils a new model for how enhancers function.

Parasites or not? Transposable elements in DNA of fruit flies may be beneficial

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:18 AM PST

Many living organisms suffer from parasites, which use the hosts' resources for their own purposes. The problem of parasitism occurs at all levels right down to the DNA scale. Genomes may contain up to 80% "foreign" DNA but details of the mechanisms by which this enters the host genome and how hosts attempt to combat its spread are still the subject of conjecture. Nearly all organisms contain pieces of DNA that do not really belong to them.

Holding back immunity

Posted: 03 Feb 2012 06:08 AM PST

A 'gatekeeper' protein plays a critical role in helping immune cells to sound a warning after encountering signs of tumor growth or infection.
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