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

Scripps Florida scientists uncover new compounds that could affect circadian rhythm

Scripps Florida scientists uncover new compounds that could affect circadian rhythm
2014-07-08
(Press-News.org) JUPITER, FL, July 7, 2014 – Scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have discovered a surprising new role for a pair of compounds—which have the potential to alter circadian rhythm, the complex physiological process that responds to a 24-hour cycle of light and dark and is present in most living things.

At least one of these compounds could be developed as a chemical probe to uncover new therapeutic approaches to a range of disorders, including diabetes and obesity.

The study, which was published online ahead of print by the Journal of Biological Chemistry, focuses on a group of proteins known as REV-ERBs, a superfamily that plays an important role in the regulation of circadian physiology, metabolism and immune function.

The new study shows that the two compounds, cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP) and zinc protoporphyrin IX (ZnPP), bind directly to REV-ERBs.

REV-ERBs are normally regulated by heme, a molecule that binds to hemoglobin, helps transport oxygen from the bloodstream to cells and plays a role in producing cellular energy. While heme activates REV-ERB, CoPP and ZnPP inhibit it.

"These compounds are like heme, but when you swap out their metal centers their functions are different," said Doug Kojetin, a TSRI associate professor who led the study. "This makes us think that the key is the chemistry of the metal ion itself. Altering the chemistry of this metal center may be an opportune way to target REV-ERB for diabetes and obesity."

Kojetin and his colleagues recently demonstrated that synthetic REV-ERB agonists, like the new compounds, reduce body weight in mice that were obese due to diet.

INFORMATION: The first authors of the study, "Structure of REV-ERB_ Ligand-binding Domain Bound to a Porphyrin Antagonist," are Edna Matta-Camacho of McGill University, Montreal and Subhashis Banerjee of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Other authors of the study include Travis S. Hughes and Laura A. Solt of TSRI; and Yongjun Wang and Thomas P. Burris of St. Louis University School of Medicine.

The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants DK080201 and DK101871), the James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program from the Florida Department of Health (grant 1KN-09) and the State of Florida.

The work can be accessed at http://www.jbc.org/content/early/2014/05/28/jbc.M113.545111.full.pdf+html?sid=bef6d5e6-a7dd-4ca5-9f57-6fba6122a6b5

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Scripps Florida scientists uncover new compounds that could affect circadian rhythm

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Gene mutation may lead to treatment for liver cancer

2014-07-08
Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of liver cancer, according to a research published in the July issue of the journal Nature. A team led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Harvard Medical School has discovered a link between the presence of two mutant proteins IDH1 and IDH2 and cancer. Past studies have found IDH mutations to be among the most common genetic differences seen in patients with iCCA, but how they contribute to cancer development was unknown ...

Survey: Many Texans eligible for subsidies from the ACA still believe coverage is too expensive

2014-07-08
HOUSTON – (July 8, 2014) – Half of Texans who are eligible for premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and who looked for health plans in the ACA's Health Insurance Marketplace said cost was the main reason they didn't enroll in a plan. That's just one of the findings in a report released today by Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report specifically looked at lower- to middle-income families in Texas who don't have access to health insurance through an employer and who earn too much to qualify for ...

CU researcher finds nurse-family partnership reduces preventable mortality

2014-07-08
AURORA, Colo. (July 8, 2014) – Low-income mothers and their first-born children who received home visits from nurses were less likely to die from preventable causes during a two-decade period studied by a University of Colorado School of Medicine professor, according to a report published in JAMA Pediatrics – a leading, peer-reviewed journal of the American Medical Association. David Olds, PhD, professor of pediatrics and lead investigator of the study, reviewed data covering a two-decade period to understand the impact of the Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP) program and ...

Siblings may have a greater influence than parents on a child's obesity risk

2014-07-08
While it is well known that a child's risk of obesity is greater if he or she has obese family members, whether the type of relationship affects that risk has not been given as much attention. A new report led by an investigator at the Mongan Institute for Health Policy at Massachusetts General Hospital finds that the risk associated with having an obese sibling is more than twice as great as that of having an obese parent, and that risk is even stronger among siblings of the same gender. The study will appear in the October issue of the American Journal of Preventive ...

No rest for the bleary

2014-07-08
The familiar cry in the night, followed by a blind shuffle to the crib, a feeding, a diaper change, and a final retreat back into oblivion — every hour on the hour. Such is the sleep pattern of most new parents, who report feeling more exhausted in the morning than when they went to bed the night before. Now, in the first study of its kind, Prof. Avi Sadeh and a team of researchers from Tel Aviv University's School of Psychological Sciences explain why interrupted sleep can be as physically detrimental as no sleep at all. In the study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, ...

Study shows link between inflammation in maternal blood and schizophrenia in offspring

2014-07-08
Maternal inflammation as indicated by the presence in maternal blood of early gestational C-reactive protein—an established inflammatory biomarker—appears to be associated with greater risk for schizophrenia in offspring, according to researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, and the New York State Psychiatric Institute. The study, "Elevated Maternal C-Reactive Protein and Increased Risk of Schizophrenia in a National Birth Cohort," is published online in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The Columbia researchers ...

Variations in key gene predict cancer patients' risk for radiation-induced toxicity

2014-07-08
(NEW YORK – July 8, 2014) Key genetic variants may affect how cancer patients respond to radiation treatments, according to a study published this week in Nature Genetics. The research team, which included researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, found that variations in the TANC1 gene are associated with a greater risk for radiation-driven side effects in prostate cancer patients, which include incontinence, impotence and diarrhea. The current results are based on a genome-wide association study, a type of study in which researchers examine numerous ...

Damage assessment of runaway barges at Marseilles lock and dam

Damage assessment of runaway barges at Marseilles lock and dam
2014-07-08
URBANA, Ill. - It takes a synchronized lock and dam system—operating like a motorized flight of stairs on the Illinois River, using gravity to move the water—to maintain a minimum depth for boat traffic. A disastrous domino effect occurred on April 19, 2013, when heavy rain and runoff, strong winds, and river currents resulted in seven unmoored barges crashing into the dam at Marseilles. University of Illinois soil scientist Ken Olson studied the extensive repercussions of the incident. "Four of the seven barges partially sank, blocking the southernmost submersible spillway ...

Cosmic accounting reveals missing light crisis

Cosmic accounting reveals missing light crisis
2014-07-08
Pasadena, CA—Something is amiss in the Universe. There appears to be an enormous deficit of ultraviolet light in the cosmic budget. The vast reaches of empty space between galaxies are bridged by tendrils of hydrogen and helium, which can be used as a precise "light meter." In a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, a team of scientists finds that the light from known populations of galaxies and quasars is not nearly enough to explain observations of intergalactic hydrogen. The difference is a stunning 400 percent. "It's as if you're in a big, ...

More California gas stations can provide H2 than previously thought, Sandia study says

More California gas stations can provide H2 than previously thought, Sandia study says
2014-07-08
LIVERMORE, Calif. — A study by researchers at Sandia National Laboratories concludes that a number of existing gas stations in California can safely store and dispense hydrogen, suggesting a broader network of hydrogen fueling stations may be within reach. The report examined 70 commercial gasoline stations in the state of California and sought to determine which, if any, could integrate hydrogen fuel, based on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) hydrogen technologies code published in 2011. The study determined that 14 of the 70 gas stations involved in ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

The food and fuel that farms itself

Patient- and Community-Level Characteristics Associated With RSV Vaccination

[Press-News.org] Scripps Florida scientists uncover new compounds that could affect circadian rhythm