GeneticsPerspective

NKX2-5 Gene Overview In mammalian cells the gene NKX2-5 is found on chromosome 5, more specifically on the long (q) arm of chromosome 5 at position 35.1. (Cytogenetic Location: 5q35.1) Cytogenetic Location: 5q35.1 Transcription of the homeobox NKX2-5 gene into RNA and consequential translation, synthesizes a homeodomain protein. Homeodomain proteins regulate gene expression and cell differentiation during early embryonic development, thus mutations in homeobox genes can cause developmental disorders. The NKX2-5 protein is known as: " Homeobox protein NKX2-5 " and is essential for cardiac development. In the fetal development of mice, disruption of NKX2-5 has proven to be lethal. NKX2-5 is ~3,213 nucleotide bases long and is involved in biological processes that give an organism its shape. Disruption of NKX2-5 has proven to cause abnormal heart shape. Cardiac expression of NKX2-5 continues throughout development and into adult life. References: Myogenic and...

Have you ever assisted a goal when scoring in a game? Or set a trap in the hopes to capture an animal? In the recent Nature article:  Springing an evolutionary trap on cancer,  Charles Y. Lin describes how - in an alley-oop like fashion - cancers evade the first drug allowing the second drug to  defeat cancer. Cancer is a complex topic and requires explanation, there are over 100 types (E.g. Breast cancer, Liver cancer or Lung cancer) of cancer so it can be hard to generalize.  A single cell can form a tumor, cells can spread to form tumors at other sites A tumor is a bundle of 'cancer cells' that have uncontrollably divided. Typically this starts as one cell that has 'gone rogue'. In some cases 'metastasis' occurs where cells spread from the original tumor location to other locations around the body, forming multiple tumors. This type of cancer is defined as metastatic cancer - with the other type being benign tumors that cannot spread. Canc...

Amid the coronavirus crisis we have forgotten our old friend. Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest threats to global health – killing an estimated 700,000 people every year. A World Health Organization report outlined that in a post-antibiotic age where common infections can kill. Generating a time of crisis for developing countries. What do the statistics say? By 2030 antimicrobial resistance severity has been predicted to double. It is forecasted to double again by 2050, with approximately 10,000,000 deaths every year. Are there any solutions on the horizon? Fortunately, artificial intelligence approaches have been advancing the front of the antimicrobial resistance war across different aspects. Machine-learning has allowed identification of novel compounds and genetic signatures involved in antimicrobial resistance.   Identifying antibiotics such as carbapenem resistance with a 88–99% accuracy and other antibiotics (isoniazid, kanamycin, oflo...

There are obvious physiological brain differences and therefore psychological differences in gender – but what subtleties can be explained? It is best to start with the question, what is a gender? Scientifically is it male and female as defined by our chromosome arrangement of X/X female and X/Y male. However, there are exceptions to this rule – like XX male syndrome – which is where a gene or mutation (depending on severity) can cause the development of a male from a female chromosome arrangement. 90% of the time this occurs from the introduction of a single gene ( SRY ) from the Y chromosome that is swapped to one of the X chromosomes in the farther. So maybe we aren’t that different after all? What are the differences between males and females? Anatomically there are obvious contrasting features between males and females, in terms of height, reproductive organs and location of muscle mass. The psychological differences are more complicated. There are ma...