Flavonoid Biosynthesis. A Colorful Model for Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, and Biotechnology

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a powerful experimental system to study biochemical, cell biological and molecular biological aspects of lipid synthesis. Most but not all genes encoding enzymes involved in fatty acid, phospholipid, sterol or…

Recent advances in the cell, developmental, and molecular biology of alkaloid biosynthesis have heightened our appreciation for the complexity and importance of plant secondary pathways. Several biosynthetic genes involved in the formation of…

In this article I discuss the main results of our research in space biology from the simple early investigations with human lymphocytes in the early eighties until the projects in tissue engineering of the next decade on the international space…

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the main cause of death in cirrhotic patients and has become a major health problem in developed countries. Analysis of the somatic alterations and gene expression profiles in patients with HCC have provided…

Complement is a principal mediator of the acute inflammatory response and contributes to the non-specific recognition and elimination of foreign substances from the body. The system evolved to protect the host from invasion by various pathogens.…

Carotenoids represent one of the most widely distributed and structurally diverse classes of natural pigments, with important functions in photosynthesis, nutrition, and protection against photooxidative damage. In the eubacterial community, yellow,…

The recent emergence of an autofluorescent protein, the green fluorescent protein (GFP), has opened the door for the convenient use of intact living cells and organisms as experimental systems in fields ranging from cell biology to biomedicine. We…

This article describes three interactive software simulations targeted to key domains of modern molecular genetics: genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. These simulations allow students to deepen their understanding of key principles in…

Cytosolic components of the NADPH oxidase interact with the actin cytoskeleton. These interactions are thought to be important for the activation of this enzyme system but they are poorly characterised at the molecular level. Here we have explored…

Wolbachia are gram-negative bacteria that are widespread in nature, carried by the majority of insect species as well as some mites, crustaceans, and filarial nematodes. Wolbachia can range from parasitic to symbiotic, depending upon the interaction…