PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Freeze! A protein group affecting lipid dynamics at cell membranes discovered

2013-09-23
(Press-News.org) Eukaryotic cells are compartmentalized by membranes, whose shape and dynamics are precisely regulated to maintain their correct functions. Consequently, many cellular processes such as endocytosis, migration and morphogenesis rely on proteins that bind directly to membranes and sculpt them into desired shapes.

BAR domain proteins are among the central membrane-sculpting proteins in all eukaryote cells. Studies by Pekka Lappalainen laboratory at Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland, now reveal that BAR domain proteins not only bend membranes, but also generate extremely stable lipid microdomains by inhibiting the lateral diffusion of certain lipids nearly completely.

In a new study published in Cell Reports, Hongxia Zhao working in the Lappalainen laboratory discovered that all BAR domain proteins induce strong clustering of phosphoinositides, which are important lipids involved in regulating protein functions and cellular signalling.

Her studies also revealed that BAR domains assemble into extremely stable scaffolds on the membrane. Surprisingly, mobility of phosphoinositides was nearly completely frozen in these BAR domain induced lipid platforms. These extremely stable protein-lipid scaffolds may contribute to diverse cellular processes by generating lipid phase boundaries at the tips of the BAR domain scaffolds. Furthermore, the membrane microdomains induced by BAR domains are expected to function as diffusion barriers, which may for example trap membrane-associated receptor and cargo molecules at the endocytic bud.

Thus, distribution and mobility of specific lipid species at the plasma membrane appears to precisely regulated by membrane-associated proteins. Hongxia Zhao is now continuing studies on regulation of lipid dynamics as an Academy Research Fellow at University of Helsinki.



INFORMATION:



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Smartphones and tablets could provide universal access to medical monitoring

2013-09-23
San Francisco, CA. -- Do you have a smartphone in your pocket or purse? If so, you may be carrying the future of mobile medical monitoring technology, according to a special article in the October issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS). Smartphones and tablet computers have an emerging role as mobile medical monitoring devices -- and may help to extend the use of pulse oximetry for monitoring blood oxygen levels to developing countries around the world, according to the article by Dr J. Mark Ansermino ...

Why humans are musical

2013-09-23
Why don't apes have musical talent, while humans, parrots, small birds, elephants, whales, and bats do? Matz Larsson, senior physician at the Lung Clinic at Örebro University Hospital, attempts to answer this question in the scientific publication Animal Cognition. In his article, he asserts that the ability to mimic and imitate things like music and speech is the result of the fact that synchronised group movement quite simply makes it possible to perceive sounds from the surroundings better. The hypothesis is that the evolution of vocal learning, that is musical traits, ...

Addiction: Can you ever really completely leave it behind?

2013-09-23
Philadelphia, PA, September 23, 2013 – It is often said that once people develop an addiction, they can never completely eliminate their attraction to the abused substance. New findings provide further support for this notion by suggesting that even long-term abstinence from cocaine does not result in a complete normalization of brain circuitry. Scientists are currently trying to answer some of the 'chicken and egg' questions surrounding the abuse of drugs. In particular, one of those questions is whether individuals who abuse psychostimulants like cocaine are more impulsive ...

U of M research uncovers gene's contribution to asthma susceptibility

2013-09-23
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL (09/23/2013) -- New research from the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) has uncovered the role gene ORMDL3 plays in the disease asthma. ORMDL3, a gene recently linked to asthma susceptibility, has now been linked to the body's ability to recruit inflammatory cells during an airway allergic reaction. Study findings appear today in the journal Nature Communications. U of M researchers including Srirama Rao, Ph.D., (P. Sriramarao), CVM professor in the Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and associate dean for ...

CDC, Mass. General study reveals that preventing malaria in travelers to West Africa reduces health costs

2013-09-23
Not only do U.S. travelers to West Africa who consult health providers before they leave and take prescribed preventive medications substantially reduce their risk of contracting malaria, they also reduce costs to their health insurance providers and, in most cases, to themselves. In a report that has been published online in Clinical Infectious Disease, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) report finding that the costs associated with contracting malaria -- to both third-party payers and ...

Chasing the black holes of the ocean

2013-09-23
This news release is available in German. The mild winters experienced in Northern Europe are thanks to the Gulf Stream, which makes up part of those ocean currents spanning the globe that impact on the climate. However, our climate is also influenced by huge eddies of over 150 kilometres in diameter that rotate and drift across the ocean. Their number is reportedly on the rise in the Southern Ocean, increasing the northward transport of warm and salty water. Intriguingly, this could moderate the negative impact of melting sea ice in a warming climate. However, ...

Appropriate vaccinations schedules for feline patients outlined

2013-09-23
The Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) issue new guidelines on vaccination schedules for feline patients based on risk assessment. From Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (2013) The American Association of Feline Practitioners' (AAFP) Feline Vaccination Advisory Panel has this month released updated guidelines on appropriate feline vaccination schedules based on risk assessment. The guidelines offer recommendations for vaccination of household pet cats, shelter house cats, and cats in breeding catteries. ...

Bacteria don't always work 'just in time'

2013-09-23
Jena (Germany) 'Just in time' – not only cars are being built according to this principle nowadays. Aircraft, mobile phones and computers are also produced following this method, in which all components are delivered exactly at the time when they are needed. This saves storage capacity and therefore cash. Hence it is supposed to be particularly efficient. In nature – the byword for efficiency – production processes are also following the 'just-in-time-principle' as well – at least according to the scientific consensus until now. "Living beings just can't afford to produce ...

A fast fish with a huge impact

2013-09-23
Recent decades have seen massive changes to many river systems. To improve passage for ships, humans have been straightening, deepening, and reinforcing river banks and altered the natural flow regime. Water temperatures are also rising as a result of climate change. All of which provides perfect conditions for the round goby, a fish traditionally found in the lower stretches of the Danube and along the coasts of the Black Sea. Today, however, round goby has expanded its distribution range significantly and can now be found in the headwater of the Danube as well as in the ...

Some parts of memory still developing deep into childhood

2013-09-23
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new study provides evidence that one important part of memory undergoes substantial development even after the age of 7. Researchers found that episodic memory – the ability to remember not only what happened, but where and when – takes longer to develop than often assumed. That means young children may have no problem with remembering certain simple events or facts. But in some cases, they may have difficulty placing them in the right place, time or context. The results have widespread implications, including what young children can be expected ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Freeze! A protein group affecting lipid dynamics at cell membranes discovered