Molecular & Structural Biology

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Researchers identify a key influenza epitope that can targeted for developing universal vaccines

A team led by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine, Scripps Research and the University of Chicago has identified an important site of vulnerability on influenza viruses—a site that future influenza vaccines and antibody therapies should be able to target to prevent or treat infections by a broad set of influenza strains.

23 Dec 2021

New study shines light on how brain cells die in prion diseases

Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), are fast-moving, fatal dementia syndromes associated with the formation of aggregates of the prion protein, PrP.

22 Dec 2021

Researchers identify new mechanism for DNA invasion of adenoviral COVID-19 vaccines

Adenoviruses have a linchpin protein that stabilizes their DNA until it reaches the infected cell's nucleus. The protein then detaches from the viral genome, and the virus uncoats. Only then are the genes released into the nucleus, which is necessary for the production of new viruses.

22 Dec 2021

Deletion of autism-linked gene diminishes myelin in mice

Myelin, a sheath of insulation around nerves that enables electrical impulses to efficiently travel through the central nervous system, is diminished in mice that have a gene deletion associated with autism spectrum disorder, new research finds.

21 Dec 2021

How the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spike protein is changing

The study assesses the degree to which the D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 RBD allows access of spike protein trimers to LA-binding-like conformations.

21 Dec 2021

Research reveals the structure and function of a bifunctional protein that transports heme

Heme is an essential part of the protein hemoglobin, which colors human blood red. Heme also is crucial for cytochrome proteins, which power the cell. Humans, animals, plants and bacteria all use heme.

21 Dec 2021

Study analyzes the role of circular RNA in ALS pathology

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, known as ALS, is a neurodegenerative disorder which affects motor neurons. These are the neuronal cells responsible for muscle innervation, whose degenerations leads to progressive paralysis culminating with motor and respiratory failure.

21 Dec 2021

New study shows how regular exercise protects against fatty liver disease

Exercise not only trains the muscles but can also prevent the development of fatty liver. A new study by the German Center for Diabetes Research, Helmholtz Munich and Tübingen University Hospital shows which molecular adaptations, in particular of the liver mitochondria, can be observed in this process.

20 Dec 2021

U-M scientists develop a cell-free artificial cortex to study how cells divide

Animal cells are bound by a structure called a cell cortex—and this structure, researchers say, is a bit like a tent.

20 Dec 2021

UBR7 protein acts as a histone chaperone during DNA replication, study finds

The protein UBR7 acts as a histone chaperone, regulating histone re-deposition at specific sites during DNA replication, according a recent study published in The EMBO Journal.

20 Dec 2021

Researchers identify a transporter protein in the brain that plays a vital role in habituation

In habituation, an organism gets so used to a ubiquitous sight, smell, sensation or sound that it virtually disappears. Runa Hamid of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, India, and colleagues have identified a transporter protein in the brain that plays a vital role in habituation, which they report in a new study publishing December 16th in the journal PLOS Genetics.

17 Dec 2021

Study: Common gene mutation for Parkinson's disease drives mislocalization of iron in the brain

A common gene mutation for Parkinson's disease drives mislocalization of iron in activated microglia, according to a new study publishing December 16th in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, by Mark Cookson of the National Institute on Aging and colleagues

17 Dec 2021

Mutations in histone regulator protein linked to rare neurodevelopmental disorder, cancers

Mutations in a histone regulator protein are linked to both a rare neurodevelopmental disorder and to some cancers, according to a study published in the journal Genes and Development.

16 Dec 2021

Novel imaging method used to map glycosylation patterns linked with Alzheimer’s disease

Using new methodology, University of Kentucky researchers have mapped the variations in sugar chains attached to brain proteins from deceased healthy individuals or individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

15 Dec 2021

SARS-CoV-2 VOCs dependent on IFITM2 for efficient infection establishment

Researchers demonstrate that the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants of SARS-CoV-2 require endogenous IFITM2 expression for efficient replication.

15 Dec 2021

Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 N-protein and Parkinson's protein speeds up amyloid formation

Case reports of relatively young COVID-19 patients who developed Parkinson's disease within weeks of contracting the virus have led scientists to wonder if there could be a link between the two conditions.

14 Dec 2021

Study reveals molecular players involved in the onset of leukemia

A new study led by João T. Barata from Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM, Portugal), and J. Andrés Yunes from Centro Infantil Boldrini (Brazil), published now in the scientific journal Nature Communications, shows that changes in a protein called IL-7R are sufficient to initiate a type of leukemia.

14 Dec 2021

Scientists trace neuronal activity when the brain switches from hearing to listening

What happens in the brain when simply hearing becomes listening? To answer this question, researchers at the University of Basel have traced the neuronal fingerprint of the two types of sound processing in the mouse brain.

14 Dec 2021

Flawed genetic switches could be at the origin of malformations or developmental diseases

Embryonic development follows delicate stages: for everything to go well, many genes must coordinate their activity according to a very meticulous scheme and tempo. This precision mechanism sometimes fails, leading to more or less disabling malformations.

14 Dec 2021

Protein can protect the heart from damage following cancer treatment

Cancer treatment can be tough on the body, but for the patient to survive the cancer, it's often necessary to go through with the treatment anyway.

13 Dec 2021

Molecular & Structural Biology

Researchers identify a key influenza epitope that can targeted for developing universal vaccines

New study shines light on how brain cells die in prion diseases

Researchers identify new mechanism for DNA invasion of adenoviral COVID-19 vaccines

Deletion of autism-linked gene diminishes myelin in mice

How the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant spike protein is changing

Research reveals the structure and function of a bifunctional protein that transports heme

Study analyzes the role of circular RNA in ALS pathology

New study shows how regular exercise protects against fatty liver disease

U-M scientists develop a cell-free artificial cortex to study how cells divide

UBR7 protein acts as a histone chaperone during DNA replication, study finds

Researchers identify a transporter protein in the brain that plays a vital role in habituation

Study: Common gene mutation for Parkinson's disease drives mislocalization of iron in the brain

Mutations in histone regulator protein linked to rare neurodevelopmental disorder, cancers

Novel imaging method used to map glycosylation patterns linked with Alzheimer’s disease

SARS-CoV-2 VOCs dependent on IFITM2 for efficient infection establishment

Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 N-protein and Parkinson's protein speeds up amyloid formation

Study reveals molecular players involved in the onset of leukemia

Scientists trace neuronal activity when the brain switches from hearing to listening

Flawed genetic switches could be at the origin of malformations or developmental diseases

Protein can protect the heart from damage following cancer treatment

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