The enzyme mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) is selected for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by binding to the tumour suppressor protein FBXW7  » Read more

Epigenetic reprogramming by Adenovirus E1A that causes transformations of the cell were discovered by Roberto Ferrari and his co-workers from the University of California (USA).  » Read more

Anne Wolter et al. utilize a polyclonal anti-E. Coli antibody from antibodies-online for detecting E. Coli bacteria in water.

Excessive serotonin autoinhibition was found to be a risk factor for autonomic dysregulation by Enrica Audero and her colleagues from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Monterotondo, Italy. It could also be a mechanism by which altered serotonin homeostasis plays a role in sudden infant death syndrome.  » Read more

Researchers of the National Cancer Institute (USA) recently reported the establishment of a simple, versatile and reliable assay to test for the functional significance of mutations in the BRCA2 gene. Humans carrying mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 have a risk of 80% to develop breast cancer by the age of 70. Reliable identification of mutation carriers can reduce mortality through preventive measures and early diagnosis. The tests available until now could only detect BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants that clearly disrupt the gene product.  » Read more

Scientists of Harvard University succeeded in extracting soluble amyloid-beta protein oligomers directly from the cerebral cortex of Morbus Alzheimer patients. The amyloid-beta oligomers effectively inhibited long-term potentiation (LTP), enhanced long-term depression (LTD) and reduced dendritic spine density in normal rodent hippocampus, the brain centre of long-term memory.  » Read more

A lab group from the University of Oxford discovered that a recombinant adenovirus–poxvirus prime-boost immunisation regime which induces strong T-cell immunogenicity is able to cause fulminant antigen-specific antibody responses. The scientists found a simple, complement-based adjuvant to support immunogenicity even more.  » Read more

The inflammasome of cytoplasmic receptor NALP3 was identified by Annett Halle and her colleagues from the University of Massachusetts (USA) as a sensor of amyloid-β in a process in which amyloid-β is phagocytosed, followed by lysosomal damage and the release of cathepsin B.  » Read more

NPR1 is regulated by the opposing action of S-nitrosoglutathione and thioredoxins, as Yasuomi Tada and colleagues from the Duke University (USA) report.  » Read more

Autophagic degradation within early embryos seems to be essential for preimplantation development in mammals. A research group from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan analysed the degradation of maternal proteins in oocytes upon fertilisation.  » Read more

CD8+ T cells that have defective transcription factors T-bet and eomesodermin (Eomes) were shown to be unable to defend the body against lymphocytic choriomeningitis viral infection, as a study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania demonstrates.  » Read more

Subject of the study were families in which the parents were blood-related, which stresses the importance of heredity. The scientists analysed loci with large inherited homozygous deletions that were probably mutations. Among the genes affected by those deletions were PCDH10 (protocadherin 10) and DIA1 (deleted in autism1, or c3orf58). The expression intensity of these genes changed according to neuronal activity, attributing thus to synaptic changes that underlie learning. Some other genes, like NHE9 (Na+/H+ exchanger 9), were also observed to carry possible mutations in patients with unrelated parents.  » Read more