By comparing foxes selected for tameness with others that have not been selected in this way, researchers have found evidence that dramatic behavioral and physiological changes accompanying tameness may be associated with only limited changes in gene activity in the brain.
The work is reported by Elena Jazin and colleagues at Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and the Norwegian University of Life Science.
The first step in the proces
The p53 protein is known to be a critical player in our body’s natural defense against cancer–it is absent in many types of tumor cells–but it also represents an intriguing paradox when it comes to the broader roles this protein plays in our well being. Past work has shown that in animal models, hyperactivation of the p53 protein is beneficial in terms of bestowing extra protection against tumor formation, but at the same time it has a significant negative effect: a shortening of lifespan
Bacteria feel pressures to evolve antibiotic resistance and other new abilities in response to a changing environment, and they react by ’stealing’ genetic information from other better-adapted types of bacteria, according to research published in Nature Genetics today.
They do this through the bacterial equivalent of sex, otherwise known as horizontal gene transfer, through which bacteria obtain genetic material from their distant relatives. This allows them to evolv
Sensitive and durable sensors for determination of hydrogen sulfide concentration in the air were developed by chemists of the Voronezh State Technological Academy in collaboration with their colleagues from the Smolensk production association “Analitpribor”. Based on commercially available piesoelectric resonators, these sensors will reliably protect workers’ health by letting know that the poison concentration in the air has approached a dangerous boundary.
At first sight it
Scientists at the Technische Universität Dresden/Germany are significantly involved in a European research project entitled “BioSim“ which aims at utilising biosimulation as a new tool in drug development. The use of computer simulations will provide more objective data which helps to develop drug compounds more effectively and to reduce investment in drug development drastically. Above all the number of animal tests as well as clinical studies with volunteers will decrease substantially.
Duke University biomedical engineers have devised a potentially patentable method to arrest toxic leakages of genetically engineered viruses that have plagued attempts to use gene therapy against cancerous tumors. The problem has been that viruses carrying anti-tumor genes have tended to leak from tumors, proving toxic to other body tissues.
The researchers have developed a biocompatible polymer that briefly changes from a liquid at 39 degrees Fahrenheit to a gel at body temperat
A means for controlling single-molecule switches by engineering their design and surrounding environment has been developed by a research team led by scientists at Penn State, Rice University, and the University of Oregon. The research demonstrates that single-molecule switches can be tailored to respond in predictable and stable ways, depending on the direction of the electric field applied to them–while some switches were engineered to turn on, others were engineered to turn off in response to th
Researchers have identified a fear factor – a protein the brain uses to generate one of the most powerful emotions in humans and animals. The molecule is essential for triggering both the innate fears that animals are born with – such as the shadow of an approaching predator – as well as fears that arise later in life due to individual experiences. Eliminating the gene that encodes this factor makes a fearful mouse courageous. The finding, the researchers say, suggests new approaches for drugs
Findings could pave the way to treatment of anxiety disorders
Rutgers geneticist Gleb Shumyatsky has discovered a gene that controls both innate and learned forms of fear. The gene, known as Stathmin or Oncoprotein 18, is highly concentrated in the amygdala, a key region of the brain that deals with fear and anxiety.
“This is a major advance in the field of learning and memory that will allow for a better understanding of post traumatic stress disorder, phobias, borderline
Like waves of soldiers guarding a castle gate, multiple genetic defenders cooperate to protect plant cells against powdery mildew disease, according to a new study. Powdery mildew is a common fungal infection in plants that attacks more than 9,000 species, including many crops such as barley and wheat, and horticultural plants such as roses and cucumbers. The researchers, including Shauna Somerville and Mónica Stein of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Plant Biology, are the first
A Scots-led medical research team has identified a new gene linked to major mental illness that links back to a previously discovered gene known to increase the risk of schizophrenia and depression. Scientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, together with scientists from the pharmaceutical company Merck, Sharp & Dohme Limited, report the discovery of the second gene, phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) in the prestigious journal Science today (17 November). Their discoveries could lead to
The immune system is highly complex. The cast of characters alone required to marshal an immune response to a foreign invader can number in the millions as the body’s soldiers, T cells, are called into action. What triggers this complex response begins when T cells and dendritic cells, another type of immune cell, form a kind of molecular embrace, or immunological synapse, to relay information about intruders.
The communication between these immune cells hasn’t been well underst
Northwestern University researchers have demonstrated how the microenvironments of two human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines (federally approved) induced metastatic melanoma cells to revert to a normal, skin cell-like type with the ability to form colonies similar to hESCs. The researchers also showed that these melanoma cells were less invasive following culture on the microenvironments of hESCs.
“Our observations highlight the potential utility of isolating the factors wit
Researchers at the University of Washington have found a genetic pathway linking nutrient response and the aging process, they report in the Nov. 18 issue of the journal Science. Scientists have long known that dramatically reducing food intake boosts the lifespan of model organisms such as mice, but the new results point to a possible mechanism through which drastic calorie restriction affects aging.
As scientists learn more about the biochemical processes that affect lifespan, t
An experiment that began as a “fantasy pipe dream” just three years ago is now a reality. Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California at Berkeley, combining nanotechnology with biochemistry, have created unique synthetic membranes that, for the first time ever, enable them to directly control signaling activity in living T cells from the immune system. Already their experiments have yielded surprising results.
“This m
There’s hope for the less-than-perfect male – if you’re a swordtail fish, that is. As the size and age of female swordtail fish increase, so does the preference for males with asymmetrical markings, according to a new Ohio University study.
Molly Morris, associate professor of biological sciences, and colleagues found that older female swordtails spent more time with asymmetrically striped males than symmetrical males when offered a choice.
These findings are the first
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