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.
 | Neuronal motility: When Lis is more
The microtubule binding protein Lis1 stimulates neuronal motility by activating the RhoGTPase Cdc42 and promoting the formation of the CLIP-170/IQGAP-1 complex in response to Ca2+ influx.
Original research paper: Nature Neuroscience 9, 50 – 57 (2005) |
 | Plant stress response: Abscisic acid finds its receptor
The RNA-binding protein FCA is a receptor for abscisic acid (ABA) which regulates flowering in Arabidopsis by mRNA processing.
Original research papers: Nature 439, 290 – 294 (2006); Nature, 439, 277 – 278 (2006) |
 | Cell proliferation and apoptosis: Merlin works its magic on Hippo
The tumor suppressors Merlin and Expanded regulate tissue growth in Drosophila upstream of Hippo.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 8, 27 – 36 (2006) |
 | Caspase 8: Suppressing metastasis
Caspase 8 suppresses metastasis by promoting apoptosis at the tumor margin in a process initiated by unligated integrins.
Original research paper: Nature 439, 95 – 99 (2006) |
 | Spotting interactions
A genome-wide approach provides new insights into the recruitment of proteins to activated ERBB receptors.
Original research paper: Nature (6 Nov 2005) |
 | Keeping CD4+ T cells under control
Two members of the growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible (Gadd45) family have been found to prevent CD4+ T cells from mediating autoimmunity
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. 202, 1341 – 1348, (2005) |
 | In brief: January 2006
RNA localization | DNA replication | Telomeres | Dendritic cells | Phagocytosis | Autoimmunity | Immune evasion | B-cell responses | Senescence | Systems biology | Developmental Biology | Bioinformatics | Cell biology of the neuron | Glia | Techniques & applications |
 | Suppressing regulatory T cells
Selective elimination of regulatory T cells in cancer patients can improve their response to tumor-based vaccines.
Original research paper: J. Clin. Invest. (23 Nov 2005) |
 | Undoing epigenetics
Methionine infusion reverses the effect of maternal behavior on DNA methylation and behavioral responses to stress in adult offspring.
Original research paper: J. Neurosci. 25, 11045 – 11054, (2005) |
 | Mapping eye development
A new study shows that retinoic acid (RA) regulates expression of the topographic guidance molecules EphB and ephrin B in the chick retina.
Original research paper: Development 132, 5147 – 5159, (2005) |
 | Controlling gene expression in time and space
An inducible expression system that allows temporal and dosage control of genes can be used to study how gene expression gradients influence embryonic development.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 449 – 461, (2005) |
 | Avoiding attraction
Eggs from the helminth parasite Schistosoma mansoni secrete a chemokine binding protein that has potent anti-inflammatory activity.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. 202, 1319 – 1325, (2005) |
 | Signalling: Pathway paradox
Two studies now show that the serine/threonine kinase AKT can block cancer cell migration and invasion.
Original research paper: Mol. Cell 20, 539 – 550, (2005) |
 | Antigen presentation: Trimming peptides for presentation
ERAAP (ER aminopeptidase associated with antigen processing) trims MHC class I peptide precursors by a 'molecular ruler' mechanism.
Original research paper: Nature Immunology 7, 103 – 112, (2005) |
 | T-cell signalling: SLAP and CBL cooperate to bring down TCR?
SRC-like adaptor protein (SLAP)-mediated recruitment of the E3 ubiquitin ligase CBL to internalized T-cell receptor complexes targets TCR? for degradation.
Original research paper: Nature Immunol. 7, 57 – 66, (2005) |
 | Antigen presentation: A marked loss
Activation of paired box gene 2 (PAX2) in endometrial carcinomas by estrogen or tamoxifen could explain the increased incidence of endometrial cancer associated with tamoxifen use.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 981 – 987, (2005) |
 | Developmental genetics: Morphogens at work
Two new studies address how embryos decode gradients of decapentaplegic (DPP) and bicoid (BCD) during development.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 449 – 461, (2005) |
 | Addiction: Targeting neural correlates of addiction
A synthetic peptide derived from the AMPA receptor subunit GluR2 prevents amphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization in rats.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1340 – 1343, (2005) |
 | Protein biochemistry: Strength in numbers
A promising new class of proteins that have multiple low-affinity binding sites for their targets, are easy to produce and almost completely nonimmunogenic are now ready to be clinically tested.
Original research paper: Nat. Biotechnol. 23, 1556 – 1561, (2005) |
 | Signalling: Controlling the sugar rush
The tumor suppressor LKB1 controls glucose synthesis in the liver by regulating adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK).
Original research paper: Science 310, 1642 – 1646, (2005) |
 | B-cell responses: TLRs are crucial for B cells too
Activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in B cells is required for antibody responses to T-cell-dependent antigens.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 364 – 368, (2005) |
 | Leukaemia: Crisis talks
Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) inhibits the oncogenic BCR-ABL kinase thereby impairing leukemogenesis.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 8, 355 – 368, (2005) |
 | Stem cells: Chromatin remodelling finds its niche
In Drosophila, two chromatin-remodeling factors of the SWI/SNF family — imitation SWI (ISWI) and Domino (DOM) — prevent stem cells from differentiating.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1487 – 1489, (2005) |
 | Neurochemistry: NO typical messenger
The susceptibility of different subregions of the hippocampus to neurodegeneration could relate to differences in Nitric oxide (NO) concentration dynamics evoked by NMDA receptor activation.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 102, 17483 – 17488, (2005) |
 | Obesity: An appetizing target
Obestatin and its orphan G protein-coupled receptor GPR39 oppose the action of the appetite-inducing hormone ghrelin.
Original research paper: Science 310, 996 – 999, (2005) |
 | Together at last: crystallography and NMR
In a collaborative high-throughput effort to determine the three-dimensional structures of small proteins, two studies demonstrate that X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are complementary techniques.
Original research paper: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127, 16505 – 16511, (2005) |
 | Bacterial pathogenesis: Shaping a hummingbird...
The Helicobacter pylori virulence factor CagA binds Crk adaptor proteins to activate signaling through the Ras signaling pathway and induce the typical scattering phenotype.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med. 202, 1235 – 1247, (2005) |
 | Cancer: Taming Puma
The transcription factor slug protects hematopoietic progenitors from p53-mediated apoptosis by repressing the gene that encodes puma (Bbc3) – a BCL2-homology domain-3-only protein.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 641 – 653, (2005) |
 | Antibodies: IgG effector function: a question of balance
A new study shows that the different biological activities of the IgG subclasses are due to their differential affinities for Fc receptors (FcRs).
Original research paper: Science 310, 1510 – 1512, (2005) |
 | Tumour immunology: TGFß suppresses cytotoxicity
Transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) can specifically inhibit the expression of five cytolytic gene products that are responsible for T-lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 8, 369 – 380, (2005) |
 | Chemoprevention: G-force
A G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway links prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and adenomatosis polyposis coli (APC) signaling in colon cancer.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1504 – 1510, (2005) |
 | Gene networks: E-MAPs: a thorough approach to networks
Epistatic mini-array profiles (E-MAPs) provide a powerful new approach to uncover functional relationships in yeast.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 507 – 519, (2005) |
 | Neurodegenerative disorders: A neuroprotective role for a-synuclein
An unexpected role for a-synuclein in the prevention of neurodegeneration in cysteine-string protein-a-deficient mice has been uncovered.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 383 – 396, (2005) |
 | Cloning keeps on rolling
A small but valuable change to the procedure for rolling-circle amplification creates a useful cell-free cloning method.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 17332 – 17336, (2005) |
 | Viral pathogenesis: Live and let live
By taking control of the apoptotic pathways in infected cells, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is able to control the lifespan of the host and complete its replication cycle.
Original research paper: PLoS Biol. 3, e404 – 1018, (2005) |
