Sniffing for Mr. Right

jerry submitted, created time 4 months 3 weeks (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Weight gain and moodiness top the list of the unpleasant side effects of birth control pills. But could the pill also desensitize a woman's sniffer? New research suggests that oral contraceptives can reduce a woman's ability to smell the best mate. Although birth control can't be blamed for every bad relationship, the findings could help explain how people find their ideal love.

Most guys splash on a little cologne before a first date, but past research shows that their natural scent may be the better attractant

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: families birth control the pill marriage love human behavior olfaction contraception women's health women major histocompatibility complex MHC Birth Control Pill

Homotypic Interactions Mediated by Slamf1 and Slamf6 Receptors Control NKT Cell Lineage Development

salut8 submitted, created time 1 year 1 month (www.immunity.com)

“Commitment to the T and natural killer T (NKT) cell lineages is determined during αβ T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated interactions of common precursors with ligand-expressing cells in the thymus. Whereas mainstream thymocyte precursors recognize major histocompatibility complex (MHC) ligands expressed by stromal cells, NKT cell precursors interact with CD1d ligands expressed by cortical thymocytes. Here, Klaus et al

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Broadly neutralizing anti-hepatitis B virus antibody reveals a complementarity determining region H3 lid-opening mechanism

Reviver submitted, created time 1 year 7 months (www.pnas.org)

"The humanized monoclonal antibody HzKR127 recognizes the preS1 domain of the human hepatitis B virus surface proteins with a broadly neutralizing activity in vivo. Researchers present the crystal structures of HzKR127 Fab and its complex with a major epitope peptide. In the complex structure, the bound peptide forms a type IV beta-turn followed by 310 helical turn, the looped-out conformation of which provides a structural basis for broad neutralization. Upon peptide binding, the antibody undergoes a dramatic complementarity determining region H3 lid opening

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Genetic Test Could Reveal a Cheating Heart

cappuccion submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.livescience.com)

A test for genetic compatibility might be the better way to go to see if your wife or girlfriend will cheat on you.A new study reveals that a cluster of genes could predict how sexually attracted a person is to a partner and how likely a woman is be faithful to her mate. Couples in which the individuals had dissimilar versions of so-called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes had the greatest sexual compatibility. All you need is DNA...... Is it interesting? Why do not they use it to test the male part?

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Gene in MHC :Couple's lasting happiness needs

Reviver submitted, created time 1 year 11 months (www.newscientist.com)

Analyse shows that specific genes belonging to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) – a set of genes that control the tags used by the immune system to differentiate between pathogens and cells belonging to the body. Psychologist Christine Garver-Apgar at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, US, and colleagues investigated whether genetic similarities among romantically involved couples predicted how faithful and sexually responsive the partners were to one another

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A T cell receptor flattens a bulged antigenic peptide presented by a major histocompatibility complex class I molecule

Rhett submitted, created time 1 year 11 months ()

Plasticity of the T cell receptor (TCR) is a hallmark of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)–restricted T cell recognition. However, it is unclear whether interactions of TCR and peptide–MHC class I (pMHCI) always conform to this paradigm. This complex was atypical of previously characterized TCR-pMHCI interactions in that a rigid face of the TCR crumpled the bulged antigenic determinant. This peptide 'bulldozing' created a more featureless pMHCI determinant, allowing the TCR to maximize MHC class I contacts essential for MHC class I restriction of TCR recognition

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