CHLOROPLASTS AND GENES

ScienceWeek: "One of the consequences of this partitioning of genetic information is that processes which take place inside chloroplasts necessarily require input from two different compartments. For example, the photosynthetic complexes of the thylakoid membranes comprise core subunits encoded by the chloroplast genome, and peripheral subunits encoded by the nuclear genome. To ensure that these complexes are assembled in stoichiometric fashion, and to enable their rapid reorganization in response to changing environmental cues, the activities of the nuclear and chloroplast genomes must be closely coordinated through intracellular signalling."

CELL BIOLOGY: ON NUCLEAR EXPORTATION

CELL BIOLOGY: ON NUCLEAR EXPORTATION: "Nuclear transport is mediated by short sequence elements in cargo molecules: cargo carrying a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) is imported, whereas a nuclear export sequence (NES) is used for export. These sequence elements are recognized by transport factors, collectively termed karyopherins (also referred to as importins, exportins or transportins), which ferry the cargo."

Ophthalmologists Prove Existence Of Geodesic Structures Called CLANs Inside Human Body

Ophthalmologists Prove Existence Of Geodesic Structures Called CLANs Inside Human Body: "CLANs is an acronym for Cross-linked Actin Networks. They are formed from the components which maintain the structure of individual cells and are known to change the shape, function and life cycle of cultured cells. Experts from around the world had previously argued whether such structures actually existed inside the body or whether they were just a theoretical possibility.

CLANs cause cells to become rigid and prevent them from working as they should – there is a strong possibility that they could play a part in glaucoma. Confirmation of their presence in the part of the eye affected by glaucoma, known as the trabecular meshwork, could well lead to new treatments for this disease. Such treatments are essential as glaucoma remains a major cause of blindness in the elderly. After cataracts, it is the second leading cause of vision loss in the world, with over 65 million people suffering from the disease."