An enzyme with a surprising dual function

Scientists at the University of Bonn have clarified a surprising dual function of ceramide synthase. The enzyme not only catalyzes a central step of the production of vital lipids, it also has the ability to turn genes involved ...

How social rank can trigger vulnerability to stress

Stress is a major risk factor for a range of psychopathologies. However, stress does not affect everyone equally: in the face of sustained adversity, some people develop depression symptoms while others adapt and remain resilient. ...

Bears' seasonal hibernation linked to changes in gut microbes

Each year, as bears prepare to hibernate, they gorge themselves on food to pack on fat. And yet, despite the rapid weight gain, the animals somehow avoid the health consequences so often associated with obesity in humans. ...

New imaging technique captures ever-changing world of metabolites

(Phys.org) —What would you do with a camera that can take a picture of something and tell you how new it is? If you're Berkeley Lab scientists Katherine Louie, Ben Bowen, Jian-Hua Mao and Trent Northen, you use it to gain ...

Hungry immune guardians are snappier

German researchers have discovered an elementary mechanism which regulates vital immune functions in healthy people. In situations of hunger which mean stress for the body's cells, the body releases more antimicrobial peptides ...