research advances
Synopses of important developments in the field of structural biology and structural genomics, including advances from the Protein Structure Initiative. The featured articles and technical highlights are specially written for the Structural Biology Knowledgebase, while the research highlights are taken from NPG publications.
December 2010
featured articles
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Guard cells pick up the SLAC
Guard cells rely on anion channels to regulate stomata in response to environmental cues. A new crystal structure gives insight into how stomata close.
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Sugar switch
Recent work gives insight into how microbes in our gut flora take advantage of passing nutrients, in this case, specific digestible carbohydrates.
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research highlights
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Nuthin' but a 'G' thangThe first X-ray crystal structure of the human CXCR4 chemokine receptor suggests how this G protein-coupled receptor interacts with the HIV-1 glycoprotein gp120.
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Telomerase RNA round the bendRecent examination of a conserved five nucleotide bulge region indicates that it helps form the overall topology of the core domain of human telomerase RNA and may be a member of a broader class of RNA structural motifs.
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technical highlights
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'Super-resolution' large complexesLow-resolution diffraction data hampers structural determination of macromolecular complexes. There is a way round it.
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Five ways recent mass spec developments enhance structural biologyRecent technical developments have helped mass spectrometry take its place as an essential structural biology tool.
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