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Categories: Biology: Molecular, Ecology: Endangered Species
Published Nine new snail species discovered in Papua New Guinea, a biodiversity hot spot at risk
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study describes nine new species of carnivorous land snails, all of which are so small they could fit together on a U.S. nickel. They present a rare opportunity to study a group that in many other places is disappearing fast. Worldwide, mollusks account for more than 50% of all recorded extinctions since the year 1500, and many of these were land snails from Pacific islands.
Published Life span increases in mice when specific brain cells are activated
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study identifies, in mice, a critical communication pathway connecting the brain and the body's fat tissue in a feedback loop that appears central to energy production throughout the body. The research suggests that the gradual deterioration of this feedback loop contributes to the increasing health problems that are typical of natural aging.
Published Nutrition needs drive bee appetites
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists studied the foraging habits of wild bees. Their findings can help guide seed and plant choices that support and enhance wild bee populations. In short, their research showed that different bee species have different nutritional needs. Given that not all pollens are the same, bees forage accordingly to meet their unique needs. This research may help fight against pollinator declines through better design of rangeland restoration projects.
Published Researchers discover molecular 'barcode' used by bacteria to secrete toxins
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered a molecular 'barcode' system used by disease-causing bacteria to distinguish between beneficial and toxic molecules.
Published Widespread population collapse of African Raptors
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of researchers has found that Africa's birds of prey are facing an extinction crisis. The report warns of declines among nearly 90% of 42 species examined, and suggests that more than two-thirds may qualify as globally threatened.
Published Important membrane transport mechanism in pathogenic bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some bacterial membrane transporters work almost like freight elevators to transport substances through the cell membrane into the interior of the cell. The transporter itself spans the bacterial membrane. Like a forklift, a soluble protein outside the bacterium transports the substance to the 'elevator' and unloads its cargo there. The freight elevator transports it to the inside of the cell, in other words to another floor.
Published Male southern elephant seals are picky eaters
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research suggests these large marine mammals are extremely fussy and only eat their favorite foods.
Published Scientists engineer plant microbiome to protect crops against disease
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have engineered the microbiome of plants for the first time, boosting the prevalence of 'good' bacteria that protect the plant from disease. The findings could substantially reduce the need for environmentally destructive pesticides.
Published New roles for autophagy genes in cellular waste management and aging
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Autophagy, which declines with age, may hold more mysteries than researchers previously suspected. Scientists have now uncovered possible novel functions for various autophagy genes, which may control different forms of disposal including misfolded proteins -- and ultimately affect aging.
Published The surprisingly resourceful ways bacteria thrive in the human gut
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research shows that some groups of bacteria in the gut are amazingly resourceful, with a large repertoire of genes that help them generate energy for themselves and potentially influence human health as well.
Published Scientists solve mystery of how predatory bacteria recognizes prey
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research.
Published Why are bees making less honey? Study reveals clues in five decades of data
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Honey yields in the U.S. have been declining since the 1990s, with honey producers and scientists unsure why, but a new study has uncovered clues in the mystery of the missing honey.
Published Nematode proteins shed light on infertility
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biologists developed a method for illuminating the intricate interactions of the synaptonemal complex in the nematode C. elegans. The authors identified a trio of protein segments that guide chromosomal interactions, and pinpointed the location where they interact with each other. Their novel method uses a technique known as genetic suppressor screening, which can serve as a blueprint for research on large cellular assemblies that resist traditional structural analysis.
Published Study reveals clues to how Eastern equine encephalitis virus invades brain cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have determined how Eastern equine encephalitis virus attaches to a receptor it uses to enter and infect cells. The findings laid the groundwork for a receptor decoy molecule that protects mice from encephalitis caused by the virus.
Published Researchers improve seed nitrogen content by reducing plant chlorophyll levels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chlorophyll plays a pivotal role in photosynthesis, which is why plants have evolved to have high chlorophyll levels in their leaves. However, making this pigment is expensive because plants invest a significant portion of the available nitrogen in both chlorophyll and the special proteins that bind it. As a result, nitrogen is unavailable for other processes. In a new study, researchers reduced the chlorophyll levels in leaves to see if the plant would invest the nitrogen saved into other process that might improve nutritional quality.
Published Bacteria load their syringes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many bacterial pathogens use small injection apparatuses to manipulate the cells of their hosts, such as humans, so that they can spread throughout the body. To do this, they need to fill their syringes with the relevant injection agent. A technique that tracks the individual movement of proteins revealed how bacteria accomplish this challenging task.
Published Early primates likely lived in pairs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Primate social organization is more flexible than previously assumed. According to a new study, the first primates probably lived in pairs, while only around 15 percent of individuals were solitary.
Published New reasons eating less fat should be one of your resolutions
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study to motivate your New Year's resolutions: it demonstrates that high-fat diets negatively impact genes linked not only to obesity, colon cancer and irritable bowels, but also to the immune system and brain function.
Published Elusive cytonemes guide neural development, provide signaling 'express route'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Discover the first images of cytonemes during mammalian neural development, serving as express routes to establish morphogen gradients and tissue patterning.
Published First step towards synthetic CO2 fixation in living cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Three modules forming a new-to-nature CO2 fixation cycle have been successfully implemented in E.coli.