Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The loss of cell polarity and cancer are two processes are related, although there is no direct evidence to explain this correlation. In stem cells, loss of cell polarity and consequently, the alteration of the division process could produce cells unable to respond to the mechanisms controlling the proliferation and lead to cancer cells. Research by Emmanuel Caussinus and Cayetano Gonzalez has raised two related questions: if the stem cells can become cancerous cells and if this process may be related to loss of polarity.

To answer these questions have been developed in Drosophila melanogaster larval neuroblasts with mutations in genes that control asymmetric cell division (raps, look, numb or pros) and have observed their proliferative capacity after transplanting in the abdomen of adult flies. Read the rest of this entry »

The existence of progenitor cells in the central nervous system is well established, suggesting the existence of neurogenesis in the adult brain. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms that control cell proliferation that are not well described. In this sense, the work done by the group of Dr. Galve-Roperh (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) is a significant advance in identifying the signals that govern the proliferation of multipotent neural cells. Read the rest of this entry »

Snail is a transcription factor that controls epithelial-mesenchymal transitions, processes also involved in the metastasis of epithelial tumors. This control is exercised by repressing expression of E-cadherin, and other epithelial genes.
The work done by the research group of Dr. Portillo is a step forward in understanding the mechanisms that regulate the function of Snail.

It shows that the enzymes lysyl oxidase 2 and 3 (LOXL2 and LOXL3) interact and cooperate in infraexpresion of E-cadherin mediated by this transcription factor. Snail has two lysine, Lys98 and 137, very important for stability, for their cooperation with the lysyl oxidase and, ultimately, for their role in controlling epithelial-mesenchymal transitions. Read the rest of this entry »

The viral maturation process involves, essentially, the incorporation of the genome to procures protein.

In this work, developed in the group of doctors JM Values and J.L. Ratchet has been analyzed by electron microscopy assisted by computational analysis, the structural differences between the bacteriophage T7 procures and mature head, the one containing the genome. Read the rest of this entry »

Claudin-1 is an integral membrane protein of about 23 kDa, mapada on chromosome 3, whose function is cell adhesion. Is involved in cell growth and maintenance and is present in the tight junctions between cells, structures whose main functions emphasizes maintaining the differentiation state of epithelial cells. Recently it was reported that claudin may be, if not cause, itself a marker for the progression of certain carcinomas and metastases. Read the rest of this entry »

There are items that make a difference, appearing one at the right time, involving a breakthrough or provide any major surprises. It must then stop to reflect, to contextualize and deepen. With this in mind we opened section. As we have been doing regularly, we discuss the reference and appreciate your interest, but delve into the subject by giving it a context and a time that, in this case, it is particularly recent. Read the rest of this entry »

In our earlier “A Fund” section opened with the analysis of a Spanish paper published in Nature (Ferris Marco et al., 2006). And we congratulabamos therefore it is still uncommon to see in that publication a study conducted entirely by Spanish investigators. It seems that our discussion had taken effect in the minds of so renowned editorial publication, and this month we have an equivalent opportunity to rejoice at the appearance of another article malignancy in Spanish on the British magazine par excellence. This time it’s a research on the regulation of a tumor suppressor locus. Read the rest of this entry »

Mammals are unable to synthesize metabolically various amino acids necessary for protein synthesis and should incorporate foods from the diet. These amino acids are called essential. Photosynthetic organisms can synthesize it. Has long been accepted that the metabolic pathways involved in the biosynthesis of amino acids in plants are identical to those in microorganisms. However, recent results indicate significant differences and a higher level of complexity due to the existence of multiple enzymes that are distributed in different subcellular compartments. Read the rest of this entry »