news archive genetic news - May 2, 2007

May 2, 2007

your information resource in human molecular genetics

-	A New Fanconi Anaemia Target The identification of a second protein target for modification by the Fanconi anaemia (FA) complex, which is important in DNA repair, is reported.
-	Standards For The Analysis Of Metagenomes Simulated datasets for the evaluation of metagenomic analysis programs are presented.
-	Engineering Diverse Sets Of Drug Sensitive Proteins A paper describes a general approach to genetically engineer proteins that are regulated by small chemical drugs.
-	Ancient Diversity An ancient enzyme drives diversification of immune receptors in lampreys, and resembles an enzyme with a similar function in mammals.
-	New Player In Inflammatory 'Shutdown' Scientists show that a protein within immune cells stands poised to dampen inflammation.
-	New Genetic Risk Factor For Type 2 Diabetes Variation in the gene called CDKAL1 is associated with risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
-	The Immune System And Susceptibility To Cancer Variation in a genetic element that regulates the expression of the gene encoding caspase-8 (CASP8) is associated with differential susceptibility to several different cancers.
-	Chromatin Link To Mental Retardation A protein previously implicated in mental retardation has now been shown to influence gene expression by modifying histones.
-	New Hypothesis For Amyloid Disease Degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and type 2 diabetes may share common structural features at the molecular level.
-	Life Without Dad Genomic imprinting is not always essential for seed development.
-	Mice And Easy Memory Recovery Long-term memories lost after brain damage can be restored in mice.
-	Neuronal Imbalance May Contribute To Addiction An imbalance between neuronal excitation and inhibition may contribute to the early stages of addiction.
-	Enzyme Curtails Allergic Reaction To Chitin Chitin, the main component of arthropod exoskeletons, elicits an innate allergic response in mice that can be controlled by a host enzyme.
-	New Treatment For Muscular Dystrophy And Cystic Fibrosis Mouse study suggests that a drug that allows cells to ignore a particular type of disease-causing mutation may ease the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).