SRP-6 gene in worms used to better understand necrosis

Scientists studying proteins in worms stumbled across a new discovery linking necrosis, a common form of cell death, with the sudden death of worms in room-temperature water after their SRP-6 genes had been removed. Necrosis, a phenomenon previously thought to be uncontrollable, was observed as the scientists were washing the worms in room-temperature water, and they rapidly began to die. This is because, the team found, the worms couldn't adjust the volume of the fluid in their cells when exposed to water because the lysosomes had burst due to a gene called SRP-6 being removed from the worms for their intended experiment. These findings suggest that SRP-6 protects worm cells against lysosome rupture and necrosis. I found this article to be very interesting because scientists never believed they could control necrosis and the discovery can be used to better understand necrosis and maybe even to figure out ways to stop it in human diseases.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/2007/920/3