Basic science shows how a single mutation causes ataxia

Worldwide, only a handful of patients are known to suffer from episodic ataxia type 6, a neurological disease that causes transient loss of muscle control. The cause lies in a mutation that changes a single amino acid in ...

Cryo-electron microscopy captures structure of a protein pump

Hailey-Hailey disease is a rare, inherited condition characterized by patches of blisters appearing mainly in the skin folds of the arm pits, groin and under the breasts. It is caused by a mutation in the gene that codes ...

Scientists reveal protein synthesis mechanism in Giardia

Scientists from Uppsala University have used cryo-electron microscopy to reveal details of the protein synthesis mechanism in the parasite Giardia intestinalis, which causes diarrheic disease. The new insights could be valuable ...

A nifty trick to help plants thrive in iron-poor soils

After almost a decade of effort, scientists at RIKEN have determined the structure of a key transporter protein that helps plants gather iron from soil. This finding could guide the development of new high-potency fertilizers ...

New targeting opportunities discovered against canine distemper virus

The highly contagious canine distemper virus is dangerous to dogs and wild life animals. It is also closely related to the equally highly contagious measles virus. Researchers at the University of Bern and the Zurich University ...

The 'Rapunzel' virus: An evolutionary oddity

A recent study in the Journal of Biological Chemistry has revealed the secret behind an evolutionary marvel: a bacteriophage with an extremely long tail. This extraordinary tail is part of a bacteriophage that lives in inhospitable ...

Nanosatellite shows the way to RNA medicine of the future

The RNA molecule is commonly recognized as messenger between DNA and protein, but it can also be folded into intricate molecular machines. An example of a naturally occurring RNA machine is the ribosome, that functions as ...

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