Uridine monophosphate synthase

The enzyme Uridine monophosphate synthase (EC4.1.1.23, UMPS) (orotate phosphoribosyl transferase and orotidine-5′-decarboxylase) catalyses the formation of uridine monophosphate (UMP), an energy-carrying molecule in many important biosynthetic pathways.[5] In humans, the gene that codes for this enzyme is located on the…

WW domain

The WW domain,[2] (also known as the rsp5-domain[3] or WWP repeating motif[4]) is a modular protein domain that mediates specific interactions with protein ligands. This domain is found in a number of unrelated signaling and structural proteins and…

Calmodulin

Calmodulin (CaM) (an abbreviation for calcium-modulated protein) is a multifunctional intermediate calcium-binding messenger protein expressed in all eukaryotic cells.[1] It is an intracellular target of the secondary messengerCa2+, and the binding of Ca2+ is required for…

YAP1 

YAP1 (yes-associated protein 1), also known as YAP or YAP65, is a protein that acts as a transcription coregulator that promotes transcription of genes involved in cellular proliferation and suppressing apoptotic genes. YAP1 is a component in the hippo signaling pathway which…

Helmut Ringsdorf

Helmut Ringsdorf, a luminary in polymer chemistry and the father of modern drug delivery systems, was not directly connected to the WHO Task Force on Vaccines for Fertility Regulation—but let’s…

“The gas was brought by a car bearing the International Red Cross sign”

“All have entered. A gruff order was heard. ‘Will the S.S. and special commando leave the chamber.’ The doors were closed and the lights were turned off from outside. “At…

Ghouls (and a few other things)

The Ghoul A Monstrous Mashup of Myth and Macabre Meet the ghoul, a creature so delightfully demonic it’ll make you shiver with excitement. Born from the mystical realms of pre-Islamic…

A coffin, a corpse and a baseball field: The strange history of Indianapolis’ Greenlawn Cemetery (by Dawn Mitchell, IndyStar)

by Dawn Mitchell, IndyStar, April 17, 2019 It’s not uncommon during excavation for new construction in Indianapolis that one might unearth artifacts, such as bottles, blackboards, even safes. The discovery of a…

It is difficult to choose a few quotes from this halloweenish medical article from 1974

The ‘Bottleneck In Bodies’ Has Created The Agonizing Ethical Dilemma: Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die? By David Dempsey, Oct. 13, 1974

Gastrin-releasing peptide aka GRP and Pro-Gastrin-Releasing-Peptide aka Pro-GRP (and something called PreProGRP?)

Gastrin-releasing peptide, also known as GRP, is a neuropeptide, a regulatory molecule that has been implicated in a number of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Most notably, GRP stimulates the release of gastrin from the G…

No proof for the need of zinc in human cells was shown until the late 1930s where its presence was demonstrated in carbonic anhydrase and the 1960s where it was identified as a necessary element for humans

Zinc was identified to be essential in fungal growth of yeast as shown by Jules Raulin in 1869 yet no proof for the need of zinc in human cells was shown until the late 1930s…

What Is Metalloproteinase?

Metalloproteinase – the name alone screams “I’m here to ruin everything” – is a feral pack of enzymes armed with metal claws (zinc, mostly, because it’s the shiniest weapon in…