A new study published at the scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science by CRAG and IRTA researchers reveals the gene that determines Japanese plum skin colour due to the presence or absence of antioxidant pigment anthocyanin. This work provides a highly efficient molecular marker for early selection of coloured and non-coloured fruits in plum breeding programmes, with potential applications in other Rosaceae species.
Credit: IRB Barcelona
All the cells of an organism share the same DNA sequence, but their functions, shapes or even lifespans vary greatly. This happens because each cell reads different chapters of the genome, thus producing alternative sets of proteins and embarking on different paths. Epigenetic regulation DNA methylation is one of the most common mechanisms is responsible for the activation or inactivation of a given gene in a specific cell, defining a secondary cell-specific genetic code.
Researchers led by Dr. Modesto Orozco, head of the Molecular Modelling and Bioinformatics lab at IRB Barcelona, have described how methylation has a protein-independent regulatory role by increasing the stiffness of DNA, which affects the 3D structure of the genome, thus impacting gene activation. Present work reveals a cryptic mechanism connecting epigenetic footprinting and gene programming, which can help us to better understand development, ageing and cancer.
May 27, 2021
Biomarker synthesized by Th17 cells appears to differentiate myocarditis from MI
Differentiating acute myocarditis from myocardial infarction (MI) requires either an invasive biopsy or cardiac MRI technology that is not always available so the possibility that a microRNA biomarker in circulating T cells could be used to confirm myocarditis is appealing.
Identifying that novel miRNA was the goal of Rafael Blanco-Dominguez, MSc, of the Vascular Pathophysiology Area, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares in Madrid, and a team of international researchers, who started by inducing autoimmune myocarditis or myocardial infarction in mice to identify the microRNA found in Th17 cells in plasma of mice with acute myocarditis either autoimmune or virus-induced.
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
A new study from Columbia University and an international team of researchers identifies multiple ways to achieve the same health benefits from exercise-as long as the exercise “cocktail” includes plenty of light physical activity.
“For decades, we’ve been telling people that the way to stay healthy is to get at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week,” says Keith Diaz, PhD, assistant professor of behavioral medicine and director of the exercise testing laboratory at the Center for Behavioral Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.
“But even if you’re one of the few adults who can stick to this advice, 30 minutes represents just 2% of your entire day,” says Diaz. “Is it really possible that our activity habits for just 2% of the day is all that matters when it comes to health?”
Researchers from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and the IDIBELL, led by Eva González-Suárez at the CNIO, have found that the hyperactivation of the RANK pathway plays a double function in breast cells: in the early stages of cancer, it activates senescence, which has a protective effect and delays the appearance of tumours; in more advanced stages, RANK-induced senescence favours the accumulation of stem cells, which promotes tumour growth and aggressiveness.