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Contents contributed and discussions participated by Alletia DeMartino

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Alletia DeMartino

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Turns Protein Into a Virulence Factor in One Easy Step - 0 views

www.infectioncontroltoday.com/...e-factor-in-one-easy-step.aspx

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 09 May 13 - No Cached
  • To infect its host, the respiratory pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa takes an ordinary protein usually involved in making other proteins and adds three small molecules to turn it into a key for gaining access to human cells.
  • P. aeruginosa, one of the most common causes of hospital-acquired pneumonia.
  • P. aeruginosa mostly uses this protein called elongation factor-Tu (EF-Tu) inside the cel
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • but she and her collaborators have learned that as a virulence factor, it could represent a vulnerability for the bacterium
  • EF-Tu is presumed to be an essential protein, and it's performing these moonlighting functions as well. If we figured out how it was doing that, we could devise strategies to inhibit it," says Goldberg.
  • acquired pneumonia and is the leading cause of death among critically ill patients whose airways have been damaged by ventilation, trauma, or other infections.
  • P. aeruginosa takes
  • the protein EF-Tu, which was generally thought to exist only inside the cell, and decorates the exterior of the cell with it, but in a modified form.
  • EF-Tu is modified somehow to mimic ChoP, allowing P. aeruginosa to enjoy the benefits of ChoP.
  • , ChoP carries out a crucial step for setting up an infection for a number of different types of respiratory pathogens.
  • Using a host of techniques, including mass spectrometry, site directed mutagenesis of key residues in the protein, and genetic loss of function/gain of function studies, they found that P. aeruginosa only makes small changes to EF-Tu to get it to mimic this powerful ligand. P. aeruginosa transfers three methyl groups to a lysine on EF-Tu, giving it a structure similar to ChoP and allowing it to fit in the PAFR receptor in the way ChoP does.
  • "It allows [P. aeruginosa] to adhere to the cells and invade,"
  • "Its interaction with humans is accidental. It's an opportunist. The fact that it has this novel modification on this protein that is inherent in the bacterium that enables it to attach and persist and cause disease is exciting,"
  • Alletia DeMartino on 09 May 13
     
    Interesting!! however, very scary. It just keeps modifying itself and being more virulent. what's next?!
Alletia DeMartino

Genes show one big European family - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...130507195642.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 09 May 13 - No Cached
  • to a new study of the DNA of people from across the continent.
  • This was predicted in theory over a decade ago, and we now have concrete evidence from DNA data,
  • But even a pair of individuals who live as far apart as the United Kingdom and Turkey -- a distance of some 2,000 miles -- likely are related to all of one another's ancestors from a thousand years ago.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Ralph and Coop used ideas about the expected amount of genome shared between relatives of varying degrees of relatedness
  • Ralph and Coop looked for shorter blocks of DNA that were shared between cousins separated by many more generations
  • But in large samples, rare cases of distant sharing could be detected. With their analysis, Coop and Ralph were able to detect these shared blocks of DNA in individuals spread across Europe, and calculate how long ago they shared an ancestor.
  • Alletia DeMartino on 09 May 13
     
    kind of creepy to think about....
Alletia DeMartino

Bacteria As Art -- Biophysicists Grow Pretty Bacteria In Petri Dishes To Find Antibiotics - 1 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...1211-bacteria_as_art.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 08 May 13 - Cached
  • Alletia DeMartino on 08 May 13
     
    Watch the video!! it's awesome!! temperature change and food source....exactly what we learned in lab!
Alletia DeMartino

One-two punch could be key in treating blindness - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...130409110008.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 08 May 13 - No Cached
  • Researchers have discovered that using two kinds of therapy in tandem may be a knockout combo against inherited disorders that cause blindnes
  • In 2010, they restored day vision in dogs suffering from achromatopsia, an inherited form of total color blindness, by replacing the mutant gene associated with the condition.
  • While that treatment was effective for most younger dogs, it didn't work for canines older than 1 year
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • "Gene therapy only works if the nonfunctional cell that is primarily affected by the disease is not too degenerated,"
  • To test their theory, they again performed gene therapy but first gave some of the dogs a dose of a protein called CNTF
  • At a high enough dose, its effect on photoreceptors is a bit like pruning flowers: It partially destroys them, but allows for new growth.
  • But it worked.
  • "All seven dogs that got the combination treatment responded, regardless of age.
  • Those disorders affect individuals of both species in much the same way, so the combination treatment's promise isn't just for Fido.
  • One treatment option alone might not be enough to reverse vision loss, but a combination therapy can maximize therapeutic success."
  • Alletia DeMartino on 08 May 13
     
    This is so amazing. Definitely interesting that they used dogs which are more complex than rats or mice so if they could use these on people it would definitely change the way the world saw animal testing/research....pun intended haha! pretty cool quick read
Alletia DeMartino

Activity of cancer inducing genes can be controlled by the cell's skeleton - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...130506095103.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 07 May 13 - No Cached
  • n the latest issue of the journal Oncogene, Florence Janody and her team at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC, Portugal), identified a novel mechanism by which the activity of Src is limited by the cell's skeleton (cytoskeleton) limiting the development of tumours.
  • ble to stop the tumour development induced by the high activity of Src through the genetic manipulation of the cytoskeleton in fly tissues
  • showed that the development of tumours is stopped in the presence of high levels of the actin Capping Protein.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Although the precise molecular mechanism is still unknown, the hypothesis raised by these scientists is that the "tuner" creates a tension in the cables of the cytoskeleton that impedes the action of these proteins
  • The cytoskeleton works as a "barbwire" network.
  • Alletia DeMartino on 07 May 13
     
    WOW! random discoveries are being made every day. Makes you wonder when the cure will come!
Alletia DeMartino

Human brain cells developed in lab, grow in mice - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...130503230313.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 07 May 13 - No Cached
  • The researchers generated and transplanted a type of human nerve-cell progenitor called the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cell, in experiments describe
  • The researchers generated and transplanted a type of human nerve-cell progenitor called the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) cel
  • Kriegstein sees MGE cells as a potential treatment to better control nerve circuits that become overactive in certain neurological disorders.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Kriegstein sees MGE cells as a potential treatment to better control nerve circuits that become overactive in certain neurological disorders.
  • , the human MGE-like cells survived within the rodent forebrain, integrated into the brain by forming connections with rodent nerve cells, and matured into specialized subtypes of interneurons.
  • To generate MGE cells in the lab, the researchers reliably directed the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells -- either human embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells derived from human skin
  • unlimited potential to become any human cell type.
  • To generate MGE cells in the lab, the researchers reliably directed the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells -- either human embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells derived from human skin.
  • These findings may serve as a model to study human diseases in which mature interneurons malfunction,
  • These findings may serve as a model to study human diseases in which
  • mature interneurons malfunction,
  • Nicholas utilized key growth factors and other molecules to direct the derivation and maturation of the human MGE-like interneurons
  • Nicholas utilized key growth factors and other molecules to direct the derivation and maturation of the human MGE-like interneurons. He timed the delivery of these fa
  • "The hope is that we can deliver these cells to various places within the nervous system that have been overactive and that they will functionally integrate and provide regulated inhibition," Nicholas said.
  • The researchers also plan to develop MGE cells from induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin cells of individuals with autism, epilepsy, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, in order to investigate how the development and function of interneurons might become abnormal -- creating a lab-dish model of disease.
  • One mystery and challenge to both the clinical and pre-clinical study of human MGE cells is that they develop at a slower, human pace, reflecting an "intrinsic clock." In fast-developing mice, the human MGE-like cells still took seven to nine months to form interneuron subtypes that normally are present near birth.
  • Alletia DeMartino on 07 May 13
     
    pretty interesting that there wasnt rejection from the mice immune system. very cool for furthering research 
Alletia DeMartino

Got Food Allergies? You Can Now Test Your Meal On the Spot Using a Cell Phone - 0 views

www.sciencedaily.com/...121212205920.htm

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 17 Apr 13 - No Cached
  • Alletia DeMartino on 17 Apr 13
     
    We were just talking about how phone operating testing is the wave of the future. this is pretty interesting and might even be incredibly helpful considering some people have life threatening food allergies!
Alletia DeMartino

Cruise ship stranded - chicagotribune.com - 1 views

www.chicagotribune.com/...-ship-20130214,0,2424574.story

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 14 Feb 13 - No Cached
  • decided to add further payment of $500 a person to help compensate passengers for "very challenging circumstances" aboard the ship.
  • Alletia DeMartino on 20 Feb 13
     
    A small compensation of 500$ for an inconvenience. I find it interesting that they can put a dollar amount on this. If I were these people I would be more concerned about my health than a measly 500$
Alletia DeMartino

Protein synthesis: an epic on the cellular level - YouTube - 0 views

www.youtube.com/watch

RNA

shared by Alletia DeMartino on 20 Feb 13 - Cached
  • Alletia DeMartino on 20 Feb 13
     
    This is the video we are all talking about. go to 3 ish minutes. Such a great studying tool if you like humor!!
  • Alletia DeMartino on 20 Feb 13
     
    aww man i didnt see this!! well here it is haha.
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