A hot topic: the origin of hyperthermophiles

Article Abstract:

Recent cytological and biochemical researches that seek to determine the phylogenetic origins of hyperthermophiles have failed to conclusively determine their ancestry. While previous experiments have elucidated on the hyperthermophiles' catabolic pathway as prokaryotic, recent elucidation of the reverse gyrase and glutamate dehydrogenase structures have led to alternate suggestions of placing hyperthermophiles along with eukaryotes or as a separate family of mesophilic archaea. Molecular biology hopefully will shed light into the thermoadaptation of the organisms' protein and clarify their position in the evolutionary tree.

author: Forterre, Patrick
Bacteria, Thermophilic, Evolution (Biology), Evolution, Thermophiles

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Integrin activation by R-ras

Article Abstract:

The action of the R-ras and H-ras proteins for integrin ligand-binding activity was analyzed to assess their effects on cellular adhesion to the extracellular matrix. R-ras enhanced cell adhesiveness while H-ras showed no discernible difference in effecting cell adhesion. R-ras is theorized to stimulate ligand-binding activity of cell surface integrins by effecting a conformational change in the integrin molecule. R-ras differs from H-ras by an extra 26 amino acids in the amino terminus.

author: Reed, John C., Ruoslahti, Erkki, Zhang, Zhuohua, Vuori, Kristiina, Wang, Hong-Gang
Physiological regulation, Biological control systems, Ligand binding (Biochemistry), Cell adhesion

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Septin scaffolds and cleavage planes in Saccharomyces

Article Abstract:

Research into the cell division of Saccharomyces showed cells forming the septin ring to define the cleavage plane as an eventual budding site. The septin ring acts as a gate where the dividing nucleus, the forming actin and microtubule cytoskeleton aggregate prior to their migration to the forming bud. The same septin ring divides as the cell divides and disintegrates as soon as the budding units have separated.

author: Chant, John
Saccharomyces, Cell division, Budding, Grafting (Horticulture)

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subjects list: Research, Genetic aspects, Proteins
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