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Study of the machinery of cells reveals clues to neurological disorder

By Guest PostMay 16, 2013Sciencebiogenesis, cell, charcot, common neurological disorder, crop plants, cross talk, disease causing mutations, embo reports, energy factories, eth zurich, fatty acids, fragmentation of mitochondria, function, humans, kate mcintosh, marie, metabolism, michael schrader, mitochondria, organelles, organelles peroxisomes, peroxisomal division, peroxisomes, reactive oxygen species, researcher, sofia guimaraes, symptoms, tooth disease, touch sensation, uk, university of exeter, yeast

Investigation by researchers from the University of Exeter and ETH Zurich has shed new light on a protein which is linked to a common neurological disorder called Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

The team has discovered that a protein previously identified on mitochondria – the energy factories of the cell – is also found on the fat-metabolising organelles peroxisomes, suggesting a closer link between the two organelles.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is currently incurable and affects around one in every 2,500 people in the UK, meaning that it is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, thus understanding the molecular basis of the disease is of great importance. Symptoms can range from tremors and loss of touch sensation in the feet and legs to difficulties with breathing, swallowing, speaking, hearing and vision. (more…)

Sex at zero gravity

University of Montreal researchers found that changes in gravity affect the reproductive process in plants. Gravity modulates traffic on the intracellular “highways” that ensure the growth and functionality of the male reproductive organ in plants, the pollen tube. “Just like during human reproduction, the sperm cells in plants are delivered to the egg by a cylindrical tool. Unlike the delivery tool in animals, the device used during plant sex consists of a single cell, and only two sperm cells are discharged during each delivery event,” explained Professor Anja Geitmann of the university’s Department of biology. “Our findings offer new insight into how life evolved on Earth and are significant with regards to human health, as a traffic jam on these highways that also exist in human cells can cause cancer and illnesses such as Alzheimer’s.” (more…)

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Study of the machinery of cells reveals clues to neurological disorder

Sex at zero gravity