Canadian immunologists have identified a mechanism that promotes the activation of T cell receptors by altering how one of its components interacts with the cell membrane.
The ability to construct complex myelin sheaths around axons is one of the greatest vertebrate inventions since the hinged jaw.
(Medical Xpress)—The blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents most large or hydrophilic (polar) molecules from getting into the brain. For many neurological diseases, like Parkinson's, the presence of the BBB severely limits ...
(Medical Xpress)—Membrane fusion is a highly regulated event, both inside cells, and between them. From the moment a sperm first fuses with an egg, subsequent developmental events depend upon its proper control. Inside ...
Researchers have published the first highly detailed description of how neurotensin, a neuropeptide hormone which modulates nerve cell activity in the brain, interacts with its receptor. Their results suggest that neuropeptide ...
Oct 10, 2012
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A University of Wisconsin-Madison research team has solved a 25-year mystery that may lead to better treatments for people with learning deficits and mental retardation.
Jun 8, 2011
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In Brazil, researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Pernambuco division of Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ) are developing a Zika vaccine. The formulation was tested on mice and found to be efficacious, ...
Apr 18, 2024
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Lung cancer cells survive better and exhibit less cell damage when exposed to cigarette smoke in cell culture experiments compared to non-cancerous lung cells. New research by a team of undergraduate students led by a Penn ...
Mar 6, 2024
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A team of researchers investigating the transmission of HIV have discovered that HIV antibodies provide sterilizing immunity by inhibiting the infection of the first cell. The research is published in the journal Cell Reports ...
Oct 12, 2023
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Scientists have identified a molecule that can prevent tangling of a brain protein that is linked to diseases such as Parkinson's. The findings may provide insights into new ways of treating or diagnosing the early stages ...
Sep 27, 2023
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A membrane protein is a protein molecule that is attached to, or associated with the membrane of a cell or an organelle. More than half of all proteins interact with membranes.
Biological membranes consist of a phospholipid bilayer and a variety of proteins that accomplish vital biological functions. Structural proteins are attached to microfilaments in the cytoskeleton which ensures stability of the cell. Cell recognition proteins allow cells to identify each other and interact. Such proteins are involved in immune response, for example. Membrane enzymes produce a variety of substances essential for cell function. Membrane receptor proteins serve as connection between the cell's internal and external environments. Finally, transport proteins play an important role in the maintenance of concentrations of ions. These transport proteins come in two forms: carrier proteins and channel proteins. Carrier proteins are involved in using the energy released from ATP being broken down to facilitate active transport and ion exchange. These processes ensure that useful substances are able to enter the cell and that toxic substances are pumped out of the cell.
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