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Categories: Biology: Molecular, Paleontology: Dinosaurs
Published Flu: Interferon-gamma from T follicular helper cells is required to create lung-resident memory B cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source During a bout of influenza, B cells interact with other immune cells and then take different paths to defend the body. One path is the B cells that differentiate into lung-resident memory B cells, or lung-BRMs, that are critical for pulmonary immunity. These long-lived, non-circulating lung-BRMs migrate to the lungs from draining lymph nodes and reside there permanently as the first layer of defense that can quickly react to produce antibodies in a future infection.
Published Mysterious family of microbial proteins hijack crops' cellular plumbing
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some crop pathogens use a clever trick to multiply and spread infection: they hijack the plant's cellular plumbing. In a new study, researchers unveil a class of bacterial proteins that fold into a straw-like shape and insert themselves into the plant cell membrane, allowing the inside of the leaf to become waterlogged. The researchers also figured out a possible way to block the water channel proteins and prevent infection.
Published A protein on cancer cells supports the immune response against tumors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists identify a new and surprising function of a membrane protein on the surface of cancer cells: It supports and stabilizes an important 'co-stimulatory' factor that enhances the activation of T cells, thus improving the immune response against the tumor.
Published 'Dormant' HIV produces RNA and proteins during anti-retroviral therapy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source HIV anti-retroviral therapy is considered a treatment and not a cure because patients usually carry a reservoir of HIV-infected cells that can re-emerge if treatment stops. These reservoirs have long been thought to be dormant, but two independent groups of researchers report that a subset of these cells spontaneously produce HIV RNA and proteins that may impact patients' HIV-specific immune responses.
Published Nature's great survivors: Flowering plants survived the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study by researchers from the University of Bath (UK) and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico) shows that flowering plants escaped relatively unscathed from the mass extinction that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Whilst they suffered some species loss, the devastating event helped flowering plants become the dominant type of plant today.
Published Comprehensive insulin signalling map shows interplay between genes and diet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have produced a comprehensive picture of insulin signalling in mice and suggest that it is shaped by entangled effects of genetics and diet.
Published Super antifreeze in cells: The ability to survive in ice and snow developed in animals far earlier than we thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source More than 400 million years ago, an insect-like animal called the springtail developed a small protein that prevents its cells from freezing.
Published Researcher helps boost immune system memory against influenza
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are one step closer to making the T cell army stronger. In a recent study, researchers found that by manipulating one molecular signaling pathway in the T cells that participate in clearing influenza virus in the lungs, the strength and longevity of immunological memory produced can be improved.
Published Auxin signaling pathway controls root hair formation for nitrogen uptake
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Root hairs represent a low-cost strategy to enhance nutrient uptake because they can significantly increase the nutrient-acquiring surface of plant roots. While primary and lateral roots are stimulated to elongate when plants grow under mild nitrogen deficiency, the existence of such a foraging response for root hairs and its underlying regulatory mechanism remain elusive. Now, researchers have revealed a framework composed of specific molecular players meditating auxin synthesis, transport and signaling that triggers root hair elongation for nitrogen acquisition.
Published Nutrients drive cellular reprogramming in the intestine
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have unveiled an intriguing phenomenon of cellular reprogramming in mature adult organs, shedding light on a novel mechanism of adaptive growth. The study, which was conducted on fruit flies (Drosophila), provides further insights into dedifferentiation -- where specialized cells that have specific functions transform into less specialized, undifferentiated cells like stem cells.
Published These worms have rhythm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new imaging technique to observe active gene expression in real time. They found that four molecules work together to control the timing of each stage of the C. elegans worm's development. This timekeeping process could provide important clues about the natural rhythm of development in humans and other animals.
Published Researchers grow embryonic humanized kidneys inside pigs for 28 days
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have successfully created chimeric embryos containing a combination of human and pig cells. When transferred into surrogate pig mothers, the developing humanized kidneys had normal structure and tubule formation after 28 days. This is the first time that scientists have been able to grow a solid humanized organ inside another species, though previous studies have used similar methods to generate human tissues such as blood or skeletal muscle in pigs.
Published Blood-brain barrier governs ant behavior by altering hormone levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In many animals, including ants, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) ensures normal brain function by controlling the movement of various substances in and out of the brain. Now, researchers have made the unexpected discovery that the BBB in carpenter ants plays an active role in controlling behavior that's essential to the function of entire ant colonies. The key is production in the BBB of a particular hormone-degrading enzyme.
Published Engineers design more powerful RNA vaccines
(via sciencedaily.com) By adding synergistic self-adjuvanting properties to COVID-19 RNA vaccines, researchers showed they could significantly boost the immune response generated in mice.
Published Genetic tools probe microbial dark matter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Genetic manipulation of a puzzling, miniscule bacteria that has lived in human mouths at least since the Middle Stone Age is elucidating the genes needed for its unusual lifestyle. These Patescibacteria in the human oral microbiome reside on the surface of another, larger host microbe. Found in many water and land environments, Patescibacteria in general lack the genes required to make many molecules necessary for life, such as the amino acids that make up proteins, the fatty acids that form membranes, and the nucleotides in DNA. This has led researchers to speculate that many of them rely on other bacteria to grow. In a new study, researchers present the first glimpse into the molecular mechanisms behind their relationship with their host cells. They also share details gleaned from fluorescent, time-lapse microsopic imaging of these bacteria as they bud and send out swarms of tiny progeny, only a fraction of which are able to establish a host relationship.
Published Cattle on low-protein rations may need amino acid supplement to boost milk yield
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When dairy cows are fed diets with reduced protein concentrations -- aimed at decreased environmental nitrogen pollution from their manure such as nitrate leaching, nutrient-laden run-off and ammonia volatilization -- their milk production can suffer. Supplementing the amino acid histidine may help in maintaining, and even increasing, milk and milk-protein yields.
Published New compound unleashes the immune system on metastases
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new nanocomplex renders a tumor harmless -- and, on top of that, it trains the immune system to detect and eliminate metastases.
Published Keeping herpes in check
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Herpes is not only unpleasant but it can, in some cases, also have dangerous complications and life-threatening consequences. A research team has now introduced a completely new approach for treating herpes. Their method is based on the inhibition of an enzyme that is needed for the release of newly formed virus particles from infected cells.
Published Study illuminates mechanism that annotates genetic information passed from fathers to offspring
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have identified a key part of a mechanism that annotates genetic information before it is passed from fathers to their offspring. The findings shed new light on genomic imprinting, a fundamental, biological process in which a gene from one parent is switched off while the copy from the other parent remains active. Errors in imprinting are linked to a host of diseases, such as the rare disease Silver-Russell syndrome along with certain cancers and diabetes.
Published Immune cells move more independently than previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human immune cells are capable of coordinating their own movement more independently than previously thought. Researchers discovered that immune cells do not just passively follow the chemical cues in their environment. Quite the contrary, they can also shape these cues and navigate in complex environments in a self-organized manner.