Body

December 23, 2012, Shenzhen, China – In a collaborative study published online today in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BGI, and other institutes, have completed the first genome sequence of domestic goat by a robust approach integrated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome mapping (WGM) technologies. The goat genome is the first reference genome for small ruminant animals and may help to advance the understanding of distinct ruminants' genomic features from non-ruminant species.

Scientists have shed light on why some people are more susceptible to gout than others. A study has identified 18 new genetic variations that increase levels of uric acid in the blood, which is the main cause of the disease.High levels of uric acid form small crystals in joints and tissues, causing pain and swelling – the main symptoms of the condition once known as the 'disease of kings'.

(Embargoed) CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In research published online Dec. 23, 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics, scientists have found three new and relatively rare genetic variants that influence insulin production, offering new clues about the genetic factors behind diabetes..

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (December 23, 2012) – In the perilous hours immediately after birth, a newborn mammal must survive the sudden loss of food supply from its mother. Under normal circumstances, newborns mount a metabolic response to ward off starvation until feeding occurs. This survival response involves a process of controlled breakdown of internal energetic sources known as autophagy. Although autophagy has been well documented, the key mechanistic regulators of autophagy in vivo have remained poorly understood.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — A research team led by biogeochemists at the University of California, Riverside has tested a popular hypothesis in paleo-ocean chemistry, and proved it false.

Research from the Medical University of South Carolina suggests that adding copper to hospital surfaces which are commonly touched by medical personnel and patients could help reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections. The findings appear in the July 2012 issue of the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.

Once a cancer has spread to other sites in the body, this aggressive, metastatic cancer is extremely refractory to most treatment options. Dr. Jonathan Kurie and coworkers at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas wanted to better understand the molecular pathways that underlie metastasis. They examined a known promoter of metastasis, a gene transcription factor known as ZEB1 that regulates the expression of multiple regulatory microRNAs. The team specifically studied which microRNAs regulated by ZEB1 contributed to its metastasis-promoting functions.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV) is a rare skin disorder caused by an increased susceptibility to a specific group of related human papillomaviruses. The majority of cases of this congenital disorder are associated with mutations either the gene EVER1 or EVER2.

However, the underlying cause in the remaining patients is unclear. Dr. Emmanuelle Jouanguy and researchers at INSERM in Paris now report on two patients with an immune deficiency and various infectious diseases, including persistent EV-associated human papillomavirus infections.

In acromegaly, excess production of growth hormone triggers aberrant growth of body tissues . Researchers at the University of Geneva in Switzerland sought to develop new therapeutic approaches for treating acromegaly.

Led by Dr. Emmanuel Somm, the team modified a Botulinum neurotoxin to specifically target pituitary somatotroph cells that secrete growth hormone. When given to rats, the recombinant protein reduced growth hormone synthesis and secretion.

Rhesus macaque monkeys infected with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) harbor immunoglobulin G (IgG) and SIV-specific antibodies and T cells in the foreskin of the penis, according to a study in the July 2012 Journal of Virology. This is the first time antibody secreting cells, antiviral antibodies or antiviral T cells have been reported in the foreskin of any primate.

Chemokines are signals in the body that act as beacons, calling out to migrating cells, such as white blood cells, guiding them to where they are needed. One chemokine in particular, chemokine 25 (CCL25), binds to chemokine Receptor 9 (CCR9), forming a signaling pathway that is important in the small intestine and colon, where it regulates immune response and decreases cell death.

Drs. Steven Lipkin, Xiling Shen, and colleagues at Cornell University have discovered that the CCL25-CCR9 pathway also has an unexpected role— inhibiting colon cancer metastasis and invasion.

A female moth sitting on a goal post could attract a male moth on the other end of a football field. And even if she switched her scent over time, the male could still find her because of a mutation to a single gene in his antenna.

A team of researchers led by Montana State University entomologist Kevin Wanner identified that gene after seeing how it adapted to even the slightest change in the chemicals female moths emit to attract males. The scientists explained their findings in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

The deadlist form of malaria is caused the protozoan Plasmodium falciparum. During its life-cycle in human blood, the parasite P. falciparum expresses unique proteins on the surface on infected blood cells.

New York, NY (December 20, 2012) — By analyzing tissues harvested from organ donors, Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have created the first ever "atlas" ofimmune cells in the human body. Their results provide a unique view of the distribution and function of T lymphocytes in healthy individuals. In addition, the findings represent a major step toward development of new strategies for creating vaccines and immunotherapies. The study was published today in the online edition of the journal Immunity.

DALLAS – Dec. 21, 2012 – UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers are looking into the widespread implementation of computed-tomography (CT) scanning for the early detection of lung cancer in a public heath setting, asking two key questions: Without screening, why and how do patients with lung cancer get diagnosed with the disease in the first place? And what proportion of these cases would be captured by screening efforts?