Tag

Amino Acids

All articles tagged with #amino acids

science6 days ago•53 min saved

Amino Acids Entered Life's Code in Multiple Ways, Scientists Say

A University of Arizona-led analysis rethinking the origin of life suggests the 20 canonical amino acids may have entered the genetic code from multiple abiotic routes rather than a single sequential order. Building on a 2024 PNAS study of protein domains in LUCA, newer work shows amino acids could originate from diverse early-Earth chemistry and that core cellular machinery can function with a reduced amino‑acid alphabet in engineered cells. This challenges the view that tryptophan was the last amino acid added and has implications for our understanding of early protolife on Earth and the search for life elsewhere, including oceans on Enceladus.

via Yahoo|

#amino-acids #enceladus #genetic-code

science17 days ago•6 min saved

Big Expansion Enables Simple Microscopes to See Amino Acids in Proteins

Researchers boosted sample size up to 1,000-fold per dimension with a new hydrogel recipe and ONE microscopy, allowing ordinary light microscopes to pinpoint amino acids within proteins (including GFP and a nanobody) and map protein structures at near-nanometer detail. While still short of cryo-EM/X-ray resolution, the approach could democratize high-resolution structural biology by making detailed molecular layouts accessible with standard fluorescence microscopes.

via Nature|

#amino-acids #expansion-microscopy #gfp

science24 days ago•3 min saved

Bees craft nutrient-balanced larval food from mixed pollen, study finds

Honeybees mix pollen into nurse-bee secretions to create a balanced bee bread and royal jelly, enabling larvae to receive a complete amino-acid profile; when pollen sources fail to match bees' needs, adults adjust intake and total consumption. The study finds most single-pollen sources mismatch bee amino-acid needs, with histidine levels steering feeding. Nurse bees' processing of pollen into bee bread and royal jelly helps colonies overcome nutritional gaps, underscoring the value of diverse pollen sources for pollinator health.

via The Guardian|

#amino-acids #bee-bread #bees

science1 month ago•4 min saved

New gut-brain circuit redirects cravings toward protein when deficient

Researchers identified a gut-brain signaling system that detects protein shortages and shifts cravings toward essential amino acids rather than increasing overall hunger. In fruit flies, the enterocyte-released peptide CNMa triggers fast neural signals and a slower hormonal signal to boost amino-acid intake while dampening sugar cravings; gut microbes also modulate this pathway, and mice show a similar protein-seeking response, suggesting evolutionary conservation. The findings point to new targets for obesity and metabolic disorders by leveraging natural nutrient-sensing signals beyond known gut hormones.

via SciTechDaily|

#amino-acids #cnma #feeding-behavior

space1 month ago•10 min saved

Glycine Detected in Comet 67P, Boosting Prebiotic Chemistry Theories

Rosetta’s ROSINA instrument measured the gas around Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and found glycine—the simplest amino acid—along with phosphorus and precursors like methylamine and ethylamine, in what researchers called an unambiguous detection. The description of a “smell” (rotten eggs, ammonia, bitter almonds) reflects a mass-spectrometry readout rather than an actual odor. Most of the coma is odorless water, CO2 and CO, but the presence of glycine and its precursors supports the idea that comets could deliver prebiotic chemistry to early Earth, without proving life or Earth’s origin from space; it strengthens a long-standing hypothesis while noting the large gap between molecules and living systems.

via Space Daily|

#amino-acids #comet-67p #glycine

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Bacteria Survive on 19 Amino Acids in Ribosomes for 450 Generations

Columbia University researchers redesigned 21 ribosomal proteins in E. coli to remove isoleucine, using AI-guided protein design, and created a viable strain that survived and reproduced for over 450 generations. The genome still largely relies on isoleucine, so it's not a full 19-amino-acid organism, but the work shows life can function with a reduced amino acid alphabet and provides a framework for studying early protein synthesis.

via Indian Defence Review|

#amino-acids #biology #genetics

science2 months ago•6 min saved

A Targeted Molecule Slashes Fat Without Weakening Bones

New research shows that a compound called BSO can mimic the anti-obesity effects of sulfur amino acid restriction without the bone-damaging side effects, suggesting fat loss and bone health can be uncoupled. NAC reverses the bone-protective effects by restoring cysteine and glutathione, while long-term safety and sex/age differences need further study.

via SciTechDaily|

#amino-acids #cysteine #glutathione

health-and-medicine4 months ago•5 min saved

High tyrosine linked to shorter lifespans in men, large study suggests

A UK Biobank study of more than 270,000 participants found higher blood tyrosine levels linked to shorter life expectancy in men—potentially shaving nearly a year off lifespan—with no clear effect in women. After adjusting for related amino acids and factors, phenylalanine showed no association. Possible explanations include insulin resistance and sex-specific hormone pathways; the study does not test tyrosine supplements directly, but results suggest dietary protein or tyrosine levels could influence aging, warranting further research.

via ScienceDaily|

#amino-acids #health-and-medicine #lifespan

science4 months ago•3 min saved

Amino Acids Formed in Freezing Space on Bennu, Hinting at Life's Beginnings Beyond Water

NASA’s analysis of asteroid Bennu’s samples shows amino acids formed in frigid conditions long before the asteroid’s current orbit, with 14 of Earth’s 20 standard amino acids detected and evidence that left‑ and right‑handed forms carry different nitrogen isotopes. This challenges the idea that liquid water is always needed for amino‑acid formation, suggesting prebiotic chemistry could occur in more environments and expanding potential habitats for life in the universe, while signaling new questions about chirality in biology.

via Jalopnik|

#amino-acids #astrobiology #bennu

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Bennu’s Amino Acids Point to Ice-Driven Origins of Life’s Building Blocks

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx samples from the 4.6-billion-year-old asteroid Bennu reveal amino acids, including glycine, can form in space and may arise in icy, radiation-exposed conditions in the early Solar System rather than only in liquid water; this suggests multiple pathways for the building blocks of life and shows Bennu’s isotopic signatures differ from the Murchison meteorite, indicating diverse origins for prebiotic molecules.

via Universe Today|

#amino-acids #bennu #glycine

science6 months ago•4 min saved

Reducing a Single Amino Acid Extends Mouse Lifespan by 33%

Reducing dietary isoleucine, an essential amino acid, in mice extended their lifespan by up to 33%, improved health markers, and reduced age-related issues, suggesting potential anti-aging benefits for humans, though further research is needed.

via ScienceAlert|

#aging #amino-acids #isoleucine

science8 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Find Diet That Mimics Cold Exposure to Boost Fat Burning

Scientists at the University of Southern Denmark discovered that reducing the amino acids methionine and cysteine in mice's diets can mimic cold exposure, significantly increasing energy expenditure and fat burning, which could lead to new obesity treatments. However, further research is needed to confirm if these effects occur in humans.

via SciTechDaily|

#amino-acids #diet #fat-burning

health8 months ago•3 min saved

Selective 'mirror' amino acid inhibits specific tumor growth

Researchers have discovered that D-cysteine, a mirror form of the amino acid cysteine, selectively inhibits the growth of certain cancer cells by blocking a key mitochondrial enzyme, showing promise for targeted cancer therapies with minimal effects on healthy cells, as demonstrated in mouse models.

via Medical Xpress|

#amino-acids #cancer #d-cysteine

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Reconsider Theories on Life's Origins

Scientists are revising their understanding of the emergence of genes and amino acids in early life, suggesting that the traditional model may underestimate the role of certain amino acids like tryptophan and the complexity of early genetic codes, which could have implications for searching for life on other planets like Saturn's moon Enceladus.

via Yahoo|

#amino-acids #astrobiology #early-earth

science8 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists Reconsider the Origin of Life

Scientists are reevaluating the order in which amino acids emerged in the origin of life, suggesting that early protolife may have included a broader range of amino acids than previously thought, which could reshape our understanding of life's beginnings on Earth and potentially elsewhere in the universe.

via Yahoo News Canada|

#amino-acids #astrobiology #early-earth