Molecular & Structural Biology

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Sugar-attaching enzyme found to be abundant in colon cancer cells

Researchers have identified an enzyme that is absent in healthy colon tissue but abundant in colon cancer cells, according to a report in the Jan. 26 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

27 Jan 2018

Researchers working to fill knowledge gap between DNA damage and cancer

Researchers at The University of Kansas Cancer Center are working to fill the knowledge gap between DNA damage and cancer, including developing approaches to manipulate the DNA damage response to treat and prevent disease.

27 Jan 2018

Researchers discover new source of botulinum neurotoxin

A new source of the botulinum neurotoxin was discovered by Canadian and American scientists in a strain of animal gut bacteria known as Enterococcus faecium.

27 Jan 2018

Researchers grow human trophoblast stem cells for the first time

In a milestone achievement for better understanding the development and function of the human placenta, scientists have derived and grown trophoblast stem cells for the first time.

24 Jan 2018

CD34 protein found to be much more than a stem cell marker

A protein used to identify blood-forming cells is much more than a mere surface marker. A KAUST study shows that this protein, known as CD34, also plays a key role in binding adhesion molecules in the bone marrow.

24 Jan 2018

Scientists elucidate surprising dual function of ceramide synthase

Scientists at the University of Bonn have clarified a surprising dual function of ceramide synthase. The enzyme not only catalyzes a central step of the production of vital lipids. It also has the ability to turn genes involved in lipid metabolism on or off. The study is being published in the renowned journal Cell Reports.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers explore how cells navigate inside the body

Researchers have long wondered how our cells navigate inside the body. Two new studies, in which Lund University researcher Pontus Nordenfelt has participated, have now demonstrated that the cells use molecular force from within to steer themselves in a certain direction.

24 Jan 2018

Researchers unravel function of protein ‘smallish’

During the development of an embryo, every single cell needs to know who it is, where it is, and what it has to do. Important is the polarity of the cell: Where is the top, where is the bottom, where are front and back? Only when the cell is polarized in the right way can it change the shape in exactly the way which is needed to form a certain structure or organ.

23 Jan 2018

Enzyme discovery provides new horizon of therapeutic opportunities across disease spectrum

Doctors have long treated heart attacks, improved asthma symptoms, and cured impotence by increasing levels of a single molecule in the body: nitric oxide.

19 Jan 2018

Researchers propose new regulation mechanism linked to action of SirT6 on chromatin

Researchers from the Epigenetics and Cancer Biology Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute, led by Dr. Àlex Vaquero, have proposed a new regulation mechanism of the NF-κB pathway, which is associated with accelerated cellular aging, based on the analysis of the function of the SirT6 protein.

19 Jan 2018

Genetic study identifies six new gene regions associated with type 1 diabetes in children

This article outlines a recent study which identified six novel gene regions in children who are at risk of type 1 diabetes.

17 Jan 2018

Scientists provide insights into crucial interaction for DNA repair

Osaka University scientists, in collaboration with The University of Tokyo, describe the crystal structure of RNF168 bound to ubiquitin chains, a crucial interaction for DNA repair, to find a unique interaction DNA is like the computer code of the body, and it must be preserved for our bodies to survive.

16 Jan 2018

Genes involved in spinal cord repair of lamprey also present in mammals, study reveals

Many of the genes involved in natural repair of the injured spinal cord of the lamprey are also active in the repair of the peripheral nervous system in mammals, according to a study by a collaborative group of scientists at the Marine Biological Laboratory and other institutions.

16 Jan 2018

Scientists discover new enzyme that could help in the battle against obesity

Scientists have discovered a new enzyme in adipose tissue that helps regulate inflammation. The discovery could help in the battle against obesity.

15 Jan 2018

Caltech researchers develop new method to see neural connections in living flies

The human brain is composed of billions of neurons wired together in intricate webs and communicating through electrical pulses and chemical signals.

12 Jan 2018

Study finds new mechanism regulating giant protein essential for muscle and heart function

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III and Columbia University in New York have discovered an important mechanism in the regulation of a protein that plays an essential role in the function of skeletal muscle and the heart.

12 Jan 2018