|
|
|
 BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY: Study Finds Regulated Transcription of Novel RNAs
In the mammalian genome, there are millions of base pairs of DNA that have no known function. Evidence suggests that some of these may be templates for synthesis of noncoding RNA, but the physiological significance of this mechanism is unclear. In the Feb. 20 Cell, HMS's Kevin Struhl, together with colleagues at Affymetrix, demonstrates that thousands of these noncoding RNAs can be found downstream of common transcription factor binding sites and that their synthesis is regulated by stimuli from outside the cell, such as hormones. The findings suggest that synthesis of these RNAs is far from accidental.
|
 NEUROSCIENCE: Old-line Antibiotic Saves Neurons After Spinal Cord Trauma
Minocycline, an old-line antibiotic, has been shown to stave off the programmed cell death and scarring associated with spinal cord injuries, but researchers have not been sure which molecule minocycline is targeting. This mystery has made it difficult to design a safe and maximally effective therapy. In the March 2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Yang Teng (left), Robert Friedlander (right), Howard Choi, and their colleagues report that minocycline works by preventing the mitochondria in nerve cells from releasing the well-known cell death messenger cytochrome c. By tracking how soon after injury cytochrome c is released, and at what rate, the researchers designed a regimen that preserved tissue and function in spinal cord injured rats.
|
 CELL BIOLOGY: Structure Turns Iron Entry into Cells on Its Head
Iron is safely transported through the body by the molecule transferrin, which binds to a receptor on the surface of cells. Thomas Walz (left), Yifan Cheng, and their colleagues have captured for the first time an image of the structure of iron-loaded transferrin bound to its cell surface receptor, a picture that tells a new story about how iron enters cells. The findings are reported in the Feb. 20 issue of Cell.
|
Copyright 2004 by the President and Fellows of Harvard College
|
|
