Great job on last month's blog post! This week we will be learning about enzymes and conducting several inquiry based labs about enzymes to learn how they work. Turns out enzymes are "wicked" important in biology and everywhere we turn we will see examples of their use.
What I would like you to do this week is to follow the link below and choose one article about enzymes to read and summarize for the class. Please include the title of the article you chose to summarize. Please do not choose an article that has already been summarized. Finally toward the end of the week, go back and read the summaries of the other articles. Enzymes are amazing!
http://www.livescience.com/search.html?cx=partner-pub-1894578950532504%3Aqaei7k190hq&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&sa=&q=enzyme
Best,
Mr. Clark
Transplanted Genes Let Plants Light Up
ReplyDeleteBioGlow, Inc. successfully transplanted the genes that allow marine bacteria to light up into tobacco plants. The genes they moved coded for luciferase, an enzyme that catalyzes the light emitting reaction in the bacteria. They put these genes into the plastids, which contain plant color. Although quite dim now, they hope to have the bio luminescence much brighter and in different colors in the coming future.
This year in AP Biology we are going to transform a glowing gene into an E. coli bacteria and make it glow!
DeleteMaking Nature’s Best Better to Produce Biofuels
ReplyDeleteCellulose, although unable to be digested by humans, contains a lot of energy and can last for years in the biosphere. Some living things have developed enzymes that are capable of breaking down cellulose and using its energy. Researchers are observing these enzymes and trying to create an enzyme that could be used to break down cellulose for use in biofuels. Some enzymes travel along a “scaffolding” allowing them to latch on and work together as a large unit on the cellulose. Other enzymes move more freely around. There is also a carbohydrate binding molecule attached to the protein. This part of the protein acts as a guide to get the enzyme in the right place so it cat break down the cellulose. Scientist hope to find a way to mimic these techniques used by natural enzymes to create an enzyme perfect for converting cellulose into fuel while still being cheap enough to be competitive with fossil fuels.
Getting this enzyme to breakdown cellulose for fuel would be a huge breakthrough ... we could use the seeds / fruits of many plants for food and the other parts for fuel!
DeleteNew Biofuel Possibility in Horse Gut Fungus
ReplyDeleteThe article I read talks about how the American Chemical Society came to find that an anaerobic gut fungus (this being yeast) in a horse's digestive tract and waste products could potentially be a new source of biofuel. The fungus makes enzymes that digest lignin, a barrier within the cell wall of plants, similarly to cellulose. The fungus not only digests lignin, it produces the material into sugars for the animal and it's energy supply. The team researching the fungus is “looking for the most active enzyme and developing ways to transfer that enzyme's genetic machinery into yeast that is already used in industrial processes” in order to use as a source of biofuel.
This article was particularly interesting to me mainly because of my interest in horses and animals, but also because it's fascinating to think that all this time we spent avoiding waste and the digestive system of these animals could have been spent finding a renewable source of energy for businesses.
A New Molecule for Memory: It can Enhance, or Erase
ReplyDeleteTodd Sacktor of SUNY Downstate Medical Center and Yadin Dudai of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel conducted an experiment in which they trained rats to equate a certain taste with feeling really sick. After learning this, the memory is stored in the rats’ brains and for months, the rats avoid similar-tasting foods. The next part of the experiment was to train the rats to associate another taste with bellyaches. Afterwards, the researchers injected the rats with a non-illness-inducing virus, which was created to express a memory-altering enzyme, protein kinase M zeta or PKMzeta. The injected virus made either a mutant form of the protein that blocked the activity of the protein, or made the working version of PKMzeta. The results showed an increase in the rat’s ability to remember due to the increased enzyme levels. The results also showed the wiping out of the memory due to the activity-blocking mutant protein. Dudai and his team think that PKMzeta is very important in the maintaining of memories. This could mean that this protein could be important in the future for treating Alzheimer’s patients, PTSD patients, and phobia patients. The memories of these patients could be targeted by a treatment where the level of PKMzeta in different brain areas is changed.
Has Science Cured Gray Hair?
ReplyDeleteMarc Lallanilla
This article is about the work of a European team of researchers who think they “have found not only the root cause of gray hair, but also a treatment for the condition” (Lallanilla). They did most of their research on people with vitiligo, a condition in which people lose pigment in parts of the skin, eyes and hair, thus causing white patches or gray areas of hair. They found that hair turns gray because of the “buildup of hydrogen peroxide in hair follicles”. This buildup also causes oxidative stress, “a disturbance in the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and antioxidant defenses” (Betteridge). Hydrogen peroxide breaks down in the hair of younger people because of an enzyme called catalase. When one ages and this enzyme’s presence is decreased, one will begin to gray. They discovered that vitiligo results from oxidative stress and that they can use a tropical treatment called PC-KUS on people in order to bring back color.
I chose to read this article because I recently did a disease/disorder flyer in Anatomy & Physiology on vitiligo. Because of this, I thought reading this article would be a great way to supplement my learning. Furthermore, my mother has vitiligo and I am genetically predisposed to it so it occasionally crosses my mind. It is comforting to know that a lot of work is being done to cure vitiligo.
Betteridge, DJ. "What Is Oxidative Stress?" U.S. National Library of Medicine. National Center for Biotechnology Information, 4 Feb. 2000. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. .
Lallanilla, Marc. "Has Science Cured Gray Hair?" LiveScience. Purch, 06 May 2013. Web. 06 Oct. 2014. .
New Blood Test Could Detect Spread of Melanoma
ReplyDeleteAmanda Chan
This article describes a process that could be used in a clinic to detect Melanoma in patients. Melanoma is a cancer of the skin, that affects the Melanocytes on the Basale layer of the skin. Melanocytes, when healthy, give the skin pigment and protects the cells that reproduce skin cells by producing Melanin. However, the Melanocytes protect everything except themselves. UV radiation from the sun can damage the cells, and damage the DNA. Melanoma is one of the most common forms of cancer in both men and women, so the audience that the cancer effects is quite large. The idea of the new treatment that has been developed, and proven superior to many other tests involves sampling enzyme levels in the blood. Scientists discovered that patents with advanced cases of Melanoma have elevated levels of seven different proteins. This is significant because it provides a benchmark test to determine whether the patient's Melanoma has spread to other organs. The test provides a safe, reliable, and relatively fast way of diagnosing Melanoma. The most significant bit of information brought out of this discovery is that the proteins found in the blood are directly related to the cancer cells because they produce it. This could be used to determine the amount of malignant cells a patient has, and could lead to other studies to identify cancer caused proteins.
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ReplyDeleteWhy dark chocolate is good for your heart
ReplyDeleteA recent study at Linkoping University in Sweden was made about dark chocolate and peoples' heart health. They found that eating dark chocolate blocks the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). ACE affects the body's control of the movement of body fluids, such as blood thus affecting the blood pressure. Also there is a correlation between high levels of ACE and the walls of the arteries hardening and some types of cardiovascular disease. In the study, people's blood was tested for ACE before and three hours after eating two and a half ounces of dark chocolate. The blood from after eating the chocolate contained 18% less ACE than before. These results are almost as good as any of the blood pressure medicines that we use today.
Rowan, Karen. "Findings: Why Dark Chocolate Is Good for Heart Health." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 17 Nov. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.
Molecule That May Have Given Breath to Earth's First Life Discovered
ReplyDeleteIn the article that I read scientist Gustavo Caetano-Anollés and his team of researchers believe that they have discovered a molecule that may have been how oxygen was first produced. Around 2.4 billion years ago an abundance of oxygen rose dramatically. Around this same time photosynthesizing organisms appeared as well. But until this day no one knew why these organisms that produced oxygen came about anyways. After loads of research was done on studying different protein folds in "1,000s" of organisms they discovered the first oxygen based process involved the production of pyridoxal. This is essential to many enzymes in the body. So the next question is where did the organisms find the essential pyridoxal. They discovered that manganese catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide which was also recorded to show up at this same time. The glaciers at the time, which were releasing the hydrogen peroxide. "The organisms essentially got the oxygen they needed to produce pyridoxal by breaking down the glacial hydrogen peroxide with manganese catalase." So this they believe is how oxygen arised dramatically on the planet
Maggots Clean Wounds Faster Than Surgeons
ReplyDeleteThis article suggested how maggots may be more efficient at removing dead tissue than standard surgical treatment. A study in France that was held one week after a group of patients received treatment for their lacerations revealed that men who had tissue removed by maggots had less dead tissue than those who underwent surgery. However, two weeks after the treatment, both groups of patients had an equal amount of diseased tissue in their wounds. Although the effects of maggots were not dramatic, they may be useful in other cases that require quick treatment; perhaps for diabetic treatment. The idea of putting maggots into open flesh may sound repulsive, but such a therapy might be a quick way to clean wounds, a new study from France suggests. “Medical use of maggots was approved in 2004 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration,” however, the “gross factor” of the maggots requires patients to be psychologically strong, which is understandable when living organisms are being placed your open wounds. The natural scientific beauty of the maggots lies in their ability to secrete an enzyme that dissolves dead tissue but leaves healthy tissue alone; these bugs certainly deserve credit for their unique and fascinating medicinal abilities.
Ancient Life Form Breathes Rocket Fuel Ingredient
ReplyDeleteAn archaea, A. Fulgidus, found in warm, but oxygen deficient areas of the ocean can metabolize perchlorate in a different way. Most other archaea and bacteria metabolize perchlorate in two steps using two separate enzymes, but this organism doesn’t have the second enzyme. Instead of using two enzymes to fully break down perchlorate the organism instead uses sulfite which reacts with the chlorite to create oxidized sulfur compounds. This is useful to the organism because the sulfur can be reused so as it creates energy it will be able to create more energy in an exponential way. Scientists are finding this discovery puzzling because nearly all organisms that metabolize perchlorate evolved to using two enzymes as the earths atmosphere became oxygen rich. It is not understood why these organisms could have evolved, but didn't.
Scientists Catch Enzyme in Strange State
ReplyDeletePharmeceutical drugs have different effects on different people, and this article describes an experiment in which scientists have figured out a probable reason why. Certain enzymes in the human liver known as P450s are responsible for breaking down 75% of drugs; however, different variations of these enzymes in different people affect both their rates of reaction and the people's body's responses to the products of the reaction. The variations were previously unidentified because they occur in a very brief unstable state that passes so quickly that scientists can't see it. In a recent study, scientists were able to freeze the enzymes in this unstable state by growing them in E. coli and then freezing the bacteria at just the right moment to about -200 degrees Celcius. By getting a snapshot of this brief state during the enzyme's reaction period, scientists hope to both study the variations in enzyme-catalyzed chemical reactions to known drugs and to better understand the reactions themselves in order to synthesize new and better drugs.
Drug Boosts Body's Natural Cannabis, Eases Fear in Mice
ReplyDeleteThis article is about a new drug released in the brain called endocannabinoids. It has been known to have the same calming effects as other illegal drugs like marijuana. However these chemicals get broken down by enzymes called andamides. Scientists have discovered by stopping these enzymes, it stops anxiety and traumatic stress in mice. I thought it was really interesting because I was unaware that some enzymes have negative effects. I assumed that all enzymes helped activate positive chemical reactions but this article made it clear that stopping some enzymes could be beneficial to the body.
I read Jessica’s article. I’m in psychology right now and we are learning about the biological part of psychology. We learned a lot about what controls memory and neurotransmitters. The article depicted a new enzyme that could help and I thought it was very interesting that protein could be a key important factor in not only memory but dieses involved in memory.
No Need for Water, Enzymes are Doing it for Themselves
ReplyDeleteRecent research challenges the long-held belief that enzymes need water to function. A Dr. Adam Perriman and his colleagues covered the enzyme lipase with long detergent molecules, eliminating the need for a solvent (such as water). The enzyme could exist as a liquid without a solvent. The liquid enzyme could dissolve a solid substrate, catalyze the reaction, and retain its molecular structure and catalytic ability at temperatures up to 150 degrees Celsius. This discovery, which could be a fundamental scientific advance, could lead to the development of industrial enzymes that function in harsh conditions and under high temperatures.
Human Gut Bacteria Different in Japanese vs. North Americans
ReplyDeleteThis article focuses on a special enzyme in Japanese peoples stomachs that allows them to break down certain carbohydrates in seaweed. This finding resulted from researchers trying to find new enzymes. The researchers found a new enzyme called porphyranases, which facilitate the breaking down of fibers in red algae. After trying to find a match for this enyzme in other bacteria, they came to find that it matched a kind of bacteria that was present in a Japanese volunteer’s gut. The enzyme they found was bacteroides plebeius. More tests were done to determine if this enzyme was solely found in Japanese guts rather than in American guts. The results showed that none of the American stomachs held the enzyme and that some of the Japanese guts did show the enzyme. However, more tests are being done to determine the validity of the enzyme only being present in Japanese peoples stomachs.
How The Venus flytrap Kills and Digests Its Prey
ReplyDeleteThe Venus Flytrap is widely known for it's carnivorous ways, but the question of how it digests its prey eludes many of us. The Venus flytrap resorted to obtaining its nutrients from live prey in its natural environment consisting of nutrient-poor soil. When an insect is sensed on the flytrap's sensor hairs, the trap is closed shut and glands within the flytrap produce enzymes which digest the insect. The Venus flytrap produces several hormones that allow it to close its trap shut. Researches applied the hormone called jasmonate which stimulates the closing of the trap without the presence of an insect. Even when researches caused the trap to shut, the hormone triggered the glands to secrete enzymes that would digest the insect (if there were one present), which usually takes a couple of days. It turns out that the hormone jasmonate is what triggers the digestive cycle of the flytrap, starting with the closing of the trap and then the secretion of digestive enzymes.
Spinal Cord Damage May Be Fixed with New Therapies
ReplyDeleteThis article suggests that spinal cord damage could be fixed with the enzyme chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), protein P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF), and gene therapy. Researchers are trying to figure out why nerves in the Central Nervous System do not grow back after an injury like those in the Peripheral Nervous System. Scientists discovered that this change in growth occurred because nerves in the Parietal Nervous System send out signals which create an “epigenetic” system which cause growth without altering the DNA. Researchers realized that the protein called P300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) helped stimulate nerve growth. Scientists also found that the enzyme Chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) promoted growth while removing “scar-forming proteins.” The only problem with this is the fact that for the enzyme to be helpful over a long period of time, it must be administered frequently. The most successful treatment option so far has been gene therapy where scientists have injected cells with these enzymes and proteins. Scientists are hopeful that the cells will produce the enzymes and proteins on their own and promote cell growth.
The article can be found at: http://www.livescience.com/44850-spinal-cord-damage-new-therapies.html
DNA Helicase Damage Can Cause Cancer
ReplyDeleteDNA Helicase is the enzyme responsible for separating the two strands of interwoven DNA such that they can be replicated and transcribed. In reality, there are a variety of helicase enzymes that work together to achieve this task. However, if any of these enzymes are damaged or misshapen, they can improperly complete their task and damage DNA. Many cancers arise from damage to DNA in a single cell which causes it to multiply uncontrollably. A malfunctioning DNA helicase can cause such damage. Worse still, existing treatments for cancer further damage helicases, putting other areas of the body at risk while tackling cancer in one area.
http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v13/n8/full/nrc3560.html
I read "Digital Evolution: DNA May Bring Computers to Life" (written by Tanya Lewis).
ReplyDeleteResearchers are studying how biological components could mimic transistors in computers. Transistors are the digital devices that only receive and send information in binary form, or in on/off signals. Instead of controlling the flow of electrons, transistors' biological brothers, being called transcriptors, would control the flow of enzymes. This could be used to "amplify genetic logic," bringing science one step closer to creating living computers (Jerome Bonnett). The enzyme being tested is RNA polymerase, the enzyme responsible for using DNA as a template to create primary transcript RNA. These biological logic gates could lead to creating a living computational device.
Read the article at http://www.livescience.com/28273-biological-computers-possible-using-dna.html
"Why New Moms Get 'Baby Blues'"
ReplyDelete70 percent of women suffer from 'baby blues' within the first week after their child is born, but for 13 percent of women this feeling does not go away, it develops into a clinical-level postpartum depression. This article is about how these depression like symptoms come from a significant drop in the estrogen levels eight after giving birth. The change in estrogen levels are proportional to the change in the levels of the enzyme monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). This enzyme is responsible for transmitting signals, but also controls how we feel. If the levels are low, we initially are sad; if those levels continue to be low, it can develop into depression. In order to keep the ratios balanced and keeping mothers out of this post-birth slump feeling, docrots can use selected antagonist drugs, or increase the concentration of monoamine neurotransmitters which elevate mood. These treatments depend on whether or not the mother plans to breastfeed. Overall it is extremely beneficial that scientists have found the correlation and are able to fix it, preventing mothers from getting the depression that can come after having a baby.