The crystal structure of the oedema factor component of the anthrax toxin shows how it locks onto and disables a host signaling molecule.

Fertilization and pregnancy is possible following transplantation of cryopreserved reproductive organs.

The growth of actively proliferating tumors requires the initiation of new blood vessel production by an unknown trigger, often referred to as the 'angiogenic switch'. In January 22 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Jack Arbiser and colleagues from Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, US show that reactive oxygen generated by Nox1 is an important trigger of angiogenesis.Arbiser et al. found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA becomes markedly up regulated

Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among men, but little is known about its causes, genetic or otherwise. In January 22 Advance Online Publication Nature Genetics, a group of researchers at 14 institutions in the US, Finland and Sweden, coordinated by National Institute of Health, Bethesda, US, describe a candidate tumor suppressor gene that is mutated in families in which men have a high risk of developing prostate cancer.Carpten et al. examined a region on chromosome

Leptin stimulates fatty-acid oxidation by activating AMP-activated protein kinase.

Specific amino acid substitutions favor protein aggregation by facilitating the assembly of partially denatured conformations.

A plant extract for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis circumvents the sedative side effects of antihistamines.

The crystal structure of a chloride channel reveals an hourglass shape and provides clues as to their mechanism of action.

can enter lettuce through the roots and migrate to the leaves, resisting traditional sanitizing methods.

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) is a frequent cause of bacteremia in immunocompromised patients and there exists only two antibiotics that are effective for treating VRE infection. In January Infection and Immunity, Biswajit Biswas and colleagues from National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA, show that bacteriophage therapy can be an efficient way of treating vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium infection in mice.Biswas et al. used a VRE strain to induce a fatal bacterem

-hemolytic group G streptococcus can cause necrotizing fasciitis due to the presence of a functional homologue of streptolysin S.

Ants live in complex social colonies in which each individual has a well-defined role, but the mechanisms by which this interaction is maintained remains unclear. In January 11 Science, Michael Krieger and Kenneth Ross from University of Georgia, Athens, USA show that a single gene can control complex behavior patterns important in colony formation and social evolution.Krieger & Ross discovered that the Gp-9 gene of the South American fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) encodes a pheromone-binding