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Categories: Biology: Cell Biology, Paleontology: Dinosaurs
Published 'One ring to rule them all': How actin filaments are assembled by formins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have visualized at the molecular level how formins bind to the ends of actin filaments. This allowed them to uncover how formins mediate the addition of new actin molecules to a growing filament. Furthermore, the scientists elucidated the reasons for the different speeds at which the different formins promote this process.
Published How tardigrades can survive intense radiation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that tardigrades -- microscopic animals famed for surviving harsh extremes -- have an unusual response to radiation.
Published How blue-green algae manipulate microorganisms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team discovers previously unknown gene that indirectly promotes photosynthesis Protein regulator NirP1 influences the coordination of the nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism 'Such protein regulators could in future be deployed in 'green' and 'blue' biotechnology for targeted control of the metabolism,' says geneticist.
Published Unlocking the 'chain of worms'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists has published a single-cell atlas for Pristina leidyi (Pristina), the water nymph worm, a segmented annelid with extraordinary regenerative abilities that has fascinated biologists for more than a century.
Published Green-to-red transformation of Euglena gracilis using bonito stock and intense red light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Euglena gracilis, often regarded as a 'superfood,' is a promising microalga with many health and nutritional benefits. In a recent study, researchers found an efficient and low-resource approach to trigger a reddening reaction in E. gracilis using red light and a bonito fish-based culture medium. This reaction is a sign of higher and diverse carotenoid content ratio, meaning the proposed method could help turn E. gracilis into an even more nutritious food source.
Published Researchers resolve old mystery of how phages disarm pathogenic bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bacterial infections pose significant challenges to agriculture and medicine, especially as cases of antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to rise. In response, scientists are elucidating the ways that bacteria-infecting viruses disarm these pathogens and ushering in the possibility of novel treatment methods.
Published Even the simplest marine organisms tend to be individualistic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sport junkie or couch potato? Always on time or often late? The animal kingdom, too, is home to a range of personalities, each with its own lifestyle. Biologists report on a surprising discovery: even simple marine polychaete worms shape their day-to-day lives on the basis of highly individual rhythms. This diversity is of interest not just for the future of species and populations in a changing environment, but also for medicine.
Published Starving cells hijack protein transport stations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Study details how nutrient-starved cells divert protein transport stations to cellular recycling centers to be broken down, highlighting a novel approach cells use to deal with stressful conditions.
Published Cell's 'garbage disposal' may have another role: Helping neurons near skin sense the environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The typical job of the proteasome, the garbage disposal of the cell, is to grind down proteins into smaller bits and recycle some of those bits and parts. That's still the case, for the most part, but researchers, studying nerve cells grown in the lab and mice, say that the proteasome's role may go well beyond that.
Published How seaweed became multicellular
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A deep dive into macroalgae genetics has uncovered the genetic underpinnings that enabled macroalgae, or 'seaweed,' to evolve multicellularity. Three lineages of macroalgae developed multicellularity independently and during very different time periods by acquiring genes that enable cell adhesion, extracellular matrix formation, and cell differentiation, researchers report. Surprisingly, many of these multicellular-enabling genes had viral origins. The study, which increased the total number of sequenced macroalgal genomes from 14 to 124, is the first to investigate macroalgal evolution through the lens of genomics.
Published Microbial food as a strategy food production of the future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have summarized microbial food production strategies.
Published Decoding the language of cells: Unveiling the proteins behind cellular organelle communication
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A collaboration unveils a novel strategy for identifying key proteins in organelle communication. This approach advances our ability to pinpoint proteins essential for organelle interactions within specific spatial and temporal contexts.
Published Innovative antiviral defense with new CRISPR tool
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The rise of RNA viruses like SARS-CoV-2 highlights the need for new ways to fight them. RNA-targeting tools like CRISPR/Cas13 are powerful but inefficient in the cytoplasm of cells, where many RNA viruses replicate. Scientists have devised a solution: Cas13d-NCS. This new molecular tool allows CRISPR RNA molecules that are located within the nucleus of a cell to move to the cytoplasm, making it highly effective at neutralizing RNA viruses. This advancement opens doors for precision medicine and proactive viral defense strategies.
Published Researchers identify new genetic risk factors for persistent HPV infections
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the second most common cancer-causing virus, accounting for 690,000 cervical and other cancers each year worldwide. While the immune system usually clears HPV infections, those that persist can lead to cancer, and a new finding suggests that certain women may have a genetic susceptibility for persistent or frequent HPV infections. These genetic variants could raise a woman's risk of getting cervical cancer from a high-risk HPV infection.
Published First step to untangle DNA: Supercoiled DNA captures gyrase like a lasso ropes cattle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reveal how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements. The findings not only provide novel insights into this fundamental biological mechanism but also have potential practical applications. Gyrases are biomedical targets for the treatment of bacterial infections and the similar human versions of the enzymes are targets for many anti-cancer drugs. Better understanding of how gyrases work at the molecular level can potentially improve clinical treatments.
Published New approach for combating 'resting' bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Most disease-causing bacteria are known for their speed: In mere minutes, they can double their population, quickly making a person sick. But just as dangerous as this rapid growth can be a bacterium's resting state, which helps the pathogen evade antibiotics and contributes to severe chronic infections in the lungs and blood, within wounds, and on the surfaces of medical devices. Now, scientists have discovered how long chains of molecules called polyphosphates (polyP) are needed for bacteria to slow down movements within cells and let them enter this resting state.
Published Tropical coral-infecting parasites discovered in cold marine ecosystems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Parasites thought only to infect tropical coral reefs have been discovered in a large variety of creatures in cold marine ecosystems along the Northeast Pacific, according to new research.
Published Method to extract useful proteins from beer-brewing leftovers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have created a method that extracts over 80 percent of the available protein in grain leftovers from brewing beer, commonly known as brewers' spent grain.
Published Genetic underpinnings of environmental stress identified in model plant
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified 14 genes that thale cress -- a plant commonly used in genetic investigations since its genome is well documented -- express more when responding to five specific stressors, as well as eight genes that the plant suppresses.
Published Geobiology: New placozoan habitat discovered
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Traces of DNA in the stomachs of predatory snails give a team og geobiologists new insights into the ecology of placozoans.