AMPK signaling: Got food?

User rating: 5 / 5 after 1 vote(s)

In response to energy stress AMPK which acts like a gas gauge by sensing how much energy a cell has puts a damper on cell proliferation. It muffles a cellular protein called raptor (shown in green) which keeps starving cells from dividing. Nuclei are ...
In response to energy stress, AMPK, which acts like a gas gauge by sensing how much energy a cell has, puts a damper on cell proliferation. It muffles a cellular protein called raptor (shown in green), which keeps starving cells from dividing. Nuclei are shown in blue and actin, which forms an integral part of the cellular architecture, is shown in red. Credit: Image: Courtesy of Dr. Reuben Shaw, Salk Institute for Biological Studies

A team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies think they know how many—if not most—living organisms answer this question. They recently showed that when food supplies dwindle, mammals, fruitflies, or frogs probably activate the same ancient cell signaling pathway in order to conserve energy.


Full story »
All News summaries from General Science news
All News summaries for April 24, 2008

Item! Candidates are buying your vote

7 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
Mention the words “vote buying” and modern-day political villains Jack Abramoff and Tony Rezko probably come to mind, or perhaps special interest groups that donate to a politician’s campaign and expect support when relevant ...

Entrepreneurs value 'ideas' over weatlh, study finds

11 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
A study at the University of Liverpool has revealed that entrepreneurs are driven to start companies by their passion for ideas rather than the pursuit of wealth.

Researchers identify proteins that help develop mammalian hearts

May 16, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
The absence of two proteins in mammalian embryos prevents the development of a healthy heart, a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, has found.

Sulfur in marine archaeological shipwrecks -- the 'hull story' gives a sour aftertaste

May 16, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Advanced chemical analyses reveal that, with the help of smart scavenging bacteria, sulfur and iron compounds accumulated in the timbers of the Swedish warship Vasa during her 333 years on the seabed of the Stockholm harbour. ...

Scientists unveil new tool to understand evolution of multi-domain genes

May 16, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Carnegie Mellon scientists have discovered critical flaws in the standard method used to analyze gene evolution. Standard methods fail when applied to genes that encode multi-domain proteins, an important class of proteins ...
Goto Archive PhysOrg Forum Goto Archive Video Goto Archive Editorials Goto Archive Free Magazines Goto Archive Newsletter

News Archive