MedWorm.com provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest items from the 'BMC Biology - Latest articles' source. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:20:25 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3373630&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F22 Conclusions: This paper shows that specific ecological conditions in a community can lead to significant local differences in population dynamics and, consequently, elimination threshold estimates for lymphatic filariasis. These findings, and the difficulty of measuring the key local parameters (infection aggregation and acquired immunity) governing differences in transmission thresholds between communities, mean that it is necessary for us to rethink the utility of the current anticipatory approaches for achieving the elimination of filariasis both locally and globally. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3373630 Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3373630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3349711&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F21 Conclusion: This paper redefines the concept of the replicator from a bottom-up theoretical approach. The formal definition and the abstract models presented can distinguish between among all possible replicator types, based on their quantity of variable and heritable information. This allows for the exact identification of various replicator types and their underlying dynamics. The most important claim is that replication, in general, is basically autocatalysis, with a specific defined environment and selective force. A replicator is not valid unless its working environment, and the selective force to which it is subject, is specified. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3349711 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3349711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3345913&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F20 The increased battery of molecular markers, derived from comparative genomics, is aiding our understanding of the genetics of domestication. The recent BMC Biology article pertaining to the evolution of small size in dogs is an example of how such methods can be used to study the origin and diversification of the domestic dog. We are still challenged, however, to appreciate the genetic mechanisms responsible for the phenotypic diversity seen in 'our best friend'. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3345913 Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3345913 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3326332&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F17 Conclusions: The mouse has three major transcriptional isoforms of the Dlc1 gene that are differentially expressed in various tissues. A mouse with exon 1 of the 6.1 Kb transcript gt resulted in hypomorphic expression of Dlc1 protein and an embryonic lethal phenotype in the homozygous condition, which indicates that this isoform plays a major role in mouse development. The Dlc1 deficient cells showed altered cytoskeleton structure, increased RhoA activity and cellular migration. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3326332 Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3326332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3301514&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F16 Conclusions: The absence of both the SINE element and SNP allele in grey wolves suggests that the mutation for small body size post-dates the domestication of dogs. However, because all small dogs possess these diagnostic mutations, the mutations likely arose early in the history of domestic dogs. Our results show that the small dog haplotype is closely related to those in Middle Eastern wolves and is consistent with an ancient origin of the small dog haplotype there. Thus, in concordance with past archeological studies, our molecular analysis is consistent with the early evolution of small size in dogs from the Middle East.See associated opinion by Driscoll and Macdonald: http://jbiol.com/content/9/2/10 (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3301514 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3301514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3258273&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F14 Conclusions: The observed metabolic responses could be explained to a large degree by upregulation of gluconeogenesis and the glyoxylate shunt as well as changes in amino acid catabolism. These responses point to new possible mechanisms of longevity assurance in worms. The metabolic changes observed in dauer larvae can be explained by the existence of high levels of autophagy leading to recycling of cellular components.See associated minireview: http://jbiol.com/content/9/1/7 (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3258273 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3258273 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3253916&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F13 Conclusions: Collectively, the data suggests, first, that the process of endocarp determination and differentiation in peach and Arabidopsis share common regulators and, secondly, reveals a previously unknown coordination of competing lignin and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways during early fruit development. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3253916 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3253916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3238926&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F12 Conclusions: These phylogenetic studies provide evidence that pathogen/host coevolution and a possible participation in fetal-maternal conflict processes led to a highly species-specific diversity of mammalian CEA gene families. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3238926 Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3238926 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3219872&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F10 Conclusions: This study on the squeaker catfish S. schoutedeni is the first to demonstrate that absolute hearing sensitivity changes during ontogeny in an otophysine fish. This contrasts with prior studies on two cypriniform fish species in which no such change could be observed. Furthermore, S. schoutedeni can detect conspecific sounds at all stages of development, again contrasting with prior findings in fishes. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3219872 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3219872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3211670&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F9 Conclusions: Our results confirm that brain expansion began early in primate evolution and show that increases occurred in all major clades. Only in terms of an increase in absolute mass does the human lineage appear particularly striking, with both the rate of proportional change in mass and relative brain size having episodes of greater expansion elsewhere on the primate phylogeny. However, decreases in brain mass also occurred along branches in all major clades, and we conclude that, while selection has acted to enlarge primate brains, in some lineages this trend has been reversed. Further analyses of the phylogenetic position of Homo floresiensis and better body mass estimates are required to confirm the plausibility of the evolution of its small brain mass. We find that for our datase... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3211670 Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3211670 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3207823&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F8 Conclusions: We suggest that, during the evolution of the Perissodini, selection has accentuated a latent, genetically determined handedness of the craniofacial skeleton, enabling the evolution of jaw asymmetries in order to increase predation success. Continued work on the developmental genetic basis of laterality in the Perissodini will facilitate a better understanding of the evolution of this unique group of fishes, as well as of left-right axis determination among vertebrates in general. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3207823 Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3207823 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3204413&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F7 Conclusion: Modulation of NRAGE expression revealed novel roles in regulating NF-kappaB activity in the non-canonical bone morphogenic protein signaling pathway. The expression of macrophage migration inhibitory factor by bone morphogenic protein -4 reveals novel crosstalk between an immune cytokine and a developmental pathway. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3204413 Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3204413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3193108&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F6 Conclusions: This study demonstrates that prostate cells are highly susceptible to genetic and epigenetic changes consequent to mild folate depletion as compared to cells grown with supraphysiological amounts of folate (2 M) routinely used in tissue culture. In addition, we elucidate for the first time the contribution of these aspects to consequent phenotype changes in epithelial cells. These results provide a strong rationale for studying the effects of folate manipulation on the prostate in vivo, where cells might be more sensitive to changes in folate status resulting from folate supplementation or antifolate therapeutic approaches. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3193108 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3193108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3188565&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F5 Conclusions: By comparing cells from the regeneration blastema with embryonic pluripotent reference cells we found that induced pluripotent stem and blastema cells do not share pluripotency. However, during blastema formation some of the key reprogramming factors are both expressed and are also required for regeneration to take place. We therefore propose a link between partially reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells and the half way state of blastema cells and suggest that a common mechanism might be regulating these two processes. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3188565 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3188565 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3181789&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F4 Conclusions: The Lhx family expanded and diversified early in animal evolution, with all six subfamilies already diverged prior to the cnidarian-placozoan-bilaterian last common ancestor. In Nematostella, Lhx gene expression is correlated with neural territories in larval and juvenile polyp stages. This pattern is consistent with a possible role in patterning the Nematostella nervous system. We propose a scenario in which Lhx genes play a homologous role in neural patterning across eumetazoans. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3181789 Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3181789 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171225&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F3 Giant lobeliads on tropical mountains in East Africa and Hawaii have highly unusual, giant-rosette growth forms that appear to be convergent on each other and on those of several independently evolved groups of Asteraceae and other families. A recent phylogenetic analysis by Antonelli, based on sequencing the widest selection of lobeliads to date, raises doubts about this paradigmatic example of convergent evolution. Here I address the kinds of evidence needed to test for convergent evolution and argue that the analysis by Antonelly fails on four points. Antonelli's analysis makes several important contributions to our understanding of lobeliad evolution and geographic spread, but his claim regarding convergence appears to be invalid. Giant lobeliads in Hawaii and Africa represent paradigm... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171225 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3171225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3163221&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F2 Genomes of several yeast species contain integrated DNA copies of complete genomes or individual genes of non-retroviral double-strand RNA viruses as reported in a recent BMC Biology article by Taylor and Bruenn. The integrated virus-specific sequences are at least partially expressed and seem to evolve under pressure of purifying selection, indicating that these are functional genes. Together with similar reports on integrated copies of some animal RNA viruses, these results suggest that integration of DNA copies of non-reverse-transcribing RNA viruses might be much more common than previously thought. The integrated copies could contribute to acquired immunity to the respective viruses. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3163221 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3163221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3141916&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F8%2F1 Conclusion: THOC5/Fms interacting protein is an essential element in the maintenance of hematopoiesis. Furthermore, mechanistically depletion of THOC5/Fms interacting protein causes the down-regulation of its direct interacting partner, THOC1 which may contribute to altered THO complex function and cell death. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3141916 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0100 3141916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3099916&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F88 Conclusions: Our findings reveal that horizontal gene transfer can result in novel gene formation in eukaryotes despite miniaturized genomic targets and a need for co-option of reverse transcriptase. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3099916 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3099916 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3181790&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2Fbmcbiol%2F Conclusions: Our data show that Hp is a novel monocyte chemoattractant and that its chemotactic potential is mediated, at least in part, by its interaction with CCR2. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3181790 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3181790 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3096068&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F87 Conclusions: Our findings reveal that horizontal gene transfer can result in novel gene formation in eukaryotes despite miniaturized genomic targets and a need for co-option of reverse transcriptase. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3096068 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3096068 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3084378&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F86 Conclusions: Our biochemical, gene expression, and phylogenetic data suggest that the H2A.Z-1 and H2A.Z-2 variants function similarly yet they may have acquired a degree of functional independence. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3084378 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3084378 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3055978&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F85 Conclusion: Lineage-specific mutations in the murids mean that the mouse brain has fewer than half of the alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms found in the human brain. Our finding that there are likely to be fundamental functional differences between the alpha-dystrobrevins (and therefore the dystrophin glycoprotein complexes) of mice and humans raises questions about the current use of the mouse as the principal model animal for studying Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other related disorders, especially the neurological aspects thereof. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3055978 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3055978 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3047642&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F84 Conclusions: Plastome sequencing is now an efficient option for increasing phylogenetic resolution at lower taxonomic levels in plant phylogenetic and population genetic analyses. With continuing improvements in sequencing capacity, the strategies herein should revolutionize efforts requiring dense taxon and character sampling, such as phylogeographic analyses and species-level DNA barcoding. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3047642 Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3047642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3039252&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F83 Conclusions: Our data were consistent with previous studies indicating the importance of inositol triphosphate and Ca2+ signaling in initiating the ECM and cytoskeletal remodeling characteristic of histolysis and cell dedifferentiation. In addition, the data suggested that blastema formation requires several mechanisms to avoid apoptosis, including reduced metabolism, differential regulation of proapoptotic and antiapoptotic proteins, and initiation of an unfolded protein response (UPR). Since there is virtually no mitosis during blastema formation, we propose that high levels of EVI5 function to arrest dedifferentiated cells somewhere in the G1/S/G2 phases of the cell cycle until they have accumulated under the wound epidermis and enter mitosis in response to neural and epidermal factors.... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3039252 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3039252 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3029270&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F82 Conclusions: These results confidently show that lobelioid species, commonly called 'giant', are very closely related and have not developed their giant form from herbaceous ancestors independently. This study, which includes the hitherto largest taxon sampling for subfamily Lobelioideae, highlights the need for a broad phylogenetic framework for testing assumptions about morphological development in general, and convergent evolution in particular. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3029270 Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3029270 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3026092&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F81 Conclusions: These data demonstrate not only the intimate binding of the SH2 domain of Hck to the tyrosine-phosphorylated cytoplasmic domain of CEACAM3 in intact cells, but furthermore, FRET measurements allow the subcellular localization of this process during bacterial infection. FRET-based assays are valuable tools to resolve bacteria-induced protein-protein interactions in the context of the intact host cell (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3026092 Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3026092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3018556&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F80 Conclusion: With the present study we suggest that the hyperactivity of the temporal cortices in tinnitus is integrated in a global network of long-range cortical connectivity. Top-down influence from the global network on the temporal areas relates to the subjective strength of the tinnitus distress. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3018556 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3018556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3011727&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F79 Conclusions: Early-life environment significantly affects both microbial composition of the adult gut and mucosal innate immune function. We observed that a microbiota dominated by lactobacilli may function to maintain mucosal immune homeostasis and limit pathogen colonization. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3011727 Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3011727 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3003193&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F78 Conclusions: We describe an Australian origin for B. pseudomallei, characterized by a single introduction event into Southeast Asia during a recent glacial period, and variable levels of lateral gene transfer within populations. These patterns provide insights into mechanisms of genetic diversification in B. pseudomallei and its closest relatives, and provide a framework for integrating the traditionally separate fields of population genetics and phylogenetics for other bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3003193 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 3003193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2995265&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F77 Conclusions: These results provide new insights into the role of the basement membrane, and especially collagen IV, in the development of the apical pole, a critical element of the architecture of glandular epithelia. Also, the high-throughput culture method developed in this study should open new avenues for high-content screening of agents that act on mammary tissue homeostasis and thus, on architectural changes involved in cancer development. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2995265 Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2995265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2988385&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F76 Conclusions: The exact function of the SRP receptor (SR) in bacteria has so far been enigmatic. Our data show that the bacterial SR is almost exclusively membrane-bound in vivo, indicating that the presence of a soluble SR is probably an artefact of cell fractionation. Thus, co-translational targeting in bacteria does not involve the formation of a soluble SR-signal recognition particle (SRP)-ribosome nascent chain (RNC) intermediate but requires membrane contact of FtsY for efficient SRP-RNC recruitment. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2988385 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2988385 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2984340&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F75 Conclusions: In conclusion, as proof-of-concept, we show that a synthetic dosage lethality screen, which is based on the toxicity induced by gene overexpression, offers an effective, complementary method to elucidating biological functions of proteolytic pathways. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2984340 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2984340 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2976757&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F74 Conclusion: To help resolve uncertainties about the evolutionary age of Osedax, we suggest that the fossilized bones from Cretaceous marine reptiles and late Oligocene cetaceans be examined for possible trace fossils left by Osedax roots. Regardless of the outcome, the present molecular evidence for strong phylogenetic concordance across five separate genes suggests that the undescribed Osedax lineages comprise evolutionarily significant units that have been separate from one another for many millions of years. These data coupled with ongoing morphological analyses provide a solid foundation for their future descriptions as new species. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2976757 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2976757 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2953956&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F72 Conclusions: Our data highlight the magnitude of the under-sampled 'protistan gap' in the eukaryotic tree of life. This study illustrates that our current understanding of the ecological complexity of protist communities, and of the global species richness and genome diversity of protists, is severely limited. Even though 454 pyrosequencing is not a panacea, it allows for more comprehensive insights into the diversity of protistan communities, and combined with appropriate statistical tools, enables improved ecological interpretations of the data and projections of global diversity. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2953956 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2953956 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2934127&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F71 Conclusions: Overall, our findings reveal the identity of specific chemicals used for colonymate recognition by the invasive Argentine ants. Although the particular chemicals used by other ants may differ, the patterns reported here are likely to be true for ants generally. As almost all invasive ants display widespread unicoloniality in their introduced ranges, our findings are particularly relevant for our understanding of the biology of these damaging invaders. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2934127 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2934127 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2930426&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F70 Conclusions: Our results emphasize the importance of the signaling pathways identified using the non-human animal models, rather than single gene products, in identifying factors responsible for complex traits such as alcohol consumption. The results suggest cross-species similarities in pathways that influence predisposition to consume alcohol by rats and humans. The importance of a well-defined phenotype is also illustrated. Our results also suggest that different genetic factors predispose alcohol dependence versus the phenotype of alcohol consumption. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2930426 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100 2930426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2882534&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F68 Conclusions: We exemplified on TBDTs the power of CLANS-based classification, which demonstrates its importance for future application in systems biology. In addition, the tentative substrate assignment based on characterized proteins will stimulate the research of TBDTs in different species. For cyanobacteria, the atypical dependence of TBDT gene expression on different nutrition points to a yet unknown regulatory mechanism. In addition, we were able to clarify a hypothesis of the absence of TonB in cyanobacteria by the identification of according sequences. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2882534 Sun, 11 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2882534 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2861924&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F66 Conclusions: The analysis of the genomic sequences representing different strains reveals the presence of insertion sequence (IS) elements and other transposon-associated proteins such as recombinases that could facilitate the horizontal transfer of the bonts; these events, in addition to recombination among the toxin complex genes, have led to the lineages observed today within the neurotoxin-producing clostridia. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2861924 Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2861924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842004&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F64 Conclusions: This study spotlighted SLa as a novel mate-choice gene in fish. In addition, these results are the first demonstration of a single gene that can pleiotropically and harmoniously change both secondary sexual characters and mating preferences. Although theoretical models have long suggested joint evolution of linked genes on a chromosome, a mutation on a gene-regulatory region (that is, switching on/off of a single gene) might be sufficient to trigger two 'runaway' processes in different directions to promote (sympatric) speciation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842004 Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2842004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2838596&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F63 Conclusions: We have demonstrated that c-Myc plays multiple roles in the mouse mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. c-Myc loss delayed, but did not block proliferation and differentiation in pregnancy. During lactation, lower levels of ribosomal RNAs and proteins were present and translation was generally decreased in mutant glands. Finally, the transplantation studies suggest a role for c-Myc in progenitor cell proliferation and/or survival.See related minireview by Evan et al: http://jbiol.com/content/8/8/77 (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2838596 Sun, 27 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2838596 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2827589&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F62 Conclusions: These results demonstrate distinct aPKC and JNK-dependent pathways through which loss of Scrib promotes tumourigenesis in Drosophila. This is likely to have a direct relevance to the way in which human Scrib can similarly restrain an oncogene-mediated transformation and, more generally, on how the outcome of oncogenic signalling can be profoundly perturbed by defects in apico-basal epithelial cell polarity. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2827589 Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2827589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2818985&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F61 Conclusions: Our data have yielded a list of developmentally regulated D. melanogaster genes and their expression profiles during embryogenesis and provide new information on the spatiotemporal expression patterns of several uncharacterized genes. In particular, we recovered a substantial number of unknown genes encoding putative secreted and transmembrane proteins, suggesting new components of signaling pathways that might be incorporated within the existing regulatory networks controlling D. melanogaster embryogenesis. These genes are also good candidates for additional targeted functional analyses similar to those we conducted for CG6234.See related minireview by Vichas and Zallen: www.jbiol.com/content/8/8/76 (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2818985 Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2818985 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2818986&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F60 Conclusion: Owing to its critical role in mating, the mate recognition pheromone gene will be a useful molecular marker for exploring the mechanisms and rates of selection and the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation using rotifers as a model system. The phylogenetic variation in the mate recognition pheromone gene can now be studied in conjunction with the large amount of ecological and population genetic data being gathered for the Brachionus plicatilis species complex to understand better the evolutionary drivers of cryptic speciation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2818986 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2818986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2777802&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F60 Conclusions: Owing to its critical role in mating, the mate recognition pheromone gene will be a useful molecular marker for exploring the mechanisms and rates of selection and the evolution of reproductive isolation and speciation using rotifers as a model system. The phylogenetic variation in the mate recognition pheromone gene can now be studied in conjunction with the large amount of ecological and population genetic data being gathered for the Brachionus plicatilis species complex to understand better the evolutionary drivers of cryptic speciation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2777802 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2777802 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2772047&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F59 Conclusions: Binding of a ligand to a single high affinity receptor chain functioning as anchoring molecule and providing sufficient complex stability allows the subsequent formation of signaling competent complexes. Another receptor of the same subtype, and up to two receptors of the other subtype, can then be recruited. Thus, the resulting receptor arrangement can principally consist of four different receptors, which is consistent with our interaction analysis showing low ligand-receptor specificity within one subtype class. For BMP2, further complexity is added by the fact that heterooligomeric signaling complexes containing only one type I receptor chain can also be found. This indicates that despite prominent ligand receptor promiscuity a manifold of diverse signals might be generate... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2772047 Sun, 06 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2772047 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2761279&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F58 Conclusions: We conclude that GNA1 transmits a signal the physiological relevance of which is dependent on both the carbon source as well as the light status. The widespread consequences of mutations in GNA1 indicate a broad function of this G subunit in appropriation of intracellular resources to environmental (especially nutritional) conditions. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2761279 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2761279 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2751155&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F57 Conclusions: The results reported herein provided the first evidence that the evolution of A. marginale was linked to ecological traits affecting tick vector performance. These results suggested that some A. marginale strains have evolved under conditions that support pathogen biological transmission by R. microplus, under different ecological traits which affect performance of R. microplus populations. The evolution of other A. marginale strains may be linked to transmission by other tick species or to mechanical transmission in regions where R. microplus is currently eradicated. The information derived from this study is fundamental toward understanding the evolution of other vector-borne pathogens. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2751155 Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2751155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2740826&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F56 Conclusion: We conclude that the Golgi localisation of GMAP210 is the result of the combined action of the two N- and C-terminal domains that recognise different sub-regions of the cis-GA. Based on present and previous data, we propose a model in which GMAP210 would participate in homotypic fusion of cis-cisternae by anchoring the surface of cisternae via its C-terminus and projecting its distal N-terminus to bind the rims or to stabilise tubular structures connecting neighbouring cis-cisternae. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2740826 Thu, 27 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2740826 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2733561&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F55 Conclusion: DOR activation attenuates oxidative injury in the brain exposed to ischemia/reperfusion by enhancing antioxidant ability and inhibiting caspase activity, which provides novel insights into the mechanism of DOR neuroprotection. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2733561 Tue, 25 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2733561 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2726827&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F54 Conclusions: Microbial endosymbionts play an obligatory role in the reproduction of their diplodiploid host, most likely one in which the parthenogenetic process is facilitated by Wolbachia. A hitherto unknown level of host-parasite interdependence is thus recorded. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2726827 Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2726827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2688035&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F49 Conclusions: The present study systematically examined the entrainment of clock-controlled behavior to daily environmental temperature gradients. As a result, a number of key properties of circadian temperature entrainment were identified. Collectively, these properties represent a circadian temperature entrainment mechanism that is optimized in its ability to detect the time-of-day information encoded in natural environmental temperature profiles. The molecular events synchronized to the daily phases of ascending and descending temperature are expected to play an important role in the mechanism of circadian entrainment to daily temperature cycles. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2688035 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2688035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2666863&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F45 Conclusions: The expression and transcriptional activity of TBP2 in oocytes show that TBP2 is the predominant initiation factor in oocytes, which is substituted by TBP on a subset of promoters in embryos as a result of proteolytic degradation of TBP2 during meiotic maturation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2666863 Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2666863 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2605412&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F41 Conclusions: We propose a model in which the D4Z4 array may play a critical chromatin function as an orchestrator of in cis chromatin loops, thus suggesting that this repeat may play a role in coordinating gene expression. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2605412 Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2605412 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2597626&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F40 Conclusions: Proliferation of the same retrotransposon major sublineage in each hybrid species indicates that similar dynamics of element derepression and amplification likely occurred in each hybrid taxon during their formation. Temporal estimates of these proliferation events suggest an earlier origin for these hybrid species than previously supposed. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2597626 Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2597626 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2597627&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F39 The sea urchin siphon is a narrow-bore tube that originates near the esophagus stomach junction, runs parallel to the stomach, and finally rejoins the main course of the gut at the beginning of the intestine. Although a siphon is present in most sea urchins, its place is taken by a siphonal groove in the following three major clades (traditionally ranked as families): Cidaridae, Diadematidae, and Pedinidae. The presence of a siphonal groove in the Diadematidae recently became controversial when two publications claimed that such sea urchins actually have a siphon instead and that our previous report to the contrary was based on a 'mistaken observation'.Here we provide further anatomical evidence that two species in the genus Diadema have a siphonal groove and not a siphon. An identical res... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2597627 Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2597627 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2516834&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F36 As a result of the integration of molecular and morphological approaches for the reconstruction of phylogenies, and of the intertwining of developmental and evolutionary biology, further prospects are open for a fruitful interaction between these two fields in what we may call a phylo-evo-devo approach.Wiegmann et al.'s molecular phylogeny of the holometabolous insect orders, recently published in BMC Biology, offers a good opportunity to revisit the inverted positions of wings and halteres in the Diptera and the Strepsiptera in terms of a putative homeotic mutation in the Hox gene Ultrabithorax. The main finding of this paper is that Strepsiptera are closely related to the Coleoptera rather than Diptera, as recently claimed. Through this exemplary case, the paper demonstrates the value of... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2516834 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2516834 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503887&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F34 Conclusion: These findings provide the most complete evolutionary framework for future comparative studies on model organisms and contribute strong evidence for the resolution of the 'Strepsiptera problem', a long-standing and hotly debated issue in insect phylogenetics. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503887 Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503887 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503888&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F33 Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that coordination of opposing sex-specific and core muscle groups, through the activity of multiple neurotransmitters, is required for regulation of male tail posture during mating. We have provided a simple model for regulation of male tail posture that provides a foundation for studies of how genes, molecular pathways, and neural circuits contribute to sensory regulation of this motor behavior. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503888 Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503888 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503889&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F32 Conclusions: This novel finding that particular endosymbionts can influence host dispersal is of broad importance given the extremely widespread occurrence of similar bacteria within arthropod communities. A bacterial phenotype that limits dispersal has the potential not only to reduce gene flow and thus contribute to degrees of reproductive isolation within species, but also to influence species distribution and thus overall community composition. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503889 Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503890&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F31 Conclusion: These results indicate that DADLE protected against necrotic and apoptotic cell death processes associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury. The present study demonstrates that delta opioids are crucially involved in stroke, suggesting that the opioid system is important in the study of brain injury and protection. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503890 Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503890 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503891&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F30 Conclusion: Altogether our data suggest that during olfactory conditioning Ca2+ is both a necessary and a sufficient signal for the formation of protein-dependent long-term memory. Ca2+ therefore appears to act as a switch between short- and long-term storage of learned information. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503891 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503891 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2503892&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F29 Conclusion: This study reveals that many more genes than previously suspected affect aggressive behavior, and that these genes have widespread pleiotropic effects. Given the conservation of aggressive behavior among different animal species, these are novel candidate genes for future study in other animals, including humans. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2503892 Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:00:00 +0100 2503892 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2455983&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F28 Conclusion: The novel rhodopsin G-protein coupled receptor-like gene subfamilies identified here do not have closely related identifiable orthologs in other metazoans, suggesting that they arose by a lineage-specific expansion as has been observed in chemosensory receptor families in other bilaterians. These candidate chemosensory receptors are expressed and often restricted to rhinophores and oral tentacles, lending support to the notion that water-borne chemical detection in Aplysia involves species- or lineage-specific families of chemosensory receptors. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2455983 Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2455983 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2446225&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F27 Conclusions: Resilin is progressively bent as a flagellum is abducted and resumes its natural shape when the joint recoils. Other distortions of the exopodites may also contribute to this spring-like action. The joint is therefore controlled by a single abductor muscle operating against a spring in which the elastic properties of resilin play a key role. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2446225 Fri, 29 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2446225 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2436189&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F26 Conclusion: Although the sequence similarity between the S. cerevisiae Q/N-rich prion determinants and the P. methanolica prion domain is low, we find that the chimera containing the prion domain of P. methanolica can occasionally be cross-seeded by [PSI+] to mimic crossing the species barrier, to form the [CHI+PM] prion. Our data suggests that crossing the barrier occurs by a de novo formation of the foreign chimeric prion. Thus, the species barrier appears to be crossed by a heterologous seeding mechanism, wherein the infected prion protein uses the pre-existing seed as an inefficient template. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2436189 Tue, 26 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2436189 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2432141&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F25 Conclusion: We show that AP-2a plays an essential role in cell movement via the activation of cell-specific genetic programmes. Moreover, we demonstrate that the AP-2a regulated gene Axl is an essential player in GN-11 neuron migration. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2432141 Fri, 22 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2432141 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2426929&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F24 Conclusions: These results indicate that HMGA1 is an important modulator of RBP4 gene expression in vivo. Further, they provide evidence for the identification of a novel biochemical pathway involving the cAMP-HMGA1-RBP4 system, whose activation may play a role in glucose homeostasis in both rodents and humans. Elucidating these mechanisms has importance for both fundamental biology and therapeutic implications. Results: We first show that HMGA1 is needed for basal and cAMP-induced retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4) gene and protein expression in living cells of both human and mouse origin. Then, by employing the Hmga1-knockout mouse model, we provide evidence for the identification of a novel biochemical pathway involving HMGA1 and the RBP4, whose activation by the cAMP-signaling pathway ma... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2426929 Thu, 21 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2426929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2413139&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F23 Conclusion: We conclude that for recently evolved exons the noisy splicing model is the better explanation of their properties, while for ancient exons the nonsense-mediated decay regulated gene expression is a viable explanation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2413139 Thu, 14 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2413139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2413140&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F22 Conclusion: Recently the hypothesis that many antimicrobial peptides act on internal targets to kill the bacterium has been discussed. Here, we demonstrate that the target sites of Sushi 1 are outer and inner membranes and are not cytosolic. Further, our findings suggest four successive steps of the bactericidal process: 1) Binding, mediated mainly by charged residues in the peptide; 2) Peptide association, as peptide concentration increases evidenced by a change in diffusive behavior; 3) Membrane disruption, during which lipopolysaccharide is not released; and 4) Lysis, by leakage of cytosolic content through large membrane defects. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2413140 Mon, 11 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2413140 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2396761&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F19 Conclusion: Altogether, our data suggests that the head cyst cell adheres to the maturing spermatid heads through F-actin-based extensions, thus maintaining them in a tight bundle. This is likely to regulate mature sperm release into the seminal vesicle. Overall, this process bears resemblance to mammalian spermiation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2396761 Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2396761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2396760&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F20 The expansion of genome sequencing projects has produced accumulating evidence for lateral transfer of genes between prokaryotic and eukaryotic genomes. However, it remains controversial whether these genes are of functional importance in their recipient host. Nikoh and Nakabachi, in a recent paper in BMC Biology, take a first step and show that two genes of bacterial origin are highly expressed in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Active gene expression of transferred genes is supported by three other recent studies. Future studies should reveal whether functional proteins are produced and whether and how these are targeted to the appropriate compartment. We argue that the transfer of genes between hosts and symbionts may occasionally be of great evolutionary importance, particularly in ... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2396760 Tue, 05 May 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2396760 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2374201&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F17 Conclusion: The expression of the calcium receptor is sufficient to confer the regulation of parathyroid hormone gene expression to these heterologous cells. The calcium receptor decreases parathyroid hormone gene expression in these engineered cells through the parathyroid hormone mRNA 3'-UTR cis element and the balanced interactions of the trans-acting factors KSRP and AUF1 with parathyroid hormone mRNA, as in vivo in the parathyroid. This is the first demonstration that the calcium receptor can regulate parathyroid hormone gene expression in heterologous cells. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2374201 Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2374201 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2324428&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F14 Conclusions: The results link key behavioral traits with gene expression profiles in brain that differentiate migratory from summer butterflies and thus show that seasonal changes in genomic function help define the migratory state. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2324428 Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2324428 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258005&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F12 Conclusions: In this study, we obtained several lines of evidence indicating that aphids acquired genes from bacteria via lateral gene transfer and that these genes are used to maintain the obligately mutualistic bacterium, Buchnera. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258005 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2258005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2258004&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F13 Conclusions: The ancestor of the Agaricomycetes could not have been an ECM species because it existed long before any of its potential hosts. Within more derived clades of Agaricomycetes, there have been at least eight independent origins of ECM associations involving angiosperms, and at least six to eight origins of associations with gymnosperms. The first ECM symbioses may have involved Pinaceae, which are older than rosids, but several major clades of Agaricomycetes, such as the Boletales and Russulales, are young enough to have been plesiomorphically associated with either rosids or Pinaceae, suggesting that some contemporary ECM partnerships could be of very ancient origin. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2258004 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:00:00 +0100 2258004 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2231736&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F10 Conclusions: In this study we used an integrative approach to characterise the male sex pheromone in a moth. Interestingly, the male chemical signal is analogous to the female signal in that structurally similar compounds are being used by both sexes. Hence, in systems where both sexes possess display traits, the pleiotropy of genes generating the traits could influence the evolutionary trajectories of sexual signals and lead to their divergence, with speciation being the ultimate result. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2231736 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2231736 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2100580&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F7%2F1 Conclusions: Many new candidate gene sequences were discovered for the first time and these will greatly enable future studies of wound healing, epigenetics, genome stability, and nerve-dependent blastema formation and outgrowth using the axolotl model. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2100580 Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:00:00 +0100 2100580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2045776&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F55 Conclusions: This study outlines North American Psoraleeae as a model example of a recent, rapid radiation. Diversification rate shifts in NAm Psoraleeae are not due to current climate regimes as represented by habitat, but instead to past global climate change resulting from Quaternary glaciations. NAm Psoraleeae diversification is a good example of how earthly dynamics including global climate change and topography work together to shape biodiversity. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2045776 Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2045776 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039343&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F53 BMC Biology launched in November 2003, under the stewardship of Peter Newmark and an international Editorial Board as the flagship open access biology journal in the BMC series, publishing research of general interest and special importance across the biological sciences. The aim was to bridge a gap between the premier journal, Journal of Biology, a home for exceptional research, and the established specialist titles in the BMC series such as BMC Bioinformatics, by providing a more selective home for articles of broader interest. As BMC Biology's fifth birthday is upon us, it has secured its position within the BMC-series stable with an impressive debut impact factor of, appropriately, five! (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039343 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2039343 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039342&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F54 Conclusions: Molecular phylogenetic dating analyses of this large pan African clade of Annonaceae unravels an interesting pattern of diversification for rain forest restricted trees co-occurring in West/Central and East African rain forests. Our results suggest that repeated reconnections between the West/Central and East African rain forest blocks allowed for biotic exchange while the break-ups induced speciation via vicariance enhancing the levels of endemicity. These results provide an explanation for present day distribution patterns and origins of endemicity for African rain forests trees. Moreover, given the pre-Pleistocene origins of all the studied endemic East African genera and species, these results also offer important insights for setting conservation priorities in these highl... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039342 Tue, 16 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2039342 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2039344&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F52 Conclusions: The overall conservation of ASH mediated polymodal nociception suggests that it is an ancestral evolutionarily stable feature of sensation. However, the finding that contribution from non-ASH sensory neurons mediates polymodal nociception in some nematode species suggests that even in conserved sensory behaviors, the cellular response network is dynamic over evolutionary time, perhaps shaped by adaptation of each species to its environment. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2039344 Mon, 15 Dec 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2039344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2013293&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F50 Conclusion: Since cuticular hydrocarbons play a critical role in nestmate recognition and other social interactions in a wide variety of insect species, modulation of such chemical profiles by the activation of the immune system could play a crucial role in the social regulation of pathogen dissemination within the colony. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2013293 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 2013293 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1968246&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F50 Conclusion: Since cuticular hydrocarbons play a critical role in nestmate recognition and other social interactions in a wide variety of insect species, modulation of such chemical profiles by the activation of the immune system could play a crucial role in the social regulation of pathogen dissemination within the colony. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1968246 Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1968246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1951331&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F49 Conclusions: A comprehensive functional analysis of housekeeping and tissue specific genes showed that the biological function of housekeeping and tissue-specific genes were consistent with tissue origin. Network analysis revealed that tissue-specific networks have distinct network properties related to each tissue's function. Tissue "signature networks" promise to be a rich source of targets and biomarkers for disease treatment and diagnosis. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1951331 Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1951331 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933735&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F46 Conclusion: Our results suggest that dispersal is a very important factor maintaining genetic diversity. Even at a very local spatial scale in a metapopulation consisting of large high-density populations interconnected by considerable dispersal rates, genetic diversity can be decreased and directly affect the fitness of individuals. From a biodiversity conservation perspective, this study clearly shows the benefits of both in-depth demographic and genetic analyses. Accordingly, to ensure the long-term survival of populations, conservation actions should not be blindly based on patch area and structural isolation. This result may be especially pertinent for species at their range margins, particularly in this era of rapid environmental change. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933735 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933735 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1933734&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F47 (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1933734 Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1933734 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1894284&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F44 Conclusions: In other model vertebrates, genetic pathways controlling lens development robustly compartmentalise the lens into a simple, undifferentiated, proliferative anterior epithelium, and quiescent, anuclear, terminally differentiated posterior lens fibres. These pathways are not as robust in the mole, and lead to loss of the anterior epithelial phenotype and only partial differentiation of the lens fibres, which continue to express 'epithelial' genes. Paradigms of genetic regulatory networks developed in other vertebrates appear not to hold true for the Iberian mole. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1894284 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1894284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1840531&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F41 Conclusions: Calculations showed that the resilin itself could only store 1% to 2% of the energy required for jumping. The stiffer cuticular parts of the pleural arches could, however, easily meet all the energy storage needs. The composite structure therefore, combines the stiffness of the chitinous cuticle with the elasticity of resilin. Muscle contractions bend the chitinous cuticle with little deformation and therefore, store the energy needed for jumping, while the resilin rapidly returns its stored energy and thus restores the body to its original shape after a jump and allows repeated jumping. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1840531 Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1840531 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1791544&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F40 Conclusions: The 2A peptide efficiently mediates co-translational cleavage in transgenic mice in which it has been inherited through the germ-line. Mice expressing it ubiquitously throughout development and into adulthood appear normal. It is therefore a viable tool for use in genetically engineered mice and represents a superior alternative to the widely used internal ribosomal entry site. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1791544 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1791544 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1630641&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F31 Conclusion: We identified a cryptic promoter in exon 1 of the SPG4 gene that selectively drives the expression of the 60-kDa spastin isoform in a tissue-regulated manner. These data may have implications for the understanding of the biology of spastin and the pathogenic basis of hereditary spastic paraplegia. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1630641 Wed, 09 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1630641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1630642&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F30 Conclusion: We have demonstrated the use of a high-throughput sequencing methodology to efficiently produce a snap-shot of transcriptional activities occurring in the first larval stage of C. elegans development. Such application of this new sequencing technique allows for high-throughput, genome-wide experimental verification of known and novel transcripts. This study provides a more complete C. elegans transcriptome profile and, furthermore, gives insight into the evolutionary and biological complexity of this organism. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1630642 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1630642 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1542092&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F27 Conclusions: This extensive survey demonstrates that at least a third of arthropod species are infected by a diverse assemblage of maternally inherited bacteria that are likely to strongly influence their hosts' biology, and indicates an urgent need to establish the nature of the interaction between non-Wolbachia bacteria and their hosts. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1542092 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1542092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1507487&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F26 Conclusions: This is the first molecular identification of plant As(III) transport systems and we propose that metalloid transport through NIPs is a conserved and ancient feature. Our observations are potentially of great importance for improved remediation and tolerance of plants, and may provide a key to the development of low arsenic crops for food production. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1507487 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1507487 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1507488&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F24 Conclusion: Overall, the results are consistent with unique modes of aging and its modification by CR in testis and ovary. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1507488 Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1507488 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1465372&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F22 Conclusions: Differences in visual sensitivities among species of Lake Malawi cichlids arise through heterochronic shifts relative to the ontogenetic pattern of the tilapia outgroup. Heterochrony has previously been shown to be a powerful mechanism for change in morphological evolution. We found that altering developmental expression patterns is also an important mechanism for altering sensory systems. These resulting sensory shifts will have major impacts on visual communication and could help drive cichlid speciation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1465372 Fri, 23 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1465372 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1453908&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F19 Conclusion: Our results provide the first evidence for a specific relevance of social calls for speciation in cryptic primates. They furthermore support that specific differences in signalling and recognition systems represent an efficient premating isolation mechanism contributing to species cohesiveness in sympatrically living species. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1453908 Wed, 07 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1453908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1413326&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F18 Conclusions: Comparative analysis of our map with published maps from representative species of other placental orders, including Scandentia, Primates, Lagomorpha and Rodentia, suggests a signature rearrangement (HSA2q/21 association) that links Scandentia and Dermoptera to one sister clade. Our results thus provide new evidence for the hypothesis that Scandentia and Dermoptera have a closer phylogenetic relationship to each other than either of them has to Primates. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1413326 Thu, 01 May 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1413326 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1388605&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F17 Conclusions: These findings strongly suggest that the brown fat differentiation pathway evolved in a common ancestor of birds and mammals and its thermogenicity was lost in the avian lineage, with the degradation of UCP1, after it separated from the mammalian lineage. Since this event occurred no later than the saurian ancestor of birds and lizards, an implication of this is that dinosaurs had neither UCP1 nor canonically thermogenic brown fat. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1388605 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1388605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1376490&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F16 Conclusions: Our results indicate that allopolyploidization entails significant homoeolog expression modulation, both immediately as a consequence of genomic merger, and secondarily as a result of long-term evolutionary transformations in duplicate gene expression. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1376490 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:00:00 +0100 1376490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1283322&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F13 Conclusions: Based on the results of our mutagenesis study, we conclude that the two histidine residues in close proximity to the chromophore are approximately equal determinants of the blue shifted fluorescence emission of mTFP1. With respect to live cell imaging applications, the mTFP1-derived mWasabi should be particularly useful in two-color imaging in conjunction with a Sapphire-type variant or as a FRET acceptor with a BFP donor. In all fusions attempted, both mTFP1 and mWasabi give patterns of fluorescent localization indistinguishable from that of well-established avGFP variants. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1283322 Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1283322 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1257792&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F11 Conclusions: The three methodological approaches gave consistent and complementary results. All joint evidence supports the inference that the 14 introduced populations of L. neglectus in Europe likely arose from only very few independent introductions from the native range, and that new infestations were typically started through introductions from other invasive populations. This indicates that existing introduced populations have a very high invasive potential when the ants are inadvertently spread by human transport. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1257792 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1257792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1233025&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F10 Conclusions: Combined with information from the fossil record, our phylogenetic and dating analyses suggest that mustelid diversification may have been spurred by a combination of faunal turnover events and diversification at lower trophic levels, ultimately caused by climatically-driven environmental changes. Our biogeographic analyses show Eurasia as the center of origin of mustelid diversity and that mustelids in Africa, North America and South America have been assembled over time largely via dispersal, which has important implications for understanding the ecology of mustelid communities. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1233025 Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1233025 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1224929&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F8 Conclusion: Prion infection, or the addition of PrPSc, increased the free cholesterol content of cells, a process that could not be replicated by the stimulation of cholesterol synthesis. The presence of PrPSc increased solubilisation of free cholesterol in cell membranes and affected their function. It increased activation of the PLA2 pathway, previously implicated in PrPSc formation and in PrPSc-mediated neurotoxicity. These observations suggest that the neuropathogenesis of prion diseases results from PrPSc altering cholesterol-sensitive processes. Furthermore, they raise the possibility that disturbances in membrane cholesterol are major triggering events in neurodegenerative diseases. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1224929 Tue, 12 Feb 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1224929 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1189873&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F7 Conclusions: The data gathered here provide evidence for multiple invasions of the volcanic cave systems that have acted as refuges. A re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of the extant species of Palmorchestia is needed, as the division of the two species by habitat and ecology is unnatural. The information obtained here, and that from previous studies on hypogean fauna, shows the importance of factors such as the uncoupling of morphological and genetic evolution, the role of climatic change, and regressive evolution as key processes in leading to subterranean biodiversity. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1189873 Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1189873 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1182650&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F6 Conclusions: The 'rock-clock' gap has been interpreted by some to be a result of the vagaries of molecular genetic divergence time estimates. However, despite measures to explore different forms of uncertainty in several key parameters, we fail to reconcile molecular genetic divergence time estimates with dates taken from the fossil record; instead, we find strong support for an ancient origin of modern bird lineages, with many extant orders and families arising in the mid-Cretaceous, consistent with previous molecular estimates. Although there is ample room for improvement on both sides of the 'rock-clock' divide (e.g. accounting for 'ghost' lineages in the fossil record, and developing more realistic models of rate evolution for molecular genetic sequences), the consistent and conspicuou... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1182650 Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1182650 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1169221&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F5 Conclusions: Modification of Hsp70 copy number quantitatively and qualitatively affects the expression of multiple other stress response genes. A positive association between absolute expression levels of Hsp70 and other Hsps after thermal pretreatment suggests novel regulatory mechanisms. Severe heat shocks induce both novel gene expression patterns and almost total mortality in the Hsp70 null strain: Alteration of gene expression in this strain does not compensate for Hsp70 loss but suggests candidates for overexpression studies. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1169221 Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1169221 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155594&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F3 Conclusion: Our results provide the first evidence for sex-specific asymmetries for conspecific communication sound perception in non-human primates. Furthermore, they suggest that hemispheric dominance for communication sound processing evolved before handedness and independently from each other. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155594 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1155594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155593&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F4 Conclusions: The current results suggest that changes of tinnitus intensity induced by RI are mediated by alterations in the pathological patterns of spontaneous brain activity, specifically a reduction of delta activity. Delta activity is a characteristic oscillatory activity generated by deafferented/deprived neuronal networks. This implies that RI effects might reflect the transient reestablishment of balance between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal assemblies via reafferentation, that has been perturbed (in most tinnitus individuals) by a hearing damage. Since enhancements have been reported in the delta frequency band for tinnitus at rest, this result conforms to our assumption that a normalization of oscillatory properties of cortical networks is a prerequisite for attenuating the ... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155593 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1155593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1152198&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F2 Conclusion: The TMD oligomer anchors the fusion protein in the membrane with minimal destabilization to the membrane. Upon associating with FP, the complex exerts a synergistic effect on the membrane perturbation. This effect is likely to contribute to the complete membrane fusion during the late phase of fusion protein-induced fusion cascade. The results presented in the work characterize the nature of the interaction of TMD with the membrane and TMD in a complex with FP in the steps leading to pore initiation and dilation during virus-induced fusion. Our data and proposed fusion model highlight the key role of TMD-FP interaction and have implications on the fusion reaction mediated by other type I viral fusion proteins. Understanding the molecular mechanism of membrane fusion may assist ... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1152198 Tue, 15 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1152198 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1149490&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F6%2F1 Conclusion: Our results establish that Notch does not need to be O-fucosylated for fringe-independent Notch signaling in Drosophila; the chaperone activity of OFUT1 is sufficient for the generation of functional Notch. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1149490 Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:00:00 +0100 1149490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1092831&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F55 Conclusion: Some morphological characters traditionally used to define major taxonomic splits within Cuscuta are homoplastic and are of limited use in defining true evolutionary groups. Chloroplast genome evolution seems to have evolved in a punctuated fashion, with episodes of loss involving suites of genes or tRNAs followed by stabilization of gene content in major clades. Nearly all species of Cuscuta retain some photosynthetic ability, most likely for nutrient apportionment to their seeds, while complete loss of photosynthesis and possible loss of the entire chloroplast genome is limited to a single small clade of outcrossing species found primarily in western South America. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1092831 Thu, 13 Dec 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1092831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1051063&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F53 Conclusion: Dynacortin contributes to cell polarization during chemotaxis. By crosslinking and possibly stabilizing actin polymers, dynacortin also contributes to cortical viscoelasticity, which may be critical for establishing cell polarity. Though not essential for directional sensing or motility, dynacortin is required to establish cell polarity, the third core feature of chemotaxis. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1051063 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1051063 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1028103&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F51 Conclusion: We conclude that modifications of existing signal transduction mechanisms might have evolved in the haplochromine lineage in association with the origination of anal fin egg-dummies. That positive selection has acted during the evolution of a color gene that seems to be involved in the morphogenesis of a sexually selected trait, the egg-dummies, highlights the importance of further investigations of the comparative genomic basis of the phenotypic diversification of cichlid fishes. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1028103 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1028103 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1028102&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F52 Conclusions: The decrements of auditory evoked neural activities during simultaneous masking can be explained by neural interactions evoked by masker and test stimulus in peripheral and central auditory systems. The inter-hemispheric differences of N1m decrements during ipsi- and contra-lateral masking reflect a basic hemispheric specialization contributing to the processing of complex auditory stimuli like speech signals in noisy environments. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1028102 Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1028102 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1026854&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F50 Conclusion: Considering both molecular (QTL) and phenotypic (selection response) data, as suggested in this work, provides additional insights into the genetic mechanisms involved in the response to selection. Such dissection of genetic architectures and in-depth studies of their ability to contribute to short- or long-term selection response represents an important step towards a better understanding of the genetic bases of complex traits and, consequently, of the evolutionary properties of populations. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1026854 Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0100 1026854 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=991659&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F48 Conclusions: Our results show that endosymbiotic Blochmannia nutritionally upgrade the diet of C. floridanus hosts to provide essential amino acids, and that it may also play a role in nitrogen recycling via its functional urease. Blochmannia may confer a significant fitness advantage via nutritional upgrading by enhancing competitive ability of Camponotus with other ant species lacking such an endosymbiont. Domestication of the endosymbiont may have facilitated the evolutionary success the genus of Camponotus. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=991659 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 991659 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=955878&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F46 Conclusions: The presented visualization approach is suitable for an intuitive interpretation of simulation data of metabolic networks under dynamic as well as steady-state conditions. Huge amounts of simulation data can be analyzed in a quick and comprehensive way. An extended time-resolved graphical network presentation provides a series of information about regulatory interaction within the biological system under investigation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=955878 Tue, 16 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 955878 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=938528&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F43 Conclusions: The key contribution of MAPPIS is in discovering the 3D patterns of physico-chemical interactions. The detected patterns describe the conserved binding organizations which involve energetically important hot spot residues and are crucial for the protein-protein associations.Availabilityhttp://bioinfo3d.cs.tau.ac.il/mappis/ (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=938528 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 938528 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=938527&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F44 Conclusions: The PSI-MI XML2.5 and MITAB2.5 formats have been jointly developed by interaction data producers and providers from both the academic and commercial sector, and are already widely implemented and well supported by an active development community. PSI-MI XML2.5 enables the description of highly detailed molecular interaction data and facilitates data exchange between databases and users without loss of information. MITAB2.5 is a simpler format appropriate for fast Perl parsing or loading into Microsoft Excel. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=938527 Tue, 09 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0100 938527 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=906979&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F41 Conclusions: The dinoflagellate mitochondrial genome shares the same gene complement and fragmentation of rRNA genes with its apicomplexan counterpart. However, it also exhibits several unique characteristics. Most notable are the expansion of gene copy numbers and their arrangements within the genome, RNA editing, loss of stop codons, and use of trans-splicing. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=906979 Thu, 27 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 906979 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886123&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F40 Conclusions: The pronounced sex difference in gene expression is likely to contribute to sexual dimorphism among birds, and potentially has implication to avian sex determination. Importantly, this report, together with a recent study of sex-biased expression in somatic tissue of chicken, demonstrates the first example of an organism with a lack global dosage compensation, providing an unexpected case of a viable system with large-scale imbalance in gene expression between sexes. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886123 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 886123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=885138&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F38 Conclusion: We have found an intriguing new association of the Hat1p-dependent histone acetyltransferase besides its previously known role in nuclear chromatin assembly (Hat1p/Hat2p-Hif1p). The participation of a distinct Hat1p/Hat2p sub-complex suggests a linkage of histone H4 modification with ORC-dependent DNA replication. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=885138 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 885138 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=877247&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F37 The parvulin-type peptidyl prolyl cis/trans isomerase Par14 is highly conserved in all metazoans. The recently identified parvulin Par17 contains an additional N-terminal domain whose occurrence and function was the focus of the present study. Based on the observation that the human genome encodes Par17, but bovine and rodent genomes do not, Par17 exon sequences from 10 different primate species were cloned and sequenced. Par17 is encoded in the genomes of Hominidae species including humans but absent from other mammalian species. In contrast to Par14, endogenous Par17 was found in mitochondrial and membrane fractions of human cell lysates. Fluorescence of EGFP fusions of Par17, but not Par14, co-localized with mitochondrial staining. Par14 and Par17 associated with isolated human, rat and... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=877247 Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 877247 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=869288&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F36 Conclusions: The extracellular domain structure and absence of recognizable cytoplasmic signaling motifs in members of the highly conserved FIGLER gene family suggest a trophic or cell adhesion function for these molecules. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=869288 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 04:00:00 +0100 869288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=804338&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F34 Conclusion: FishNet contains more than 36,000 images of larval zebrafish, with more than 1,500 of these being annotated. The 3D models can be manipulated on screen or virtually sectioned. This resource represents the first complete embryo to adult atlas for any species in 3D. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=804338 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 804338 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=785499&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F33 Conclusions: Our data provide the first evidence of Hydins role within the axoneme, and reveal central pair anomalies and thus impairment of ependymal ciliary motility as the likely cause of the hydrocephalus observed in the hy3 mouse. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=785499 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 04:00:00 +0100 785499 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=767042&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F32 Conclusions: Conservation of uORF amino acid sequence, association with homologous mORFs over long evolutionary time periods, preferential retention after whole genome duplications, and preferential association with mORFs coding for transcription factors suggest that the conserved peptide uORFs identified in this study are strong candidates for translational controllers of regulatory genes. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=767042 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 767042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=757695&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F30 Conclusions: The presence of these barriers to gene flow that coincide with profound changes in oceanographic features, together with the spatial variation in IBD strength, provide for the first time strong evidence that physical processes have a major impact on the demographic and genetic structure of a cetacean. This genetic pattern further suggests habitat-related fragmentation of the porpoise range that is likely to intensify with predicted surface ocean warming. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=757695 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 757695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=757694&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F31 Conclusions: These results support a scenario in which duplicate genes are retained through a process of subfunctionalization and/or relaxation of constraint on both copies of an ancestral gene. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=757694 Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 757694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=740345&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F29 Conclusions: Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon may contribute to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that exist in large populations. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=740345 Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:00:00 +0100 740345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=686675&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F26 Conclusions: A gene for plastid-targeted FBA has been transferred from red algae to cyanobacteria, where it has inserted itself beside its non-homologous, functional analogue. Its current distribution in Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus is punctate, suggesting a complex history since its introduction to this group. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=686675 Wed, 20 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 686675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=681762&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F25 Conclusions: Our computational predictions strongly suggest that yeasts harbour a substantial pool of several hundred novel ncRNAs. In addition, we described a large number of RNA structures in coding sequences and also within antisense transcripts that were previously characterized using tiling arrays. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=681762 Mon, 18 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 681762 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=671992&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F24 Conclusions: This study showed that DNA arrays and DNA barcodes are valuable molecular methods for biodiversity monitoring programs. Both approaches were capable of discriminating among mammalian species in our test assemblages. However, because designing DNA arrays require advance knowledge of target sequences, the use of this approach could be limited in large scale monitoring programs where unknown haplotypes might be encountered. DNA barcodes, by contrast, are sequencing-based and therefore could provide more flexibility in large-scale studies. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=671992 Wed, 13 Jun 2007 04:00:00 +0100 671992 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610345&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F23 Conclusions: Despite research on various aspects of development originating from model systems, growth in understanding how development is related to phenotypic diversity relies on a growing literature of contrasting studies in non-model systems. In this study, we found that comparisons of patterns of gene expression with model systems highlighted areas of conserved and convergent developmental evolution across diverse taxa. Indeed, conserved biological functions across species implicated key functions related to how phenotypes are built. Finally, overall differences between social insect taxa suggest that the independent evolution of caste arose via distinct developmental trajectories. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610345 Tue, 15 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610347&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F20 Conclusions: Sexual selection on males and social selection on females have exerted different effects on primate brain architecture. Species with a higher degree of male intrasexual selection carry a neural signature of an evolutionary history centered on physical conflicts, but no traces of increased demands on socio-cognitive tasks. Conversely, female sociality is indicated to have driven the evolution of socio-cognitive skills. Primate brain architecture is therefore likely to be a product of ecological and species-specific social factors as well as different sex-specific selection pressures. Our results also highlight the need for acquisition and analysis of sex-specific brain components in mammals. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610347 Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610346&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F21 The claim that differences in brain size across primate species has mainly been driven by the demands of sociality (the "social brain" hypothesis) is now widely accepted. Some of the evidence to support this comes from the fact that species that live in large social groups have larger brains, and in particular larger neocortices. Lindenfors and colleagues (BMC Biology 5:20) add significantly to our appreciation of this process by showing that there are striking differences between the two sexes in the social mechanisms and brain units involved. Female sociality (which is more affiliative) is related most closely to neocortex volume, but male sociality (which is more competitive and combative) is more closely related to subcortical units (notably those associated with emotional responses). ... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610346 Thu, 10 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610349&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F18 Conclusions: These findings show explicitly that in mammals: (i) volume-specific scaling exponents of the cerebral energy expenditure in different brain parts are approximately constant (except brain stem structures), and (ii) the total cerebral metabolic exponent against brain volume is greater than the much-cited Kleiber's 3/4 exponent. The neurophysiological factors that might account for the regional uniformity of the exponents and for the excessive scaling of the total brain metabolism are discussed, along with the relationship between brain metabolic scaling and computation. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610349 Wed, 09 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610349 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610348&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F19 Conclusion: Naturally occurring genetic polymorphisms in the Ncf1 gene modulate the activity of the NADPH oxidase complex, which strongly regulates the severity of arthritis. We now show that the Ncf1 allele that enhances oxidative burst and protects against arthritis is operating through an Ifn-beta-associated pathway, whereas the arthritis driving allele operates through an Ifn-gamma-associated pathway. Treatment of arthritis-susceptible rats with an NADPH oxidase activating substance, phytol, protects against arthritis. Interestingly, the treatment leads to a restoration of the oxidative burst effect and induction of a strikingly similar Inf-beta-dependent pathway as seen with the disease-protective Ncf1 polymorphism. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610348 Wed, 09 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610348 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=610350&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F17 Conclusions: Our simulation results show that I-TASSER can consistently predict the correct folds and sometimes high-resolution models for small single-domain proteins. Compared with other ab initio modeling methods such as ROSETTA and TOUCHSTONE II, the average performance of I-TASSER is either much better or is similar within a lower computational time. These data, together with the significant performance of automated I-TASSER server (the Zhang-Server) in the 'free modeling' section of the recent Critical Assessment of Structure Prediction (CASP)7 experiment, demonstrate new progresses in automated ab initio model generation. The I-TASSER server is freely available for academic users (http://zhang.bioinformatics.ku.edu/I-TASSER). (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=610350 Tue, 08 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 610350 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=573166&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F16 Conclusions: The results implicate correlated activity between the cortex and the striatum, especially the nucleus accumbens core and the basolateral amygdala, in the generation of a conditioned motivated state that may promote excessive food intake. The upregulation of a number of genes in unique patterns within corticostriatal, thalamic, and hypothalamic networks suggests that food cues are capable of powerfully altering neuronal processing in areas mediating the integration of emotion, cognition, arousal, and the regulation of energy balance. As many of these genes play a role in plasticity, their upregulation within these circuits may also indicate the neuroanatomic and transcriptional correlates of extinction learning. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=573166 Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 573166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=542955&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F15 Conclusions: The mammalian Pygopus genes are required for normal branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud during kidney development. Nevertheless, the relatively mild phenotype observed in the kidney, as well as other organ systems, indicates a striking evolutionary divergence of Pygopus function between mammals and Drosophila. In mammals the Pygo1/Pygo2 genes are not absolutely required for canonical Wnt signaling in most developing systems, but rather function as quantitative transducers, or modulators, of Wnt signal intensity. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=542955 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 04:00:00 +0100 542955 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=515308&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F14 Conclusion: The experimental evidence presented in this work supports a novel role for RecA: the promotion of swarming motility. The defective swarming migration of DrecA cells does not appear to be associated with defective flagellar production; rather, it seems to be associated with an abnormal flagellar propulsion function. Our results strongly suggest that the RecA effect on swarming motility does not require an extensive canonical RecA nucleofilament formation. RecA is the first reported cellular factor specifically affecting swarming but not swimming motility in E. coli. The integration of two apparently disconnected biologically important processes, such as the maintenance of genome integrity and motility in a unique protein, may have important evolutive consequences. (Source: BMC B... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=515308 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 515308 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=501800&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F13 After the publication of this work (Ely et al BMC Biology 4:34), we became aware that AFDIL data set used to construct our database of sub-Saharan mtDNA sequences had been mislabelled, and in fact, did not contain Sierra Leone mtDNA sequences. We have obtained the correct Sierra Leone data set from AFDIL, reconstructed the database using the new file, and reanalyzed all of the data. The size of our database was reduced from 3725 to 3717 since the new Sierra Leone data set contained 109 sequences instead of 117 in the mislabelled data set. The swapping of data sets resulted in a cascade of minor corrections to Tables 2 3, 4, 5, and 6. We also corrected an error in the entry for BAM013 in Table 7. However, the only major change was that there were a number of matches of African-American sequ... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=501800 Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 501800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=501801&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F12 Conclusions: : The SDHA gene has a strong signature of balancing selection. The SDHA variants that have increased in frequency during human evolution might confer protection against certain environmental toxins or pathogens that are prevalent in Africa by influencing the regulation of cellular oxygen homeostasis. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=501801 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 501801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=483761&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F10 Conclusions: Rheb-TOR signaling controls S2 cell growth by promoting ribosome production and protein synthesis, but apparently not by direct effects on the import of amino acids or glucose. The effect of insulin signaling upon TOR activity varies according to cellular type and context. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=483761 Mon, 19 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 483761 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=483765&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F8 Conclusions: The identification of the bird filmed in Arkansas in April 2004 as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker is best regarded as unsafe. The similarities between the Arkansas bird and known Pileated Woodpeckers suggest that it was most likely a Pileated Woodpecker. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=483765 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 483765 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=483763&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F9 Conclusion: The Spiroplasma kills male Drosophila in a narrow developmental period, shortly after the formation of the host dosage compensation complex that is required for male-killing. Male death is preceded by widespread apoptosis, but it is uncertain if this is primary or secondary apoptosis. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=483763 Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100 483763 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=469908&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F7 Conclusions: Reconciliation analysis determines that there are two alternative explanations that account for the current distribution of anthropoid primate lice. The more parsimonious of the two solutions suggests that a Pthirus species switched from gorillas to humans. This analysis assumes that the divergence between Pediculus and Pthirus was contemporaneous with the split (i.e., a node of cospeciation) between gorillas and the lineage leading to chimpanzees and humans. Divergence date estimates, however, show that the nodes in the host and parasite trees are not contemporaneous. Rather, the shared coevolutionary history of the anthropoid primates and their lice contains a mixture of evolutionary events including cospeciation, parasite duplication, parasite extinction, and host switching... BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=469908 Wed, 07 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100 469908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=469912&cid=s_34021_62_f&fid=34021&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.biomedcentral.com%2F1741-7007%2F5%2F6 Conclusions: Synchrotron phase-contrast x-ray imaging has the potential to revolutionize the study of physiology and internal biomechanics in small animals. This is the only generally applicable technique that has the necessary spatial and temporal resolutions, penetrating power, and sensitivity to soft tissue that is required to visualize the internal physiology of living animals on the scale from millimeters to microns. (Source: BMC Biology - Latest articles) BMC Biology - Latest articles journals http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=469912 Thu, 01 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100 469912