Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that covered biological, physical, and social sciences. 

 

Neural signaling protein could be therapeutic target for autism-linked gene deletion

Nien-Pei Tsai
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A particular signaling protein in the brain could be a therapeutic target for neurological disorders arising from the deletion of the autism-linked gene MEF2C, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers found in a new mouse study.Deletions or mutations to MEF2C are...

MCB researchers unveil new actin filament behavior in the cellular cytoskeleton

Three scientists next to a microscope
Imagine a treadmill. As it moves, the track is constantly receding but is replenished at an equal rate on the opposite end. The result is a machine in perpetual motion, but which has its length stay exactly the same. For decades, biologists have regarded “treadmilling” as the standard...

“Buckle up and hold on tight!” Study discovers how bacterial pathogens stick to surfaces better when they encounter fluid flow

Headshots of researchers Joe Sanfilippo (left) and Jessica Palalay
Host tissues and medical devices are ideal surfaces for bacterial pathogens to colonize and infect. Fluid flow is thought to flush bacteria off these surfaces, but University of Illinois researchers have found that some bacteria can strengthen their adhesion to the surface when flow is applied. In...

Wind-chill out! Researchers discover how flow stresses out bacterial pathogens

Joe and Gilberto stand together in the lab.
Researchers have discovered the addition of fluid to human pathogens triggers a "windchill-like" effect that sensitizes cells to hydrogen peroxide, a well-known agent of cell stress and DNA damage. Their findings have been published in PNAS.

A different kind of cell signal: New method enables clear, precise imaging of human cells

Engineering North Quad - Fall Autumn Season - Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology have developed an innovative way to ‘see’ the fine structure and chemical composition of a human cell with unmatched clarity and precision. Their technique, which appeared in PNAS earlier this week, takes a creative — and...

Illinois researchers test nicotinic hypothesis of COVID-19

Authors Nicole Godellas, Gisela Cymes, and Claudio Grosman sit together in a row outside, smiling.
Although researchers have learned much about SARS-CoV-2, the vast array of unexplained symptoms associated with acute and post-acute ("long") COVID-19 warrants the search for additional biochemical pathways involved. On the basis of amino-acid sequence analyses and computational approaches, it has...

Lethal damage to the ribosome, arguably the most important machinery in living organisms, can be repaired

image of ribosomal rescue research image
New research from University of Illinois biochemistry professor Raven Huang reveals that lethal ribosomal damage in bacteria can be reversed by a pair of bacterial enzymes named PrfH and RtcB. The finding raises the question of whether similar ribosomal damage can also be repaired in humans because...

Researchers illuminate the important roles played by extracellular vesicles in early pregnancy

Authors of the PNAS paper in the Bagchi lab
Deciphering the molecular basis of cell-cell communications during early pregnancy has long been a challenge of reproductive scientists. New research from the University of Illinois further illuminates the fascinating dialogue between the developing embryo and endometrium by shedding new light on...

Small molecule transports iron in mice, human cells to treat some forms of anemia

University of Illinois chemistry professor Martin D. Burke and graduate student Stella Ekaputri were part of a team that found a small molecule, hinokitiol, ferries iron out of liver cells lacking the protein that normally does the job and restores hemoglobin and red blood cell production.
A natural small molecule derived from a cypress tree can transport iron in live mice and human cells lacking the protein that normally does the job, easing a buildup of iron in the liver and restoring hemoglobin and red blood cell production, a new study found.

Study identifies key regulator of cell differentiation

Research team members pose together in the School of MCB's CLSL atrium, where banners for each department hang in the background. The research team includes, from left, undergraduate student Darya Asoudegi; graduate students Neha Chetlangia and Fredy Kurniawan; and Supriya Prasanth, a professor of cell and developmental biology at the U. of I. Photo by L. Brian Stauffer.
Embryonic stem cells and other pluripotent cells divide rapidly and have the capacity to become nearly any cell type in the body. Scientists have long sought to understand the signals that prompt stem cells to switch off pluripotency and adopt their final functional state.