In general, there are multiple pathways taken by cells to repair the same DNA damage, and the choice of repair pathway is important for maintaining genomic fidelity. Cross-linking between DNA strands covalently links two DNA strands together, thereby blocking DNA replication and transcription, chemotherapy takes effect by utilizing the cytotoxicity of these crosslinks. In Xenopus laevis egg extracts, the collision of the replication fork with the interstrand crosslinker initiated two…
Summary on The Status Quo and Future Development of Protein Modification Research
Protein post-translational modifications (PTM) include phosphorylation, methylation, acetylation etc. Protein expression is regulated by genomics and epigenetics, and after expression, it needs to be modified to different degrees to perform the required functions. PTM research is crucial. Here, let’s review the significant research in the field of protein modification in 2018. PNAS: Ubiquitin-like protein ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) regulates ALS/FTD-linked FUS-RNA complex kinetics and stress granule formation The ubiquitin-like protein…
New Study Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Transcription Factor ‘Surveying’ The Genome of Cells
Transcription factors (TFs) are specific proteins that regulate gene expression, which can search for and bind specific regions in the entire genome to regulate gene expression. We all know that transcription factors not only bind to specific DNA sequences, but also bind non-specifically to any DNA strand. These non-specific associations can significantly increase the ability of transcription factors to find specific targets. However, researchers are not aware of how the…
New Study Published on Science Discovered A Gene that Can Promote Sleep While Getting Sick
Humans spend nearly a third of their time sleeping, but sleep is still one of the most enduring mysteries in biology. So far, scientists don’t know which genetic or molecular power is driving people to sleep. In a new study, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine discovered that a gene called Nemuri increased the need for sleep by studying more than 12,000 strains of fruit flies….
Revealing the Mechanism of Cancer Cells Spreading Through Hijacking of Immune Cells in vivo
In a new study, researchers from Queen Mary College, University of London, UK, discovered that molecules released from invasive skin cancer reprogram the healthy immune cells to help spread cancer. Targeting these molecules with inhibitory drugs may help prevent this invasive skin cancer from recurring after treatment. The results of the study were published in the Cell, entitled “Regional Activation of Myosin II in Cancer Cells Drives Tumor Progression via…
The Rhomboid Protease Breaks the “Cell Speed Limit” When Through the Cell Membrane
In a new study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University in the United States found that as a special protein that cleaves other proteins, rhomboid proteases can break the “cell speed limit” as they pass through the cell membrane. Rhomboid protease does this by distorting their surroundings, allowing them to slide quickly from one end of the cell membrane to the other. The results of the study were published in the…
New Breakthrough Developed A Technology that can Detect Hundreds of Proteins in A Single Blood Sample
Recently, in a research report published in the international journal Nature Nanotechnology, scientists from McGill University have developed a new technology that can detect hundreds of proteins in a single sample which is expected to be used as a fast, high-capacity and cost-effective tool for hospitals and research laboratories. Proteins in the blood provide researchers and clinicians with vital information that indicates the health of the body. Meanwhile, these…
New Study Published on J Virol Reveals The Molecular Mechanism of Human T Cell Leukemia Virus Infection and Spread
Recently, research published in the Journal of Virology, scientists from the University of Minnesota developed a new strategy that is expected to block the spread of a highly infectious virus in remote areas of central Australia. Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infected more than 40% adults in the community, as the first human-type cancer virus discovered by scientists, HTLV-1 induces leukemia and lymphoma. “Currently, we have…
The Essence of Science Journal in December 2018
1.Science: Pro-Linked Protein 2 Cutting Can Prevent Heart Failure doi:10.1126/science.aan3303; doi:10.1126/science.aav8956 Dr. Long-Sheng Song, a researcher at the University of Iowa in the United States, and his team have confirmed in a previous study that a structural protein called junctophilin-2 (JP2) is essential for the heartbeat. Heart failure is associated with this protein loss or destruction. Now, in a new study, researchers from the University of Iowa, Shanghai…
J Cell Biol: How Does a Genetic Mutation Induce a Neurological Disease Such as Parkinson’s?
Mutations in multiple genes are directly related to Parkinson’s disease, but researchers are not sure how these mutations affect individuals with Parkinson’s disease. A recent study published in The Journal of Cell Biology, in the study, scientists from Yale University focused on a genetic mutation that induced familial Parkinson’s disease. They found that the gene encodes a specific protein that controls lipids transfer between organelle membranes. In the…