| Moving around, sensing the extracellular environment, and signaling to other cells are important for a cell to function properly. Responsible for those tasks are cilia, antenna-like structures protruding from most vertebrate cells. Whenever cilia fail to assemble correctly, their malfunctions can cause numerous human diseases. | |
| The assembly and maintenance of cilia requires a bidirectional transport machinery known as Intraflagellar Transport (IFT), which moves in train-like structures along the microtubular skeleton of the cilium. Not only the structure of IFT trains was, so far, unknown, but also how the two types of oppositely directed molecular motors, kinesin and dynein, are prevented from interfering with each other, resulting in a smooth and constant motion of IFT trains. | |
| The research group around Gaia Pigino at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) in Dresden solved those two unanswered questions using cryo-electron microscopy and published their findings in the journal Nature Cell Biology (“The cryo-EM structure of intraflagellar transport trains reveals how dynein is inactivated to ensure unidirectional anterograde movement in cilia”). |
Image Credit: NewsJordan et al. Nature Cell Biology / MPI-CBG / Illustration: Bara Krautz
News This Week
Cancer and AI – Can ChatGPT Be Trusted?
A study published in the Journal of The National Cancer Institute Cancer Spectrum delved into the increasing use of chatbots and artificial intelligence (AI) in providing cancer-related information. The researchers discovered that these digital resources accurately [...]
Breathing New Life: Oxygen Therapy Improves Heart Function in Long COVID Patients
A small trial has found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may help restore proper heart function in patients with post-COVID syndrome, with participants in the HBOT group experiencing a significant increase in global longitudinal [...]
Wireless Brain-Spine Interface: A Leap Towards Reversing Paralysis
Summary: In a pioneering study, researchers designed a wireless brain-spine interface enabling a paralyzed man to walk naturally again. The ‘digital bridge’ comprises two electronic implants — one on the brain and another on the [...]
New study reveals a gel that promises to wipe out brain cancer for good
An anti-cancer gel promises to wipe out glioblastoma permanently, a feat that's never been accomplished by any drug or surgery. So what makes this gel so special? Scientists at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) have [...]
New production process for therapeutic nanovesicles
Particles known as extracellular vesicles play a vital role in communication between cells and in many cell functions. Released by cells into their environment, these “membrane particles” consist of a cellular membrane carrying a [...]
Could studying African killifish be the secret cure to sarcopenia?
The Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI) at Monash University suggests that muscle wasting, known as sarcopenia, may be reversed in late-life The study utilized the African killifish as a model and found that muscles revert [...]
Virtual AI Radiologist: ChatGPT Passes Radiology Board Exam
The most recent version of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot developed for language interpretation and response generation, has successfully passed a radiology board-style exam, demonstrating both its potential and limitations, according to research studies published [...]
Harnessing Energy Waves: Smart Material Prototype Challenges Newton’s Laws of Motion
University of Missouri researchers designed a prototype of a small, lightweight active ‘metamaterial’ that can control the direction and intensity of energy waves. Professor Guoliang Huang of the University of Missouri has developed a [...]
Nanotechnology revolutionizes the way cancer-fighting T cells navigate and combat tumors
Vanderbilt researchers are bolstering the fight against cancer with technology that enhances the effectiveness of T cells that attack tumors. The cutting-edge research was recently published in the journal Science Immunology. Cancers co-opt both [...]
Molecular “Superpower” of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Revealed in New Research
A species of ordinary gut bacteria that we all carry flourishes when the intestinal flora is knocked out by a course of antibiotics. Since the bacteria is naturally resistant to many antibiotics, it causes problems, particularly [...]
Human DNA Is All Over The Planet, And Scientists Are Worried
Every skin flake, hair follicle, eyelash, and spit drop cast from your body contains instructions written in a chemical code, one that is unique to you. According to a new study, technology has advanced [...]
Long COVID: The Invisible Consequence of Socioeconomic Inequality
A recent study conducted by the Universities of Southampton and Oxford reveals a strong correlation between the incidence of long COVID and the level of area-specific deprivation. It found that individuals from the most deprived regions are 46 [...]
Mutation Mystery: Unraveling the Secret Behind COVID-19’s Rapid Spread
Molecular modeling suggests structural consequences of an early protein mutation that promoted viral transmission. RIKEN researchers discovered that an early mutation (D614G) in the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have contributed to its rapid spread by altering the spike [...]
Protein nanoparticle vaccine with adjuvant improves immune response against influenza
A novel type of protein nanoparticle vaccine formulation containing influenza proteins and adjuvant to boost immune responses has provided complete protection against influenza viral challenges, according to a new study published by researchers in [...]
Decoding Long COVID: NIH Study Exposes the Inner Workings of Neurological Symptoms
A NIH study on twelve Long COVID patients found differences in immune cell profiles and autonomic dysfunction, contributing to the understanding of the condition and potentially leading to better diagnoses and new treatments. Twelve [...]
Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Shows Promise in Small Trial
Using mRNA tailored to each patient’s tumor, the vaccine may have staved off the return of one of the deadliest forms of cancer in half of those who received it. Five years ago, a [...]
Leave A Comment