These short, accessible highlights summarize and contextualize must-read papers related to cell signaling. These articles add background and context to summaries of primary research. 'In brief' articles emphasize key aspects of selected articles.
 | Mechanotransduction: Putting the squeeze on signaling
Compressive stress shrinks the lateral intercellular space surrounding epithelial cells, triggering signal transduction via the autocrine binding of epidermal growth factor family ligands to the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Original research paper: Nature 429, 83 – 86, (21 April 2004) |
 | Gene expression: The complete picture
Researchers have developed a system to simultaneously visualize gene expression at the DNA, RNA and protein levels.
Original research paper: Cell 116, 683 – 698, (2004) |
 | In brief: April 2004
RNA | Cell cycle | Molecular motors | Immune Regulation | Signalling | Innate Immunity | Oncogenes | Immunotherapy | Learning and memory | Neurophysiology | Anticancer drugs | Drug delivery | Anticancer drugs | Kinases |
 | Oncogenes: Taking the direct route
An acute promyelocytic leukemia oncoprotein provides a direct mechanism of p53 inactivation by promoting its deacetylation and subsequent degradation.
Original research paper: EMBO J. 23, 1144 – 1154, (2004) |
 | Tumour suppressors: Self-restraint
The C2 domain of the tumor suppressor PTEN regulates cell migration.
Original research paper: Science 303, 1179 – 1181, (2004) |
 | Chromosome instability: All about E
Inactivation of hCDC4 can cause chromosomal instability.
Original research paper: Nature 428, 77 – 80, (2004) |
 | Inflammation: Free radicals on trial for microbicide: not guilty?
The large–conductance Ca2+activated K+ channel is essential for innate immunity.
Original research paper: Nature 427, 853 – 858, (2004) |
 | Virtual screening:
Gliding to success
Two papers describe a new docking methodology – named Glide – that can outperform methods that are generally viewed as representing the current state—of—the—art in docking, such as GOLD and FlexX.
Original research paper: J. Med. Chem. 47, 1739 – 1749, (2004) |
 | Inflammation: MALfunction in endotoxin TOLerance
ST2 is an inhibitor of pro-inflammatory cytokine production that functions by inhibiting type I interleukin 1 receptor and Toll-like receptor 4 signaling by sequestering Myd88 and Mal – adaptor proteins involved in the activation of NF-?B – thereby promoting endotoxin tolerance.
Original research paper: Nature Immunology 5, 373 – 379, (2004) |
 | Systems biology: A powerful combination
A promising combination of two established techniques has been used to study a C.elegans TGF-ß signaling network.
Original research paper: Mol. Cell 13, 469 – 482, (2004) |
 | Innate immunity: TLR ligands from the natural world
ssRNA has been identified as the natural ligand for mouse TLR7 and human TLR8.
Original research paper: Science 303, 1529 – 1531, (2004) |
 | Tumorigenesis: Influential partnership
Overexpression of c-maf is a frequent oncogenic event in multiple myeloma that promotes proliferation and pathological interactions with bone marrow stroma.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 5, 191 – 199, (2004) |
 | Synaptic physiology: Counting glutamate receptors
The number of glutamate receptors opened by synaptic stimulation in single hippocampal spines is suprisingly low.
Original research paper: J. Neurosci. 24, 2054 – 2064, (2004) |
 | Cardiovascular disease: Ezetimibe explained?
Niemann–Pick C1 like 1 protein is critical for intestinal cholesterol absorption.
Original research paper: Science 303, 1201 – 1204, (2004) |
 | Calcium signaling: The bare bones of osteoclast differentiation
The ITAM-motif-containing adaptors FcRγ and DAP12 act in concert with RANKL-induced signaling cascades to induce osteoclast differentiation.
Original research paper: Nature 428, 758 – 763, (26 February 2004) |
 | Membrane trafficking:
Adapting to a new role
The Golgi-localized, G-ear-containing, Arf-binding (GGA) family of adaptor proteins can interact directly with ubiquitin.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol. 6, 244 – 251, (2004) |
 | Co-stimulation: B7-H1: it's not all negative
Local expression of B7-H1 promotes organ-specific autoimmunity and transplant rejection.
Original research paper: J. Clin. Invest. 113, 694 – 700, (2004) |
 | T-cell activation: How to wake a sleeping lymphocyte
Downregulation of the NF-κB repressor Foxj1 in the lymphoid system can make naive T helper cells more responsive to activating signals.
Original research paper: Science 303, 1017 – 1020, (2004) |
 | Tumorigenesis: Hero or villain?
PPARγ signaling exacerbates mammary gland tumor development.
Original research paper: Genes Dev. 18, 528 – 540, (2004) |
 | Human genetics: Fat chance
Familial combined hyperlipidemia is associated with upstream transcription factor 1.
Original research paper: Nature Genet. 36, 371 – 376, (2004) |
 | Tumor supressors: Broken Wip beats cancer
Inactivation of the protein phosphatase Wip1 suppresses mammary tumorigenesis independently of p53 through the activation of p38 MAPK and both the p19 and p16 tumor suppressor pathways.
Original research paper: Nature Genetics 36, 343 – 350, (2004) |
 | Apoptosis: Take a direct route
Direct activation of Bax by p53 mediates mitochondrial membrane permeabilization and apoptosis.
Original research paper: Science 303, 1010 – 1014, (2004) |
 | Developmental biology: Molecular relay
Drosophila glycipans control the cell-to-cell movement of Hedgehog by a dynamin-independent process.
Original research paper: Development 131, 601 – 611, (2004) |
 | B-cell responses: Silent partner speaks out
B-cell cytokines can both amplify desirable immune responses and inhibit inappropriate responses.
Original research paper: J. Immunol. 172, 3422 – 3427, (2004) |
 | Oncogenes: Finding a PIG in a haystack
CDC91L1 (PIG-U) is a newly discovered oncogene in human bladder cancer.
Original research paper: Nature Med. 10, 374 – 381, (2004) |
 | Cell biology of the neuron: Directing neurofilament traffic
Cdk5 regulates axonal transport and phosphorylation of neurofilaments in cultured neurons.
Original research paper: J. Cell Sci. 117, 933 – 941, (2004) |
 | Cell motility: WAVE transmission
Abi1 promotes the formation of stable WAVE protein complexes that mediate actin polymerization signals to the Arp2/3 complex - contradictory to previous findings.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 6, 319 – 327, (2004) |
 | Apoptosis: How attachments aid survival
A mitochondrial protein, Bit1, mediates apoptosis regulated by integrins and Groucho/TLE corepressors.
Original research paper: Cell 116, 751 – 762, (2004) |
 | Innate immunity: ST2 promotes TOLerance
ST2 is an inhibitor of IL-1R and TLR-4 signaling and maintains endotoxin tolerance
Original research paper: Nature Immunol. 5, 373 – 379, (2004) |
 | Inflammation: Csk quenches the fire
C-terminal Src kinase controls acute inflammation and granulocyte adhesion.
Original research paper: Immunity 20, 181 – 191, (2004) |
 | Chemosensitivity: MUCking up cell death
MUC1 overexpression, which occurs in most carcinomas, could be a new way by which cancer cells avoid death.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 5, 163 – 175, (2004) |
 | Development: Taking orders from above
The transcription factors Msx1 and Msx3, which are believed to be downstream targets of Bmp signaling, regulate distinct phases of development in the dorsal neural tube.
Original research paper: Development 131, 1017 – 1028, (2004) |
