Blood pressure is exquisitely regulated to respond to our physiological state. Stress raises blood pressure. Simply stand up, and the arteries constrict to maintain pressure. New findings in mice show how a protein called PKD2 helps regulate blood pressure by … Continue reading
Journal Club
Highlighting recent, timely papers selected by Academy member labs
Author Archives: Charlotte Schubert
Journal Club: Ion channel puts the squeeze on blood vessels, affecting blood pressure
Categories: Cell Biology | Genetics | Journal Club | Medical Sciences
Tagged ADPKD, blood pressure, blood vessel, hypertension, PKD2
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Journal Club: Butterflies get diversity boost from associations with ants, plants
Harvard University evolutionary biologist Naomi Pierce began studying Lycaenidae butterflies as a graduate student in the 1980s. But only recently has she accumulated enough data, from her team’s work and others’, to begin to address the question that has long … Continue reading
Categories: Animal Behavior | Evolution | Genetics | Journal Club
Tagged ants, butterfly, caterpillars, diversity, evolution, genetic drift, macroevolution, molecular evolution, speciation
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Journal Club: Sticky proteins play crucial role in tailoring synapses
The proteins that join neurons together at the synapse do more than just act like glue. Synaptic adhesion proteins are known to affect the activity of neurotransmitters, weaken or strengthen synaptic connections, or direct where synapses form. Faulty adhesion proteins … Continue reading
Categories: Biochemistry | Journal Club | Neuroscience
Tagged autism, CA1 neuron, leucine-rich repeat protein, neuron, neurotransmitter, schizophrenia, synapse, synaptic adhesion proteins
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Journal Club: Timed treatment fends off hardening of arteries in mice
Timing is everything—including, possibly, when treating cardiovascular disease. By administering a drug-like compound in mice at a certain point during the circadian cycle, researchers were able to slow atherosclerosis while minimizing side effects, according to a recent study in Cell … Continue reading
Categories: Biochemistry | Journal Club | Medical Sciences | Physiology
Tagged atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, CCL2, CCR2, circadian rhythms, myeloid cells, plaque
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Journal Club: Studies hint at how cholesterol and other molecules move through cells
Four recent studies take a close look at how molecules cross the gap between membrane contacts within a cell, offering insights into crucial cellular activities. Three of the papers elucidate the transport of cholesterol; the fourth suggests that such contact … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Journal Club
Tagged cholesterol, contact site, LAM protein, plasma membrane, StARkin domain, sterol
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Journal Club: Phage find clever ways to infiltrate resistant bacteria and shuttle DNA between strains
In the gut, in the soil, and myriad other spots, bacteria reign, forming complex communities—but not in isolation. They’re often influenced by bacteria-killing viruses known as bacteriophages. A recent study in Cell now shows how such viruses can infect bystander, … Continue reading
Categories: Cell Biology | Genetics | Immunology | Journal Club | Microbiology
Tagged bacteria, bacteriophage, DNA, horizontal gene transfer, phage, phage therapy, virus
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