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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Biology: Botany
Published Iron influences plant immunity and may promote resiliency against climate change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers discovered that plants manage iron deficiency without helping 'bad' bacteria thrive by eliminating the molecular signal for iron deficiency, and that the iron deficiency signaling pathway and the plant immune system are deeply intertwined. Their findings provide a new target for boosting plant resilience in the face of climate change, and offer new insight into plant and animal microbiomes.
Published Scientists name the most common tropical tree species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have found almost identical patterns of tree diversity across the world's tropical forests. The study of over one million trees across 1,568 locations found that just 2.2% of tree species make up 50% of the total number of trees in tropical forests across Africa, the Amazon, and Southeast Asia. Each continent consists of the same proportion of a few common species and many rare species.
Published Largest diversity study of 'magic mushrooms' investigates the evolution of psychoactive psilocybin production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The genomic analysis of 52 Psilocybe specimens includes 39 species that have never been sequenced. Psilocybe arose much earlier than previously thought -- about 65 million years ago -- and the authors found that psilocybin was first synthesized in mushrooms in the genus Psilocybe. Their analysis revealed two distinct gene orders within the gene cluster that produces psilocybin. The two gene patterns correspond to an ancient split in the genus, suggesting two independent acquisitions of psilocybin in its evolutionary history. The study is the first to reveal such a strong evolutionary pattern within the gene sequences underpinning the psychoactive proteins synthesis.
Published Plant warfare: The crucial function of Nrc proteins in tomato defense mechanisms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research delves into the intricate defense mechanisms of tomatoes against the notorious bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst). It's a classic tale of nature's arms race: as pathogens evolve to outsmart plant defenses, plants counter with more sophisticated immune responses.
Published With only the pawprints, researchers study elusive bobcat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source With DNA recovered from animal tracks, scientists revealed information about the ancestry and microbial community of bobcats without having to sample the animal directly.
Published Smart skin bacteria are able to secrete and produce molecules to treat acne
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An experimental study has shown that a type of skin bacterium can efficiently be engineered to produce a protein to regulate sebum production. This application could treat acne without compromising the homeostasis of the entire skin microbiome.
Published Large-scale mapping of pig genes could pave the way for new human medicines
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have carried out complex genetic analyses of hundreds of pigs and humans to identify differences and similarities. This new knowledge can be used to ensure healthier pigs for farmers and can help the pharmaceutical industry breed better laboratory pigs for testing new medicines.
Published Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging.
Published Researchers discover molecular 'barcode' used by bacteria to secrete toxins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a molecular 'barcode' system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules.
Published Researchers develop algorithm to determine how cellular 'neighborhoods' function in tissues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new AI-powered algorithm to help understand how different cells organize themselves into particular tissues and communicate with one another.
Published Important membrane transport mechanism in pathogenic bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane. Like a forklift, a soluble protein outside the bacterium transports the substance to the 'elevator' and unloads its cargo there. The freight elevator transports it to the inside of the cell, in other words to another floor.
Published Evolution is not as random as previously thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease and climate change. The study challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution, and has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical accidents.
Published Advancing the generation of in-vivo chimeric lungs in mice using rat-derived stem cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Creating a functional lung using interspecies chimeric animals is an attractive albeit challenging option for lung transplantation, requiring more research on the viable conditions needed for organ generation. A new study uses reverse-blastocyst complementation and tetraploid-based organ complementation methods to first determine these conditions in lung-deficient mice and then to generate rat-derived lungs in these mice. It provides useful insights on the intrinsic species-specific barriers and factors associated with lung development in interspecies chimeric animals.
Published A new approach can address antibiotic resistance to Mycobacterium abscessus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have created analogs of the antibiotic spectinomycin that are significantly more effective against these highly resistant bacteria.
Published Scientists engineer plant microbiome to protect crops against disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings could substantially reduce the need for environmentally destructive pesticides.
Published Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues in five decades of data
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, with honey producers and scientists unsure why, but a new study has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey.
Published Treating tuberculosis when antibiotics no longer work
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team has detected various substances that have a dual effect against tuberculosis: They make the bacteria causing the disease less pathogenic for human immune cells and boost the activity of conventional antibiotics.
Published Nematode proteins shed light on infertility
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the synaptonemal complex in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis.
Published Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The findings laid the groundwork for a receptor decoy molecule that protects mice from encephalitis caused by the virus.
Published Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality.