?PMS anyone??
By schun, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 03:34:45 PM PST
Premenstrual Syndrome is collection of symptoms or sensations women experience as a result of high hormone levels (Estrogen and Progesterone). Symptoms include anxiety, irritability and mood swings. If estrogen predominates, anxiety occurs. If there's more progesterone, depression may be a complaint. (4 comments, 146 words in story) More >>

?The Role of HOX Proteins in Mammary Development
By CourteneyLai, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 02:11:42 PM PST
The homeobox (Hox) genes are a group of regulatory genes that encode a conserved family of transcription factors known to play key roles in specifying cell fate and identity during development.[1] Accumulating evidence suggests that they are also master regulators of organogenesis in adult tissues and mediators of lineage determination in early hematopoiesis.[2, 3] Recent gene expression analyses as well as gain and loss-of-function studies have demonstrated that several Hox genes are critically important for normal mammary gland development and function.[4] In addition to their role in normal development and differentiation, the perturbation of Hox genes in neoplastic breast tissue in comparison to non-malignant breast tissue indicates an underlying function in the regulation of cell differentiation and specification of mammary epithelial cells. Altered Hox gene expression has been detected in human breast tumors but has also been implicated in diseases of the hematopoietic system.[5, 6] (2 comments, 722 words in story) More >>

?Investigating Chromatin States in HOX-induced AML
By CourteneyLai, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 01:40:28 PM PST
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a subcategory of leukemias targeting the myeloid lineage of blood cell development characterised by abnormal accumulation of white blood cells in the bone marrow. This disease, though rare in the general population, is the most common type of leukemia among older adults. HOX genes have been directly linked to leukemia, notably through translocations between Abd-B HOX genes and the nucleoporin gene NUP98 in human leukemias.[1, 2] (1 comment, 661 words in story) More >>

?Alternative Polyadenylation Sites and Cancer
By Bioinfkat, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 01:40:00 PM PST
Alternative polyadenylation can alter the stability of the mRNA products and thus the cell's phenotype. Discovering these alternative PolyA sites and how they might alter the genetic landscape of the cell can help us understand disease phenotypes such as cancers. (2 comments, 257 words in story) More >>

?How to Make Epigenetics Work for Us
By kjs86, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 12:53:04 PM PST
The epigenome is controlled by numerous systems, chromatin remodelling and DNA methylation being two of the most prominent (though microRNA regulation has been shown to also be extremely important). The Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) and Histone Acetyltransferase (HAT) proteins affect the state of histones and the chromatin structure, while DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) can hinder the availiability of DNA. Both methods control gene expression. (1 comment, 440 words in story) More >>

?Investigating the Proteins Involved in MDS Pathogenesis
By CourteneyLai, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 12:38:52 PM PST
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a heterogenous group of hematopoietic stem cell disorders that may or may not progress into acute myeloid leukemia.[1] Primarily arising among the elderly, it is thought to be the most common blood malignancy.[2] One subcategory of MDS is known as 5q- syndrome, name so because of its signature of a large-scale chromosomal deletion of the q-region of chromosome 5.[1] The discovery of a commonly deleted region (CDR) within this region, located from q31-33, provided an explanation for the heterogeneity seen within this disease, with variable chromosomal deletions resulting in the wide variety of symptoms seen in patients.[3] (3 comments, 403 words in story) More >>

?Women: crazy? or simply DIVERSE!?
By fishes, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 12:20:21 PM PST
PRELUDE: Men in movies, TV shows and even at the local pubs have been caught numerous times saying things like, "man, girls, they're crazy", or a permutation of such. In our culture, there is no generation gap when it comes to males bonding about females' 'unpredictability'. We hear terms like, "she's always moving the goal post", when describing a woman's tendency to change her opinion on various domestic and non-domestic issues. The dichotomy between male and female reproductive interests in primates have been of interest to researchers for quite some time (Muller and Wrangham, 2009). The male-male competition hypothesis was set forth years ago and has been addressed in a number of recent novels (Ridley, 2000, Ridley, 2003, Dawkins, 2006). As a consequence of this male-male competition, it is logical to suggest that an evolutionary pressure has been placed on human males. Let us use a concrete example for illustration purposes. Men were the 'working' sex for numerous generations. From taking on the role of "the hunter" in hunter-gatherer societies, to ruling agricultural empires in the days of monarchies (still happening in parts of the world), and until recently, occupying the majority of high-power positions in the corporate world. It can be argued that a particular type of man - one who could provide for a family - was evolutionarily selected for. Females on the other hand, were child bearers. If a man had enough resources to care for her and her children, she was (presumably) up for taking on the role. Females were not able to be as choosey at this point. If a man had the resources and chose her, she was "lucky". (6 comments, 638 words in story) More >>

?miRNAs and Histone Modifications
By CourteneyLai, Section Biology Posted on Fri Apr 30th, 2010 at 11:56:04 AM PST
In recent years, two important concepts have emerged in the understanding of how genes controlling normal biological processes are regulated. Both the small molecule microRNAs (miRNAs) and structural changes to genetic material, epigenetics, have the ability to greatly alter gene expression, the former through cleavage or translational repression of target mRNAs and the latter through post-translational modifications of histone proteins or cytosine DNA bases that cause structural changes in chromatin, modifying access to DNA target sequences.[1, 2] Specifically the Polycomb group proteins in repressive complex 2 (PRC2) induce gene silencing through methylation of histone 3 on lysine 27 (H3K27).[3] These two fields have merged through discoveries that they interact, and inappropriate activity can lead to development of diseases like cancer. (894 words in story) More >>

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