Tag Archives: Decoding

Decoding the Mystery Behind the Velvet Ant’s Venom and its Painful Sting

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Velvet ants inject venom through their abdomen and sting.

JoJo Dexter/Getty Images

The bite of a female velvet ant is one of the most painful in the animal kingdom. Now, researchers have shown that the venoms of these insects contain multiple proteins that make them highly effective against a wide range of victims, including invertebrates, mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. I discovered it.

Velvet ants are actually members of the wingless wasp family, of which there are over 7,000 species. Justin Schmidt, the researcher who created the Schmidt Sting Index, described the pain of a sting as “explosive and long-lasting, making you scream and feel like you’re going crazy. Hot oil from a deep fryer spills all over your hand.” .”

When I looked into what was causing so much pain, Dan Tracy Researchers at Indiana University urged the public to carefully collect female scarlet velvet ants.Dasimtyla occidentalis) from the Indiana and Kentucky sites.

They tested fruit fly venom (Drosophila melanogaster),mouse(Mus musculus) and praying mantis (tenodera sinensis), potential predators of velvet ants.

One of the peptides the research team isolated from the venom, Do6a, clearly caused a response in the insects, but surprisingly not in the mice.

“That means the venom has evolved to include components that specifically target pain-sensing neurons in insects, and other components that target mammals,” Tracy says.

The researchers further tested this by having praying mantises attempt to capture velvet ants.

“We found that velvet ants are constantly stinging praying mantises in self-defense to escape their clutches,” Tracy says.

However, when tested with other peptides isolated from velvet ant venom, called Do10a and Do13a, the mice showed a strong pain response.

After discovering the peptide that activated neurons, the researchers compared the venom peptide sequences of four other species of velvet ants.

“They all have nearly the same version of the peptide that strongly activates the insect’s pain-sensing neurons.” Lydia Boljonteam members at Indiana University. “There are also some peptides that are similar to common neuron activators, but with some differences. Therefore, pain may be triggered in a similar way in other velvet ant species.”

This research could help develop new pain treatments for humans, Borjon said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unraveling the Secrets of Dark DNA: Scientists on the Verge of Decoding Your Genome

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Back in the spring of 2003, the Human Genome Project completed the monumental task of sequencing the human genome.

Even now, The Book of Life remains a captivating and complex subject for the world’s top geneticists, as they work to unravel its mysteries.

This achievement was not only a major milestone for science but for life on our planet, marking the first time any organism had documented its fundamental genetic makeup. This event sparked the ongoing genetic revolution but also presented profound questions.

Questions like, “Why is there so much genetic material?”

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One intriguing aspect of the human genome is that the majority of it seems to serve no apparent function. With around 3 billion nucleotide pairs (A, C, G, T), fewer than 2% (approximately 20,000) of these are genes responsible for coding proteins that direct cellular activity in the body. So, what purpose do the remaining genes serve?

Some have referred to these as junk DNA: seemingly meaningless genetic remnants accumulated over the course of evolution or like a convoluted word puzzle with little coherence.

However, ongoing research indicates that at least some of these regions are not simply genetic debris but have crucial regulatory and corrective roles in the human genome’s protein-coding genes. These DNA sequences are likened to the controls for gene expression.

For instance, enhancer sequences boost gene transcription from DNA to RNA, while silencers have the opposite effect.

The dark genome largely consists of lengthy repeat DNA sequences called Transposons, which play vital roles in gene expression, evolutionary processes, and environmental adaptation.

These “jumping genes” can relocate within the genome, potentially causing significant genetic mutations or inversions. Scientists posit that transposons are linked to evolutionary developments such as opposable thumbs in humans and the loss of tails in humans and apes.

In certain scenarios, transposons may contribute to the onset of tumors and genetic disorders like hemophilia and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, stemming from repetitive DNA sequences associated with transposons.

As a result, the dark genome has become a focal point of medical research, with hopes that increased understanding over the next two decades will lead to revolutionary therapies for genetic diseases.

This content addresses the query of “What makes up the other 98% of DNA?” posed by Asa Mcintyre via email.

If you have inquiries, please contact us via the email address provided below. For additional information:or send us a message Facebook, Xor Instagram Page (include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Decoding the key to aging well with medaka fish

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A study of killifish by the Max Planck Institute revealed that older fish enter a state of starvation due to changes in their adipose tissue. Activating a specific subunit of AMP kinase restores health and longevity in humans, suggesting a new way to promote healthier aging in humans.

Genetic switch rescues aging fish from starvation trap.

Fasting interventions that alternate between fasting and refeeding are generally thought to improve health. However, these interventions do not work well in older animals.

The question is, why?

By studying short-lived killifish, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging in Cologne found that older fish deviate from the fasting and refeeding cycles of their youth, and even when they consume food, they permanently It was shown that the body enters a state of fasting. However, the benefits of post-fasting refeeding in old medaka fish can be restored by genetically activating specific subunits of AMP kinase, an important sensor of cellular energy.

These mutant fish experience improved health and longevity and require both fasting and refeeding to provide health benefits, which have been shown to act through AMP kinase. I am.

Medaka ages rapidly. The bright colors of their youth fade in just a few months.Credit: K. Link / Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging

It has already been shown in many model organisms that reducing food intake through calorie restriction or periods of fasting has positive effects on health. However, it is difficult for humans to reduce the amount they eat throughout their lifetime. To find the optimal timing for fasting, researchers introduced fasting interventions at different ages, but found that these interventions in older adults did not provide the same benefits as in younger animals.

A research team in Cologne, Germany, now investigated the effects of age-related fasting on medaka fish. Medaka is a rapidly aging fish that grows from young to old in just a few months. The researchers either starved young and old fish for several days or fed them twice a day. They found that the visceral adipose (adipose) tissue of older fish became less responsive to feeding. “Adipose tissue is known to respond most strongly to changes in food intake and plays an important role in metabolism, which is why we looked at it more closely,” said lead author of the study. explains Roberto Ripa.

It is important to alternate between fasting and meals

The researchers found that, unable to respond to the feeding phase, the adipose tissue of old fish enters a permanent state of starvation, where energy metabolism ceases, protein production decreases, and tissue does not renew. “We thought that older fish would be unable to switch to fasting after feeding. Surprisingly, the opposite was true, and older fish would be unable to switch to fasting after feeding. , they were in a state of permanent starvation,” said study leader Adam Antebi, director of the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Aging.

Permanently fasted adipose tissue

When the researchers looked more closely at how the fat tissue of old fish differs from that of young fish, they discovered a specific protein called AMP kinase. This kinase is a cellular energy sensor and is composed of various subunits, among which the activity of the γ1 subunit decreases with age. When scientists genetically engineered this subunit to increase its activity, the starvation-like state was overcome, and the old fish became healthier and lived longer.

human aging

Interestingly, an association was also found between the γ1 subunit and human aging. Significantly lower levels of certain subunits were measured in samples from older patients. Additionally, in human samples, we were able to show that people who are less frail at older ages have higher levels of the γ1 subunit.

“Of course, we still don’t know whether the human γ1 subunit is actually involved in healthy aging. The next step is to find a molecule that precisely activates this subunit and use it to “We investigate whether this can have a positive impact on aging,” explains Adam Antebi.

Reference: “Refeeding related AMPK”γ1 Complex activity is a hallmark of health and longevity.” Roberto Ripa, Eugen Barrissa, Joachim D. Steiner, Raymond Lavoie, Andrea Annibal, Nadine Hocher, Christian Razza, Luca Dolfi, Chiara Calabrese, By Anna M. Meyer, Maria Cristina Polidori, and Roman – Ulrich Müller and Adam Antebi, November 13, 2023, natural aging.
DOI: 10.1038/s43587-023-00521-y

Source: scitechdaily.com

Decoding Earth’s magnetosphere: A simplified understanding

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Earth’s magnetosphere, essential for protecting us from solar radiation, is in sharp contrast to Mars, which has lost its protective field. Studying this shield, especially through NASA missions such as the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission, is important for understanding space weather and its effects on Earth.

What is Earth’s magnetosphere?

Enveloping our planet and protecting us from the wrath of the sun is a giant magnetic bubble called the magnetosphere. It deflects most of the solar material that rushes toward us from our star at more than 1 million miles per hour. Without the magnetosphere, the relentless activity of these solar particles could strip Earth of the protective layer that protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. It is clear that this magnetic bubble was the key to the development of Earth into a habitable planet.

The magnetosphere envelops our planet and protects us from the brunt of the sun, and is key to Earth’s development into a habitable planet. credit: NASA

Earth vs. Mars: The role of the magnetosphere

compare with earth Mars – A planet that lost its magnetosphere about 4.2 billion years ago. It is thought that solar winds stripped away most of Mars’ atmosphere, probably after the Red Planet’s magnetic field disappeared. As a result, Mars is the desolate, barren world we see today through the “eyes” of NASA’s orbiters and probes. In contrast, Earth’s magnetosphere appears to continue to protect the atmosphere.

“If we didn’t have the magnetic field, we might be left with a completely different atmosphere, devoid of life as we know it,” said Eftihir Zesta of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s Geospace Physics Laboratory. states.

The magnetosphere is the result of the Earth’s internal magnetic field, generated by the rotation and convection of electrically conductive material within its central core. This magnetic field spreads out into space and acts as a shield against the solar wind, forming the magnetosphere.

Understanding and researching the magnetosphere

Understanding the magnetosphere is a key element in helping scientists predict space weather that could one day impact technology on Earth. Extreme space weather events can disrupt communication networks. GPS Navigation and power grids.

The magnetosphere is a permeable shield. The solar wind periodically connects to the magnetosphere and forces its reconfiguration. This can cause cracks and allow energy to flow into our safe haven. These cracks open and close many times a day, sometimes even an hour. Most of them are small and short-lived. Others are vast and persistent. When the sun’s magnetic field connects with the Earth’s magnetic field, fireworks begin.

“Earth’s magnetosphere absorbs incoming energy from the solar wind and releases it in bursts in the form of magnetic storms and substorms,” ​​Zesta said.

Illustration of four MMS spacecraft in orbit in the Earth’s magnetic field. Credit: NASA

Magnetic Reconnection and MMS Mission

How does this happen? Magnetic field lines converge and rearrange, resulting in magnetic energy and charged particles flying around at breakneck speeds. Scientists have been trying to understand why this crossing of magnetic field lines, called magnetic reconnection, causes such violent explosions and opens cracks in the magnetosphere.

NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) launched in March 2015 to make the first observations of the electronic physics of magnetic reconnection. Four of her MMS spacecraft, packed with high-energy particle detectors and magnetic sensors, flew close to the region on the surface of Earth’s magnetosphere where magnetic reconnection occurs. Since then, MMS has conducted similar searches in the magnetotail.

MMS complements the missions of NASA and partner agencies such as THEMIS, Cluster, and Geotail, and will provide important new details for ongoing studies of Earth’s magnetosphere. The data obtained from these surveys not only helps us understand the fundamental physics of the universe, but also helps improve space weather forecasting.

Source: scitechdaily.com