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The gene complement of the ancestral bilaterian - was Urbilateria a monster?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Expressed sequence tag analyses of the annelid Pomatoceros lamarckii, recently published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, are consistent with less extensive gene loss in the Lophotrochozoa than in the Ecdysozoa, but it would be premature to generalize about patterns of gene loss on the basis of the limited data available.See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/9/240. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - November 19, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The nature of cell-cycle checkpoints: facts and fallaciesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The concept of checkpoint controls revolutionized our understanding of the cell cycle. Here we revisit the defining features of checkpoints and argue that failure to properly appreciate the concept is leading to misinterpretation of experimental results. We illustrate, using the mitotic checkpoint, problems that can arise from a failure to respect strict definitions and precise terminology. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - November 16, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

An expanded evolutionary role for flower symmetry genesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
CYCLOIDEA (CYC)-like TCP genes are critical for flower developmental patterning. Exciting recent breakthroughs, including a study by Song et al. published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, demonstrate that CYC-like genes have also had an important role in the evolution of flower form.See research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/9/244. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - November 6, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Mechanisms of ubiquitin transfer by the anaphase-promoting complexEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The anaphase-promoting complex (APC) is a ubiquitin-protein ligase required for the completion of mitosis in all eukaryotes. Recent mechanistic studies reveal how this remarkable enzyme combines specificity in substrate binding with flexibility in ubiquitin transfer, thereby allowing the modification of multiple lysines on the substrate as well as specific lysines on ubiquitin itself. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

TEs or not TEs? That is the evolutionary questionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Transposable elements (TEs) have contributed a wide range of functional sequences to their host genomes. A recent paper in BMC Molecular Biology discusses the creation of new transcripts by transposable element insertion upstream of retrocopies and the involvement of such insertions in tissue-specific post-transcriptional regulation. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 22, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Targeting TNF-α for cancer therapyEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
As the tumor vasculature is a key element of the tumor stroma, angiogenesis is the target of many cancer therapies. Recent work published in BMC Cell Biology describes a fusion protein that combines a peptide previously shown to home in on the gastric cancer vasculature with the anti-tumor cytokine TNF-α, and assesses its potential for gastric cancer therapy. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 22, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Ockham's broom: A new seriesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 15, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Molecular machines or pleiomorphic ensembles: signaling complexes revisitedEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Signaling complexes typically consist of highly dynamic molecular ensembles that are challenging to study and to describe accurately. Conventional mechanical descriptions misrepresent this reality and can be actively counterproductive by misdirecting us away from investigating critical issues. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 15, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Q&A: What are pharmacological chaperones and why are they interesting?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Small molecules that stabilize mutant proteins with high specificity can be used to treat protein misfolding and metabolic diseases: in a Q&A highlighting recent successes, Dagmar Ringe and Gregory Petsko explain how. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 12, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Adaptation by introgressionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Both selective and random processes can affect the outcome of natural hybridization. A recent analysis in BMC Evolutionary Biology of natural hybridization between an introduced and a native salamander reveals the mosaic nature of introgression, which is probably caused by a combination of selection and demography. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 12, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Decoding the multifaceted HIV-1 virus-host interactomeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recently in BMC Medical Genomics, Tozeren and colleagues have uncovered virus-host interactions by searching for conserved peptide motifs in HIV and human proteins. Their computational model provides a novel perspective in the interpretation of high-throughput data on the HIV-host interactome. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 12, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The effects of lipids on channel functionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Anionic lipids affect the function of many channels, including connexins, as shown in a recent report in BMC Biology. These effects might follow from direct binding of the anionic lipids to the channels. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 5, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Open questions about influenza A (H1N1) 2009Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - October 1, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Nursing some sense out of MycEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Data recently published in BMC Biology provide insights into the normal physiological function of c-myc in the development and regeneration of the mammary gland and indicate a key role in epithelial cell proliferation, elaboration of ductal alveoli, and the biosynthetic capacity and milk production of the mature organ.See related research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/7/63 (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 27, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Physical forces in myelination and repair: a question of balance?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A recent report in BMC Cell Biology examines how the balance of extracellular forces and intracellular contractions regulate the shape changes required for oligodendrocyte myelination. A failure of remyelination such as seen in multiple sclerosis could be caused by loss of this balance.See related research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2121/10/71 (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 24, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Deciphering the genetic code of morphogenesis using functional genomicsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A fundamental goal of developmental biology is to define the molecular mechanisms that control cell behavior during morphogenesis. A recent study in BMC Biology combines gene expression profiling, bioinformatics and functional analysis to identify genes that shape the Drosophila embryo.See related research article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/7/61 (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 21, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The ‘stem cell’ concept: is it holding us back?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Developmental biology, regenerative medicine and cancer biology are increasingly occupied with the molecular characterization of stem cells. Yet recent work adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that 'stemness' cannot be reduced to the molecular features of cell types, and is instead an emergent property of cell lineages under feedback control. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 20, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Q&A: What have we found out about the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic virus?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Stephen Turner and colleagues follow up their earlier Q&A on influenza A (H1N1) 2009 and ask what we now know about its transmissibility, pathogenicity and variability, and the likelihood of more severe disease in the Northern hemisphere winter. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 17, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Motifs from the deepEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Because of the increasing recognition of the importance of non-coding RNAs in gene regulation, there is considerable interest in identifying RNA motifs in genomic data. In a recent report in BMC Genomics, Breaker and colleagues describe a new algorithm for identifying functional noncoding RNAs in metagenomic sequences of marine organisms, a strategy that may be particularly effective for discovering new and unique riboswitches. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 1, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Complementary pathways in mammalian female sex determinationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In mammals, the sex of the embryo is determined by the fate of the gonad. Recent papers, including one in BMC Developmental Biology, shed light on the molecular regulation of ovarian development and suggest that the R-spondin1/Wnt4/β-catenin pathway and the Foxl2 transcription factor act in a complementary manner to promote ovarian fate and to repress testicular development. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - September 1, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The complex genetic basis of simple behaviorEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Genetic approaches to dissecting complex traits in animal models increasingly use transcript levels as a molecular phenotype and as validation for predictions of gene function. A recent study in BMC Biology using these approaches shows the complexity of the genetic contribution to aggressive behavior in Drosophila. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Insulators as mediators of intra- and inter-chromosomal interactions: a common evolutionary themeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Insulator elements mediate intra- and inter-chromosomal interactions. The insulator protein CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is important for insulator function in several animals but a report in BMC Molecular Biology shows that Caenorhabditis elegans, yeast and plants lack CTCF. Alternative proteins may have a similar function in these organisms. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The absolute pitch mind continues to reveal itselfEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Absolute pitch has proved useful as an alternative perspective from which to investigate various cognitive faculties. A new functional magnetic resonance imaging study published recently in BMC Neuroscience adds new data to the ongoing debate concerning the neural underpinnings of this unusual ability. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Dysregulating the regulatorsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Beyond toxicity: aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated functions in the immune systemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor is a ligand-activated transcriptional regulator that binds dioxin and other exogenous contaminants and is responsible for their toxic effects, including immunosuppression. New evidence suggests, however, that the aryl hydrocarbon receptor has a physiological role in the immune system, and the immunosuppressive effects of dioxin may reflect a more subtle disruption of the regulatory interactions between immune cells. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 16, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Infectious causes of cancer and their detectionEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Molecular techniques for identifying pathogens associated with cancer continue to be developed, including one reported recently in BMC Medical Genomics. Identifying a causal infectious agent helps in understanding the biology of these cancers and can lead ultimately to the development of antimicrobial drugs and vaccines for their treatment and prevention. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 10, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The human spermatozoon – a stripped down but refined machineEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A recent paper in BMC Developmental Biology describes the development of the annulus of the mouse sperm cell, but much remains to be learnt about sperm cells despite their importance in human fertility. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 6, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Parasite immunomodulation and polymorphisms of the immune systemEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Parasites are accomplished evaders of host immunity. Their evasion strategies have shaped every facet of the immune system, driving diversity within gene families and immune gene polymorphisms within populations. New studies published recently in BMC Biology and Journal of Experimental Medicine document parasite-associated immunosuppression in natural populations and suggest that host genetic variants favoring resistance to parasites may be detrimental in the absence of infection. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - August 4, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

From bending DNA to diabetes: the curious case of HMGA1Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although mice lacking the architectural DNA binding factor HMGA1 are diabetic and express very low levels of the insulin receptor, they have increased insulin sensitivity. A study in BMC Biology now suggests that changes in circulating retinol binding protein partly account for this paradox. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

The where and wherefore of evolutionary breakpointsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The 'action' in genome-level evolution lies not in the large gene-containing segments that are conserved among related species, but in the breakpoint regions between these segments. Two recent papers in BMC Genomics detail the pattern of repetitive elements associated with breakpoints and the epigenetic conditions under which breakage occurs. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 23, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Comparative embryology without a microscope: using genomic approaches to understand the evolution of developmentEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Until recently, understanding developmental conservation and change has relied on embryological comparisons and analyses of single genes. Several studies, including one recently published in BMC Biology, have now taken a genomic approach to this classical problem, providing insights into how selection operates differentially across the life cycle. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 20, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Of primordial genomes and cooperative kittensEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 19, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Trees in the Web of LifeEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Reconstructing the 'Tree of Life' is complicated by extensive horizontal gene transfer between diverse groups of organisms. While numerous conceptual and technical obstacles remain, a report in this issue of Journal of Biology from Koonin and colleagues on the largest-scale prokaryotic genomic reconstruction yet attempted shows that such a tree is discernible, although its branches cannot be traced. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 12, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Search for a Tree of Life in the thicket of the phylogenetic forestEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Conclusions: Horizontal gene transfer is pervasive among prokaryotes: very few gene trees are fully consistent, making the original tree of life concept obsolete. A central trend that most probably represents vertical inheritance is discernible throughout the evolution of archaea and bacteria, although compressed cladogenesis complicates unambiguous resolution of the relationships between the major archaeal and bacterial clades. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - July 12, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Pere PuigboYuri WolfEugene Koonin Source Type: journals

Vernalization in cerealsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
How vernalization – exposure to a period of cold – induces flowering in Arabidopsis has been intensively investigated at the genetic and moleular levels. Recent papers, including one in BMC Plant Biology, shed light on changes in gene regulation that occur on vernalization in cereals. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 21, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Clocks, cryptochromes and Monarch migrationsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The annual migration of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) from eastern North America to central Mexico is one of nature's most inspiring spectacles. Recent studies including one in BMC Biology, have begun to dissect the molecular and neurogenetic basis for this most complex behavior. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 17, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Do unicolonial wood ants favor kin?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Vast supercolonies of interconnected nests formed by unicolonial ant species are the largest cooperative groups of animals known. Research published recently in BMC Evolutionary Biology reveals that a supercolony can be more genetically structured than previously thought, comprising several extended families. Surprisingly, the families coexist peacefully, even though they seem to recognize each other as non-kin. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 17, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Q&A: CooperativityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
James Ferrell explains in Q&A format how cooperativity can tune the behaviour of biological macromolecules to their physiological functions, and can be achieved in many different ways. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 15, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Oxidative stress, thermogenesis and evolution of uncoupling proteinsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The uncoupling protein UCP1 provides eutherian mammals with an efficient thermogenic mechanism. Recent work published in BMC Evolutionary Biology, following the identification of UCP1 orthologs in non-eutherians, concludes that this unique function appeared after sequence divergence and purifying selection that allowed functional co-option. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 15, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Influenza: one or two more questionsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 11, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Transcription in mosquito hemocytes in response to pathogen exposureEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Mosquito hemocytes are blood cells that are fundamental for combating systemic infection. A study published in BMC Genomics shows that hemocyte gene transcription in response to immune challenge is pathogen-specific and reaffirms the primary role of these cells in immunity. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - June 5, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Fish ‘n’ TRIMsEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A novel diversified multigene family of tripartite-motif (TRIM) intracellular receptors with putative antiviral activity has been identified in teleost fish and published in BMC Biology. The history of these receptors involves ancient linkage to paralogs of the major histocompatibility complex, and the family has invertebrate precursors. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 29, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Can modular analysis identify disease-associated candidate genes for therapeutics?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Complex diseases such as allergy change gene expression in several cell types and tissues. Benson and colleagues have now shown, in a paper in BMC Systems Biology, that this complexity can be studied effectively using an integrated experimental and computational modular analysis. Their strategy revealed a core of allergy-associated genes of potential therapeutic value. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 28, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Letting go: modification of cell adhesion during apoptosisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Apoptosis appears to be a carefully orchestrated process for the ordered dismantling of cells. A recent paper in BMC Developmental Biology shows that the disassembly of adherens junctions during apoptosis in Drosophila is progressive and requires the amino-terminal cleavage of the β-catenin Armadillo by the apoptotic effector caspase DrICE. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 28, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Q&A: What do we know about influenza and what can we do about it?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Peter Doherty and Stephen Turner explain in Q&A format what we know of what determines the pathogenicity and transmissibility of influenza viruses, and the prospects for effective protection. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Prion variants, species barriers, generation and propagationEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Prion variants faithfully propagate across species barriers, but if the barrier is too high, new variants (mutants) are selected, as shown in a recent BMC Biology report. Protein sequence alteration can prevent accurate structural templating at filament ends producing prion variants. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 26, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Biologists who countEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
No description available (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 22, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Q&A: EpistasisEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The term epistasis has at least three meanings in biology. Brenda Andrews and colleagues explain in Q&A format how in its classical sense, epistasis allows biological pathways to be defined. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 22, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Notch signaling, the segmentation clock, and the patterning of vertebrate somitesEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The Notch signaling pathway has multifarious functions in the organization of the developing vertebrate embryo. One of its most fundamental roles is in the emergence of the regular pattern of somites that will give rise to the musculoskeletal structures of the trunk. The parts it plays in the early operation of the segmentation clock and the later definition and differentiation of the somites are beginning to be understood. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 22, 2009 Category: Biology Source Type: journals

Natural and engineered mosquito immunityEmail this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A recent paper in BMC Microbiology shows how suppression of mosquito innate immunity against a virus that the mosquito can normally tolerate increases mosquito mortality. This is just one of several approaches that may soon bring genetics-based mosquito control methods from the laboratory into the field. (Source: Journal of Biology)
Source: Journal of Biology - May 1, 2009 Category: Biology Authors: Luke Alphey Source Type: journals