Category: Genetics
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One Toxic Protein, Two Unique Genetic Disorders
When a gene called SMCHD1 carries mutations, it can result in serious diseases. This gene encodes for a protein known as DUX4. The abnormal DUX4 proteins that are produced by a mutant SMCHD1 gene can lead to different genetic disorders. Some SMCHD1 mutations result in a mutated DUX4 protein that causes a rare condition called…
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What the first look at the genetics of Chernobyl’s dogs revealed
For generations of dogs, home is the radioactive remains of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. In the first genetic analysis of these animals, scientists have discovered that dogs living in the power plant industrial area are genetically distinct from dogs living farther away. Though the team could distinguish between dog populations, the researchers did not…
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Herpesvirus May Have a Therapeutic Impact on a Rare Cancer
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare type of cancer that impacts T cells, a crucial immune cell that plays an important role in fighting infection. ATLL tends to be aggressive, and can manifest in the blood as leukemia, in the lymph nodes as lymphoma, or other tissues like the skin. ATLL has been associated…
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Oral Bacteria Increase Risk of Heart Disease
Oral health is an important but underappreciated component of overall health. A new study published in eLife has shown that infection with a common oral bacterium that causes gum disease and bad breath, Fusobacterium nucleatum, may increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. The authors of the study collected health data, blood samples, and genetic…
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How Often Do Cells Make Mistakes?
The genome of a cell carries all the genes it will ever need, and when a gene is active, it gets transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules. New research has investigated the rate at which errors occur when the cellular machinery is transcribing active genes into mRNA molecules, which typically get turned into protein in…
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Building More Resilient Wheat | Genetics And Genomics
The climate is changing, and making droughts longer, more severe, and more frequent. The United Nations has estimated that the duration and frequency of droughts has increased by about 30 percent since the turn of the century. Drought is also threatening our ability to grow food. But many farmers and scientists are well aware of…
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Common Gene Revealed to Empower Antimicrobial Resistance
Scientists have found that a gene that has been previously identified in many animals and their associated microbes can enable resistance to antimicrobial drugs. The resistance gene encodes for an enzyme called EstT, which can deactivate antibiotic drugs known as macrolides. The enzyme can disrupt the chemical ring structure of these antibiotics through hydrolysis. When…
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The ‘Sixth Sense’ May be Far More Common Than we Knew
The earth has a magnetic field, and some animals such as monarch butterflies and turtles can use it to navigate during their long migrations. Researchers have now discovered that at high levels, a molecule called flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), can stimulate an organism to be sensitive to magnetism. This molecule can be found in many…
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Psoriasis Drug May Treat Alcohol Use Disorder
Researchers have found that a pill used to treat psoriasis may also hold promise for alcohol use disorder. The corresponding study was published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Around 95, 000 people in the US die from alcohol-related deaths each year. In 2019, around 14.5 million people aged 12 and older in the US…
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A Protein-Coding Portion of Telomeres is Discovered
Telomeres are repetitive sequences of DNA that can be found at the ends of chromosomes, where they form a kind of protective cap. Telomeres get shorter every time a cell divides, and they are thought to have a close connection to aging. The repetitive sequences that compose telomeres were not thought to code for any…