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Study shows how cells prevent harmful extra DNA copies

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a crucial mechanism that prevents cells from replicating extra DNA, reducing the risk of cancer and genome instability. The study reveals that a licensing protein called CDT1 acts as a brake on DNA replication, preventing it from progressing once licensed sites are established.

SourceWeill Cornell Medicine·JournalMolecular Cell·DateJan 24, 2023

Beyond the average cell

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis and Purdue University used single-cell data to develop a new framework for understanding the relationship between cell growth, DNA replication, and division in bacteria. They found that individual cells can exquisitely coordinate these processes, despite the 'noisiness' of each process.

SourceWashington University in St. Louis·JournalPLOS Genetics·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJan 9, 2023

Experimental drug to treat liver cancer shows evidence of activity with manageable side effects

A new experimental drug has shown promising results in treating liver cancer, with two patients experiencing a partial response to the treatment. The drug, NMS-01940153E, targets an enzyme that plays a critical role in cell division and growth, and its side effects are manageable.

SourceEuropean Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateOct 27, 2022

Scientists identify unique breast cancer cells that control their ability to proliferate and colonize the lungs

Researchers discovered a type of triple-negative breast cancer cell that can trigger dormancy, evading therapies and allowing for efficient survival in distant organs. This finding highlights the need for more selective therapeutic strategies targeting both dividing and invasive dormant cells.

Harnessing the heart regeneration ability of marsupials

Researchers at RIKEN have discovered how marsupials' hearts can regenerate for several weeks after birth, allowing for potential treatment of human heart disease. They found that inhibiting a protein called AMPK extended the period of regeneration in both mice and opossums, with minimal scarring.

SourceRIKEN·JournalCirculation·DateAug 19, 2022

New understanding of how faulty metabolism triggers adrenal cancer

A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals how impaired metabolism due to mutations in succinate dehydrogenase B disables a normal bioenergetic sensing mechanism, leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation. This discovery sheds light on how cancer cells divide despite having a less efficient energy production.

SourceUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham·JournalCell Reports·TypeExperimental study·DateAug 16, 2022

Light shed on SARS-CoV-2 replication in bat cells

Researchers at the Institut Pasteur and CNRS studied SARS-CoV-2 replication in bat cells, finding that viral infection triggers a powerful immune response that prevents the virus from replicating. The study uses real-time imaging techniques to visualize the speed of cell infection and the formation of syncytia.

SourceInstitut Pasteur·JournalJournal of Virology·TypeExperimental study·DateJul 19, 2022

Model finds COVID-19 deaths among elderly may be due to genetic limit on cell division

A University of Washington model found that the body's ability to create cloned immune cells falls significantly with age, leading to increased susceptibility to COVID-19 in the elderly. The study suggests that genetic limits on cell division may play a role in the devastating effects of COVID-19 on older adults.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalEBioMedicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 6, 2022

How genome organization influences cell fate

A team of researchers at UC Riverside has discovered that a protein complex called CAF-1 controls genome organization to maintain lineage fidelity in blood stem cells. The study found that CAF-1 keeps specific genomic sites compacted and inaccessible to transcription factors, ensuring the expression of lineage-specific genes.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 29, 2022

Crowning a quest into a very well-guarded secret: Structure of the kinetochore corona finally revealed

Researchers have deciphered the structure of the kinetochore corona, a complex protein assembly that plays a pivotal role in chromosome segregation. The study, published in The EMBO Journal, provides new insights into how this critical process is regulated and offers a framework for future studies on cell division.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology·JournalThe EMBO Journal·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 8, 2022

Hitting the brakes on the cell cycle for the formation of plant stomata

Researchers discovered that a transcription factor called MUTE induces a cell cycle inhibitor SMR4 to slow down the cell cycle, allowing for asymmetric division. A variant with excess SMR4 showed a longer cell cycle during symmetric division, revealing a crucial regulatory mechanism in plant stomatal development.

Hungry yeast are tiny, living thermometers

Researchers discovered that yeast cells can actively regulate temperature-dependent phase separation in their membranes. This process is crucial for membrane function and cell division. By adjusting the temperature, yeast cells can maintain a consistent state of phase separation, which may be essential for optimal cellular performance.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateJan 25, 2022

Mouse cell studies show that correcting DNA disorganization could aid diagnosis and treatment of rare inherited diseases

A study with lab-grown mouse cells reveals that lamin C plays a key role in maintaining the structural network under the cell's nucleus, ensuring proper DNA organization. This finding has significant implications for diagnosing and treating genetic disorders linked to DNA disorganization, such as progeria and muscular dystrophy.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalGenome Biology·DateNov 14, 2021

Chromosomes separation under focus

A UNIGE team has identified important regulatory mechanisms of the protein responsible for chromosome separation. The study reveals that inhibitory proteins block separase activity by occupying sites that recognize the cohesin substrate, preventing cleavage.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalNature·DateJul 21, 2021

Inherited memories of a chromosomal site

Researchers at UNIGE found that chromosomal site location is transmitted through an epigenetic process, allowing offspring to inherit correct positions even without gene information. This epigenetic memory only lasts for one generation and affects the survival of mutant worms.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 6, 2021

Cohesin opens up for cell division

A study by Nagoya University researchers reveals that cohesin's ring needs to open for certain processes, like DNA replication and chromosome segregation. This opening facilitates the progressive replication of the DNA double helix and allows DNA looping, crucial for regulating gene expression.

SourceNagoya University·JournalCell Reports·DateJun 22, 2021

How cells measure themselves

Researchers found that cells regulate their own size by using DNA content as an internal scale. Cells with too little KRP4 delay DNA replication until they catch up, while those with too much dilute KRP4 to speed up the process. This mechanism keeps meristem cells within a narrow size range.

SourceJohn Innes Centre·JournalScience·DateJun 10, 2021

Lab study solves textbook problem: How cells know their size

A recent study from Dartmouth College has uncovered the mechanism behind how cells determine their size, a crucial process that regulates cell division in growing organisms. The research found that histone H3 plays a key role in this process, releasing an enzyme called Chk1 to bind with another protein and stop cell multiplication.

SourceDartmouth College·JournalCurrent Biology·DateApr 14, 2021