Monthly Archives: May 2016
Seeing the signs: Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a rare disorder typically caused by a growth hormone (GH)-producing tumor in a small gland at the base of the brain: the pituitary. This organ is a “master gland”, controlling the production and release of
Diversity and function of bacteria living inside a plant relevant for soil remediation of metals
Salt marshes are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth and are sometimes subjected to pollution. The vegetation in this type of environment is, as a consequence, highly specialized to endure its surroundings. For over four decades,
Pathological role of oxidative stress and related with schizophrenia in T. gondii infection
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals, including humans. Oxidative stress (OS) occurs when there is an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant factors and is induced by reactive nitrogen species
Prairie dogs kill ground squirrels to improve reproductive success
Individuals of different species commonly compete with each other. African lions and spotted hyenas compete for the same prey, for example, and brown anoles and Carolina anoles frequently fight with each other to secure the best territories.
When young are more conspicuous than adults: a case in frogs
One frog species, Clinotarsus alticola, described in 1870 was well known by its tadpole that bears remarkable characteristics (a relative large size, several large pairs of glands whose the most conspicuous lies behind the eyes, patches of
Miniature size induced fit and cage effect found in crown ether host-guest complexes
Crown-ethers (CEs), abbreviated as 3n-Crown-n (3nCn), (n= 4–8), are macrocyclic molecules built with several oxyethylene (-CH2-CH2-O-)n units. In 1967, Pedersen discovered the first CE, dibenzo18C6, and was awarded Nobel Prize in 1987 because CEs have opened a
How structural biologists understand the structure of protein in solution: the example of IscA
Proteins are macromolecules responsible for most of the biological activities required for life. Different proteins have different biological functions. Scientists have identified almost 8 million different proteins in 1,800 analyzed living species. Let’s describe briefly proteins and
Phospholipase C break membrane lipids during plant adaptation under stress
Plants constantly encounter various biotic and abiotic stresses in the environment. These stresses present adverse growth conditions, which affect the plant development, longevity and productivity. The crop production is decreasing rapidly due to the negative impact of
Malaria mosquitoes in the Solomon Islands feed mainly on humans in the absence of other hosts
Malaria transmission is governed by the interactions between humans , malaria parasites and the anopheline mosquitoes. A mosquito’s tendency to feed on humans has a huge influence on potential for malaria transmission. Crucially, mosquitoes differ in their
Selecting for selective enzymes: Engineering P450s to produce chiral alcohols
Hydroxylation is the insertion of an oxygen atom into a C-H bond, to give chemicals with a C-O-H linkage (commonly known as alcohols). The process of hydroxylation is one difficult for chemists to achieve due to the
Two male forms vs one female form in a new black fly discovered from Malaysia
A new species of black fly (tiny, two-winged biting fly with its body 2–3 mm long) discovered from Sabah and Sarawak, Malaysia, was given a new name, Simulium mirum. Simulium is a genus name and mirum is
The tripartite cognitive model of panic disorder
Panic attacks (PA) are very common phenomena and represent a nonspecific risk factor for psychopathology. Approximately 5% of individuals who experience unexpected PA develop panic disorder (PD), a chronic clinical condition of recurrent unexpected PA and persistent
DNA unwinding mechanism of helicases
Helicases are a class of proteins that are responsible for separating DNA duplex into single strands, which is a precursor to many types of DNA transactions in the cell. According to the structures, helicases fall broadly into
A benevolent anionic ZnII-MOF to purify water and make medicines
Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) are well-known crystalline porous materials comprising metal ions or metal clusters bridged by different types of organic linkers. MOFs have been in the spotlight globally owing to their tunable surface area, functionalizable pore surface,
Obligatory intracellular bacterium exploits evolutionarily conserved host signaling pathway to survive
In order to survive, obligately intracellular pathogens exploit host cellular signaling pathways and other cellular processes via molecular interactions between pathogen – secreted “effectors” and host target proteins to reprogram host cell functions. However, the molecular mechanisms
Resveratrol: A natural product that kills the parasite responsible for Chagas disease
Chagas disease is a neglected illness affecting approximately 10 million people in the Americas, caused by a parasitic microorganism called Trypanosoma cruzi. There are only two drugs used against Chagas disease, which are effective only in the
Lupus Nephritis: Are you taking your medicine?
Lupus Nephritis is a serious disease affecting primarily young women that can lead to kidney disease and dialysis. Despite knowing this fact, many patients don’t take medicines regularly. This may be due to several reasons, some known
Automatic identification of genes driving microevolution in evolution experiments
Scientists in the lab often perform so-called “evolution experiments”, in which they put a microbe in a condition it is not used to and wait until it adapts to the condition on a genetic level (evolution). Because
Can solar driven processes effectively control antibiotic resistance and cytotoxicity during drinking water treatment?
Antibiotics, antibiotic resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistant genes have been detected in various aquatic environments because of the disposal of both treated and untreated wastewater. Their occurrence in water is a threat for human and animal health
Embryonic stem cells go against aging
The dream of regenerative medicine is now becoming true by the usage of versatile stem cells that are capable of differentiating into all types of cells in the body. This capability is called ‘pluripotency’ and there are
