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.
 | Chemokines: The new co-stimulators of T cells
Chemokine receptor signaling at the immunological synapse enhances T cell activation by strengthening T cell and antigen-presenting cell conjugation.
Original research paper: Nature Immunology 6, 465 – 471, (2005) |
 | Technique:
Shedding light on signalling dynamics
A powerful new automated high-throughput light-based technique has been developed, which allows the mapping of protein–protein interactions in mammalian cells.
Original research paper: Science 307, 1621 – 1625, (2005) |
 | In brief: May 2005
Protein quality control | Technique | Tumour immunity | Inflammation | T-cell signalling | Lymphocyte migration | Tumorigenesis | Cancer Genetics | Glia | Kinases | Immunotherapy | Imaging | Genomics | Spectroscopy | RNA Interference | Gene Regulation |
 | Dendritic cells:
Intracellular trafficking, IRF7 and type-I-IFN responses
The transcription factor interferon (IFN)–regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) regulates type–I IFN responses in both virally infected cells and differentiated plasmacytoid dendritic cells.
Original research paper: Nature 434, 772 – 777, (2005) |
 | Oncogenes:
Trousseau's sign
The proto-ongogene MET, which encodes the hepatocyte growth factor/scatter-factor receptor, has now been identified as the genetic link between blood hypercoagulation and cancer.
Original research paper: Nature 434, 396 – 400, (2005) |
 | Tumorigenesis:
Route master
Matrix metalloproteinase membrane type 1 (MT1-MMP) can modify signal transduction through platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB) and its receptor PDFGRβ to regulate development of micro-vasculature.
Original research paper: Genes Dev. (1 Apr 2005) |
 | Axon guidance: Channel surprise
New research reveals that the turning response of neuronal growth cones to an attractive signal, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or netrin, requires a minimum level of intracellular cyclic nucleotides, and depends on the formation of calcium gradients across the growth cone.
Original research paper: Nature 434, 894 – 898, (2005) |
 | How to find a T cell's 'turn-ons'
A new array-based strategy offers a sensitive, high-throughput tool for identifying T-cell epitopes and monitoring the cellular immune response to antigen stimulation.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 3744 – 3749, (2005) |
 | PDGF signaling: Peroxidase induces a change of heart
Mammalian peroxidase PrxII regulates platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signaling during vascular remodelling in cardiovascular disease.
Original research paper: Nature 435, 347 – 353, (19 May 2005) |
 | RNA interference:
A feast of knowledge
A genome-wide screen in Caenorhabditis elegans has identified 90 loci that are essential for the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in this organism.
Original research paper: Science (24 Mar 2005) |
 | Dendritic cells:
pDCs rely on type I IFNs
A new study shows that although both plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and conventional DCs (cDCs) are both activated by ligands for the Toll-like receptors TLR4, TLR7 and TLR9, the type of response differs between these two cell types.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. (28 Mar 2005) |
 | Therapeutics:
A positive defect
New light has been shed on how the tumor suppressor BRAC2 functions to regulate DNA repair and how this functional deficit in cancer cells can be exploited therapeutically.
Original research paper: Nature 434, 598 – 604, (2005) |
 | Development:
Maternal instinct
Maternal WNT11 is the initial signal that, together with other extracellular factors, activates the canonical pathway in fertilized eggs to establish the dorsoventral polarity in Xenopus embryos.
Original research paper: Cell 120, 857 – 871, (2005) |
 | What's in the 'junk' of the genome?
A large-scale analysis of the human transcriptome with unprecedented resolution raises the possibility that large numbers of transcripts are produced from regions of the genome considered as intergenic in the current annotation.
Original research paper: Science (29 March 2005) |
 | Intelligent fluorescence
A new theory on the role that structure has in the fluorescent properties of fluorescein leads to the intelligent design of improved fluorophores and new fluorescent probes.
Original research paper: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 4888 – 4894, (2005) |
 | Ephrin signaling: synaptojanin’s phosphates show the way
EphrinB2–EphB2 signaling regulates clathrin-mediated receptor endocytosis through phosphorylation of synaptojanin 1.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 7, 501 – 509, (2005) |
 | Cell polarity:
Undoing tight junctions
Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) promotes epithelial–mesenchymal transition by mediating an interaction between the polarity protein Par6, the E3 ubiquitin ligase Smurf1 and the cytoskeletal regulator RhoA.
Original research paper: Science 307, 1603 – 1609, (2005) |
 | Innate immunity:
Neutrophil homeostasis
A negative-feedback loop involving the interleukins IL-17 and IL-23 has just been discovered that is responsible for the tight control of neutrophil numbers in the peripheral blood of mice.
Original research paper: Immunity 22, 285 – 294, (2005) |
 | Viral immunity:
New evasion tactic for vaccinia
A new mechanism by which vaccinia virus (VV) can evade the host immune response has been described, whereby the viral protein A46R inhibits Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. 201, 1007 – 1018, (2005) |
 | Tumour suppressors:
Mob-handed?
The newly discovered Mob family member, MATS, has a possible role as a coactivator of protein kinases such as the tumor suppressor WTS.
Original research paper: Mats. Cell 120, 675 – 685, (2005) |
 | Systems biology:
Noise is golden
Two complementary studies now use synthetic gene networks in single cells to model how signals are transmitted, providing a fresh approach to the field of network biology.
Original research paper: Science 307, 1962 – 1965, (2005) |
 | Neurogenesis:
Dividing destiny
A novel mechanism of cell fate determination has been reported whereby the unequal distribution of growth factor receptors, such as the EGFR, during mitosis results in two daughter cells with different cell fates.
Original research paper: Neuron 45, 873 – 886, (2005) |
 | Natural animal magnetism
A naturally occurring iron-sequestering protein is the key to a new strategy for visualizing gene expression with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that bypasses the need for synthetic high-contrast agents..
Original research paper: Nat. Med. 11, 450 – 454, (2005) |
 |
Dictyostelium genome: A model organism reveals its secrets
The completion of the genome of Dictyostelium discoideum and the analysis of its proteome, validate the use of this organism as a tool for the study of biochemical and signaling networks.
Original research paper: Nature 435, 43 – 57, (5 May 2005) |
 | mRNA decay:
Tiny helpers of destruction
microRNAs appear to play a role in the AU-rich element (ARE) — mediated mRNA decay.
Original research paper: Cell 120, 623 – 634, (2005) |
 | Immune regulation:
Co-stimulation with TIMs
New light has been shed on the function and specificity of the newly identified TIM (T-cell immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain) family of proteins, highlighting their role in regulating T-cell responses.
Original research paper: Nature Immunol. 6, 447 – 454, (2005) |
 | Natural killer T cells:
How NKT cells detect microorganisms
Both mouse and human natural killer T (NKT) cells that express a semi-invariant T-cell receptor (TCR) α-chain recognize CD1d-presented glycosphingolipids from Gram-negative bacteria that lack lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Original research paper: Nature 434, 520 – 525, (2005) |
 | Tumorigenesis:
The collagen connection
Collagen-VII-mediated interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment appear to be responsible for the development of epidermal squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients with an inherited blistering skin disorder.
Original research paper: Science 307, 1773 – 1776, (2005) |
 | Development:
NF-κB branches out
The widely expressed transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) has a new and unexpected role in promoting the growth and branching of neural processes during development.
Original research paper: Development 132, 1713 – 1726, (2005) |
 | Neurophysiology: Ancient 'food critic'
The nutrient-sensing mechanism used by yeast also functions in the mammalian brain to guide food selection for survival.
Original research paper: Science 307, 1776 – 1778, (2005) |
 | The smallest bioreactor
It is now possible to study biochemical reactions in ever-shrinking volumes by using a new method that allows single cells or even single organelles to be encapsulated in aqueous droplets.
Original research paper: Anal. Chem. 77, 1539 – 1544, (2005) |
