News tagged with receptors
Honeycomb structure responsible for bacteria's extraordinary sense
(PhysOrg.com) -- Cornell researchers have peered into the complex molecular network of receptors that give one-celled organisms like bacteria the ability to sense their environment and respond to chemical ...
Feb 20, 2012 |
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DNA nanorobot triggers targeted therapeutic responses
Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a robotic device made from DNA that could potentially seek out specific cell targets within a complex ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Copper + love chemical = big sulfur stink
When Hiroaki Matsunami, Ph.D., at Duke set out to study a chemical in male mouse urine called MTMT that attracts female mice, he didn't think he would stumble into a new field of study.
Feb 06, 2012 |
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Extensive taste loss in mammals: Animals live in surprisingly different sensory worlds
Scientists from the Monell Center report that seven of 12 related mammalian species have lost the sense of sweet taste. As each of the sweet-blind species eats only meat, the findings demonstrate that a liking ...
Mar 12, 2012 |
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Light now in sight: Control of a 'blind' neuroreceptor with an optical switch
When nerve cells communicate with one another, specialized receptor molecules on their surfaces play a central role in relaying signals between them. A collaborative venture involving teams of chemists based at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat ...
Jan 10, 2012 |
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Researchers present a shiny new tool for imaging biomolecules
At the heart of the immune system that protects our bodies from disease and foreign invaders is a vast and complex communications network involving millions of cells, sending and receiving chemical signals ...
Mar 23, 2012 |
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Many meat-eating mammals lack sweet tooth, study finds
For all their sharp teeth, many meat-eating mammals lack a sweet tooth, a genetic analysis of a dozen species has shown.
Mar 26, 2012 |
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A major step forward towards drought tolerance in crops
When a plant encounters drought, it does its best to cope with this stress by activating a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors, once activated, turn on processes that help the plant ...
Dec 19, 2011 |
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Nanoparticles may enhance cancer therapy
A mixture of current drugs and carbon nanoparticles shows potential to enhance treatment for head-and-neck cancers, especially when combined with radiation therapy, according to new research by Rice University ...
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Feb 16, 2012 |
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Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation
(PhysOrg.com) -- A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential ...
Apr 04, 2012 |
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Insect glands may illuminate human fertilization process
Insect glands are responsible for producing a host of secretions that allow bees to sting and ants to lay down trails to and from their nests. New research from Carnegie scientists focuses on secretions from glands in the ...
May 03, 2012 |
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Crystalizing the foundations of better antihistamines
Researchers in Japan have solved the structure of a complex between the antihistamine drug doxepin and its target receptor histamine H1 receptor (H1R)1. Led by So Iwata of Kyoto University and the RIKEN Systems ...
Nov 21, 2011 |
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Scientists paint new picture of dance between protein and binding partners
Using a blend of technologies, scientists from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute have painted a new picture of how biochemical information can be transmitted through the modification of a protein. Previously, ...
Jan 10, 2012 |
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First complete 3D visualization of vitamin D receptor
For the first time, a team from the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, France, has obtained a high-resolution, full 3D image of a small but vital molecule locked ...
Jan 24, 2012 |
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A unique on-off switch for hormone production
Weizmann scientists have revealed a new kind of on-off switch in the brain for regulating the production of a main biochemical signal from the brain that stimulates cortisol release in the body.
Feb 23, 2012 |
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Receptor (biochemistry)
In biochemistry, a receptor is a protein molecule, embedded in either the plasma membrane or cytoplasm of a cell, to which a mobile signaling (or "signal") molecule may attach. A molecule which binds to a receptor is called a "ligand," and may be a peptide (such as a neurotransmitter), a hormone, a pharmaceutical drug, or a toxin, and when such binding occurs, the receptor undergoes a conformational change which ordinarily initiates a cellular response. However, some ligands merely block receptors without inducing any response (e.g. antagonists). Ligand-induced changes in receptors result in physiological changes which constitute the biological activity of the ligands.
For more information about Receptor (biochemistry), read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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