Msx 1 and Msx 2 (Drop ortholog from Drosophila) is a part of Nk cluster ,which display overlapping expression patterns and redundant functions in multiple tissues and organs during vertebrate development. Their role as downstream effector in BMP signalling is well characterised and to further establish MSX role in heart development Yi-Hui Chen et al, looked into Bmp-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) during atrioventricular (AV) valve formation.
These Msx 1 and Msx 2 genes have redundant function in development as homozygous null mutants of individuals genes shows no phenotype as valve …

Fruit flies fine-tune their olfactory systems by recalibrating the sensitivity of different odor channels in response to changing concentrations of environmental cues, a new study has shown. Disable this calibration system, and flies have trouble finding a mate, the researchers found.
Just like overly bright light can wash out a photographic image, strong smells can overwhelm the olfactory system and eliminate an animal’s ability to detect subtle differences, such as changes in concentration that would allow it to track a scent.
Now neurobiologists at UC San Diego, Stockholm University and the National …

Cells form the building blocks of all animals and diversity in animal forms can be attributed to the way these building blocks arrange themselves while proliferating.These things depend on cross talk between cells and which is termed as Signalling.This language of cross talk involves a series of players,where one component relay the received signal to the one downstream to it ,forming a chain reaction or signalling pathway.
Signalling pathways transduce signal from external medium into the nucleus,which results in turning ON or OFF of concerned target genes of that pathway.Cells …

The kipunji first made headlines in 2005 when a team of scientists led by WCS announced its discovery. Then in 2006, the monkey made news again when DNA analysis revealed that the species represented an entire new genus of primate—the first since 1923.
Just three years after it was discovered, a new species of monkey is threatened with extinction according to the Wildlife Conservation Society, which recently published the first-ever census of the endangered primate. Known as the “kipunji,” the large, forest-dwelling primate hovers at 1,117 individuals, according to a …

NK homeobox genes in Annelid Platynereis dumerilii:
So far in Annelids series we talked about three articles which were published recently in major scientific journals,in the form of two posts ( Annelids on a roll Part : I and Part II ) and today we will end this series by discussing a article from Guillaume Balavoine’s lab dealing about Homeobox NK genes in annelid Platynereis.
We talked already about NK genes couple of times but just to remind that NK genes are clustered and involved in patterning various mesodermal derivatives during embryo …

To define Segmentation in simple terms would be division of animal bodies into repetitive segments.Segments are comprised of a number of discrete structures developmentally derived from both ectoderm and mesoderm.Segmented animals are found in Annelida,Arthropoda and chordata phylas which are not closely related according to recent phylogenic data.Segmentation allows for a high degree of specialization of bodily regions.
Among Chordata, segmentation is well characterised in vertebrates.Segments or Somites in vertebrates are transient mesodermal structures that form sequentially along the anterior–posterior axis with a regular spatial and temporal periodicity.Molecular data available so …

Collaborative research conducted by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Osmania University has shown that including garlic in your daily diet might prevent cataract formation especially ones which are formed during Diabetics. This news i read for the first time on Syed Akbar Blog and it was nice feeling to see efforts of two departments yielding great results.It makes me immensely happy also as these places are very close to my heart – I did my Masters in osmania and initial research in CCMB.

“The ability of methanolic garlic …