简介:CleavageofchromosomalDNAintooligonucleosomalsizefragmentsisanintegralpartofapoptosis.ElegantbiochemicalworkidentifiedtheDNAfragmentationfactor(DFF)asamajorapoptoticendonucleaseforDNAfragmentationinvitroGeneticstudiesinmicesupporttheimportenceofDFFinDNAfragmentationandpossiblyinapoptosisinvivo.RecentworkalsosuggeststheexistenceofadditionalendonucleasesforDNAdegradation.Understandingtherolesofindividualendonucleasesinapoptosis,andhowtheymightcoordinatetodegradeDNAindifferenttissuesduringnormaldevelopmentandhomeostasis,aswellasinvariousdiseasedstates,willbeamajorresearchfocusinthenearfuture.
简介:<正>Apoptosisisahighlyregulatedphysiologicalprocesscriticalindevelopmentandtissuehomeostasis.Abnormalapoptosiscanleadtodiseaseconditionsincludingneurodegeneration,autoimmunityandcancer.DNAfragmentationisanintegralpartofapoptosisandhaslongbeensuspectedtobeofcriticalimportanceincleaninguppotentiallyantigenicDNAandgeneticmaterialcapableofinducingneoplasmictransformationinneighboringcells.DirectevidenceforthisfunctionofDNAfragmentationhowever,isstilllacking.TheidentificationofaheterodimericDNAfragmentationfactor45and40(DFF45andDFF40,alsocalledICADforInhibitorofCaspaseActivatedDNaseandCADforCaspaseActivatedDNaserespectively)aswellas
简介:<正>IncelebrationofthediscoveryofthestructureofDNA-thesecretcodedlanguageoflife-intheUK50yearsago,theexhibitionDNA50:Watson,CrickandBeyond,willvisitBeijinginSeptemberandOctober,unlockingsomeofthemysteriesofthismonumentaldiscovery.OrganisedbytheBritishCouncilandtheChineseAcademyofScience,andsponsoredbyGlaxoSmithKline,theexhibitionwilltakeplaceatXinDongAnShopping
简介:DNAisthegeneticmaterialofvariousorganisms.ExtracellularDNAadsorbedorboundonsurface-activeparticlesinsoilshasbeenshowntopersistforlongperiodsagainstnucleasesdegradationandstillretaintheabilitytotransformcompetentcells.ThispaperreviewssomerecentadvancesonthebindingandtransformationofextracellularDNAinsoils,whichisfundamentaltounderstandingthenatureofthesoil,regulatingbiodiversity,andassessingtheriskofreleasinggeneticallyengineeredmicroorganisms(GEMs)aswellasbeinghelpfulfordevelopmentofthegeneticevolutionaltheoryofbacteria.Severalinfluencingfactors,suchassoilpH,ionicstrength,soilsurfaceproperties,andcharacteristicsoftheDNApolymer,arediscussed.Todate,theunderstandingofthetypeofmolecularbindingsitesandtheconformationofadsorbedandboundDNAtosoilparticlesisstillinitsinfancy.