Tag Archives: protein

Proteins regulate cancer cell attachment

Aggressive cancer cells are able to leave their original site and invade other tissues. In order for these cells to do this, they must have some way of moving around. This means that a cancer cell must

The proteins and their mRNAs may be located in different areas of the embryos

All proteins are synthesized in a cell in polysomes (polyribosomes) on the template (mRNA). That is why in molecular embryology, by tacit consent, a presence or absence of the specific mRNA in the cell indicates the presence

Simulation by Stanford researchers shows how transporter proteins do their work in cells

Cells must continually pass molecules in and out to sustain life. Computer scientists and molecular physiologists have developed a computer algorithm to capture how these crucial proteins work. Inside every plant or animal, proteins called transporters act

In search of new natural antioxidants for treatment of Parkinson neurodegenerative disease

A lot of studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress plays a central role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease. Antioxidant therapy has been proposed for prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases for reducing oxidative damage caused by

Environmental light and biological processes in human body

It is well known that the life on Earth originated and has been sustained by the electromagnetic energy from the sun light. In primitive organisms and plants the sun light directly influences biological processes, while in more

Protein structures: the evolutionary time capsules

If you wanted to probe life’s origins, billions of years back, how could you do it? You’d need a preserved message from different points in history, time capsules left by evolution. Amazingly, evolution has left such time

Protein Discovery Summit 2016

Organizer: GTCbio Start date: December 5th, 2016     End date: December 7th, 2016 We invite you to attend the Protein Discovery Summit to be held on December 5-7, 2016 in Boston, MA. The Protein Discovery Summit is the

How fast do proteins break apart with light?

Proteins are microscopic machines that perform diverse functions in nature from transporting materials, to carrying out chemical reactions in the cell, to transmitting signals throughout the body. To do these tasks, the long protein chains must wrap

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins help plants “degrease” adversities

Serving as the building blocks for triacylglycerides and membrane phospholipids, fatty acids are essential in all forms of life. Given their chemical inertness, fatty acids need activation into a more water-soluble form (as acyl-CoA esters), prior to

Evolutionary steps in the emergence of life have come into view

Human beings have had a keen interest for many years, on the way how life emerged and the reason why we are on the Earth. When researchers face up to the problem on the origin of life,

Atomic classification of cancer cells

Cancer cells have molecules, known as receptors, on their surface that distinguish them from healthy cells. Knowing receptors that are present on malignant cells can help to detect and/or classify the disease.  Here, we developed a method

Upregulation of a protein in the brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases due to its altered membrane binding

The proteins of the Neuronal Calcium Sensor (NCS) family act as calcium dependent molecular switches in order to maintain the communication between the brain cells. Most of NCS proteins are involved in neurodegenerative diseases resulting from calcium

Tuberculosis in ancient bones can also be identified by a protein of the pathogen

As we all know, DNA is the matrix for the proteins and the proteins are the molecules which are involved in every step of the metabolism of all living organisms inside and outside of cells. Without proteins

Folding proteins with a pich of salt

The slow but unstoppable progress of evolution has enabled, step-by-step, mutation after mutation, the conquest of almost every possible environment on Earth. Even in those places where conditions are far from “standard”, where the presence of organisms

How plant virus hides from the host cellular degradation machinery

The main goal of obligatory viral parasites is to create the perfect environment for its multiplication. Therefore, the first step is to avoid degradation by the host cellular degradation. Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is not

How do chaperones save protein folding?

Protein folding both in vitro and in vivo goes via formation of intermediate states. These “molten globule”-like states fluctuate, expose their hydrophobic sites and therefore easily aggregate. This retards or even inhibits formation of protein native structures,

With a little help from friends: how plastids aid the ER to deal with misfolded proteins

Almost a third of all proteins in eukaryotic cells are synthesized and folded in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) before being secreted and redistributed to other organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, and the plasma membrane. To

Key elements of proteins involved in the bacterial production of the toxin methylmercury

Mercury is a prevalent global pollutant that has adverse effects on human health.  This toxin is present in the environment not only as a result of releases during natural events, such as volcanic eruptions, forest fires and

Do Bucentaur family proteins represent true monsters in the fight against stress?

The BCNT (Bucentaur) protein family, which is conserved from fungi to humans, is classified by the presence of an ~80 amino acid sequence at the C-terminus called BCNT-C. Family members in fungi, flies, fish, and chicken play

Arrestin-enolase protein complex as a new auto antigen in heart disease

Over the past two decades, evidence of a pathogenic relevance of autoimmunity in human heart disease has increased significantly. A central role for autoimmunity in a significant proportion of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients is supported by the