Daily non-political popular news in brief.
New light-sensing ability discovered in disease-causing bacteria
08-23-2007 · EurekAlert!The bacteria that cause brucellosis can sense light and use the information to regulate their virulence. The discovery comes after 120 years of research into the disease, which causes abortions in livestock and fevers in humans. Researchers found that two other bacteria, including a species that attacks plants, sense light using the same type of protein structure, and at least 94 more species possess the code for it in their DNA.
Read more »
Keywords: light-sensing, ability, discovered, disease-causing, bacteria, light, sensing, disease, causing
« Previous | Next »
Similar news on "New light-sensing ability discovered in disease-causing bacteria":
- Protein's new role discovered in autoimmune disease
01-02-2008 · EurekAlert!
A chemical messenger has been shown to have a previously unknown major role in autoimmune diseases like arthritis and lupus. Investigators at the University of Alabama at Birmingham found interleukin 17 plays a major role on shaping B cells' ability to create more and more disease-causing antibodies, which may generate new ideas in the ongoing search for better drug targets.
Similar news · Read more »
- Nasty bacteria need sunlight to do their worst
08-23-2007 · EurekAlert!
Scientists find that certain types of bacteria have sunlight-sensing molecules similar to those found in plants and at least one species -- responsible for causing the flu-like disorder Brucellosis -- needs light to maximize its virulence. The work suggests an entirely new model for bacterial virulence based on light sensitivity. It turns out that many bacteria have signaling proteins that contain the same light-absorbing domain as those found in the higher plants.
Similar news · Read more »
- A friendly foe -- Bacteria residing in the gut boost immune response to tumors
07-26-2007 · EurekAlert!
Total body irradiation (TBI), which depletes the body of lymphocytes, improves the ability of tumor-specific T cells to cause tumor regression. In a new JCI study researchers show that, in mice, lymphodepletion does not fully account for the tumor regression observed following TBI. They show that disruption of the population of bacteria that normally reside in the gut without causing disease also plays a role in the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach against cancer.
Similar news · Read more »
- Winemaking waste proves effective against disease-causing bacteria in early studies
01-02-2008 · EurekAlert!
A class of chemicals in red wine grapes may significantly reduce the ability of bacteria to cause cavities, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Similar news · Read more »
- Gene therapy for blindness clears hurdle in mice
03-14-2007 · EurekAlert!
University of Florida Genetics Institute researchers were able to use interfering RNA in experiments with mice to quiet a gene that plays a crucial role in a leading cause of inherited blindness. Disabling the gene is a step toward developing a gene therapy to treat people with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that attacks the light-sensing cells in the eye.
Similar news · Read more »
- Synchronous neuronal firing may underlie Parkinson's disease
10-18-2006 · EurekAlert!
In a finding that contradicts current theories behind Parkinson's disease, neuroscientists at Duke University Medical Center have discovered in mice that critical nerve cells fire all at the same time and thus overwhelm the brain's ability to control the body's movements.
Similar news · Read more »
- Protecting our beaches
09-03-2007 · EurekAlert!
Bathing beaches and lakes could fail the new cleanliness standards set by the 2006 Bathing Waters Directive, but a new risk assessment tool developed by rural studies and water management experts may help reduce the transfer of disease causing bacteria from the farmed environment, according to scientists speaking today, Sept. 4, 2007, at the Society for General Microbiology's 161st Meeting at the University of Edinburgh, UK, which runs Sept. 3-6, 2007.
Similar news · Read more »
- Researchers shed light on genetic factors behind UK's biggest killer
01-10-2008 · EurekAlert!
Researchers have discovered a new chromosomal region to be strongly associated with bad cholesterol -- a major cause of coronary heart disease. The finding could pave the way towards new therapies for the diease.
Similar news · Read more »
- Resistance genes in our food supply
05-23-2007 · EurekAlert!
Could the food we eat be contributing to the continuing rise of antibiotic-resistant infections? Harmless and even beneficial bacteria that exist in our food supply may also be carrying genes that code for antibiotic resistance. Once in our bodies, could they transmit the resistance genes to disease-causing bacteria?
Similar news · Read more »
- Rutgers scientists preserve and protect foods naturally
08-20-2007 · EurekAlert!
Chemists and food scientists at Rutgers joined forces to develop natural approaches to the prevention of food contamination and spoilage. They employed natural antimicrobial agents derived from sources such as cloves, oregano, thyme and paprika to create novel biodegradable polymers or plastics to potentially block the formation of bacterial biofilms on food surfaces and packaging. Biofilms may harbor multiple versions of infectious, disease-causing bacteria, such as Salmonella and E. coli.
Similar news · Read more »
