New Mode of Cell Communication Discovered

sumsung submitted, created time 11 months 4 weeks (sciencenow.sciencemag.org)

Like teenagers, cells in our bodies constantly chatter back and forth. But instead of zapping text messages, they relay signals with molecules. Now, researchers have discovered a surprisingly tiny new messenger in worms: protons.

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Quantum dots provide an optical signal specific to full collapse fusion of synaptic vesicles

benjiamin submitted, created time 1 year 2 months (www.pnas.org)

Synaptic vesicles are responsible for releasing neurotransmitters and are thus essential to brain function. The classical mode of vesicle recycling includes full collapse of the vesicle into the plasma membrane and clathrin-mediated regeneration of a new vesicle.

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Properties of GluR3 receptors tagged with GFP at the amino or carboxyl terminus

kitty submitted, created time 1 year 3 months (www.pnas.org)

Anatomical visualization of neurotransmitter receptor localization is facilitated by tagging receptors, but this process can alter their functional properties. We have evaluated the distribution and properties of WT glutamate receptor 3 (GluR3) -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors (WT GluR3) and two receptors in which GFP was tagged to the amino terminus (GFP-GluR3) or to the carboxyl terminus (GluR3-GFP).

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Identification of a chloride ion binding site in Na+/Cl--dependent transporters

bianjie submitted, created time 1 year 5 months (www.pnas.org)

The recent determination of the crystal structure of the leucine transporter from Aquifex aeolicus (aaLeuT) has provided significant insights into the function of neurotransmitter:sodium symporters.

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Silencing of genes in cultured Drosophila neurons by RNA interference

bianjie submitted, created time 1 year 5 months (www.pnas.org)

Cultures of neuroblasts that generate abundant neurons were established from Drosophila embryos to study silencing of genes by RNA interference (RNAi). Cultured cells expressed ELAV, a marker of neurons, Futsch, a marker of neurites, and Synapsin, Synaptobrevin, and Synaptogamin, proteins involved in neurotransmitter secretion.

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Sedative 'reactivates' damaged brains

BIOBOSS submitted, created time 1 year 9 months (www.newscientist.com)

A severely brain damaged woman has shown dramatic improvement in mental function after taking an insomnia drug, doctors say. The result may offer hope to millions of people living with serious brain damage.

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