Iron-ferrying protein may be 'universal Achilles heel' for parasitic worms
Thursday, May 26, 2011 - 21:30
in Biology & Nature
Researchers have discovered a tiny protein without which the soil and lab-dwelling worm C. elegans can't deliver iron-rich heme taken in from their diets to the rest of their bodies or to their developing embryos. The finding offers important insight into the transport of the essential ingredient in worms and other animals, including humans.