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.
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Endocytosis: Enter the eisosome
Eisosomes are newly discovered stable structures that determine the site for endocytosis of plasma membrane associated proteins and lipids.
Original research paper: Nature 439, 998 - 1003 (23 Feb 2006) |
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Yeast proteome: More than a sum of its parts
The first genome-wide screen for protein complexes in yeast identifies 257 novel complexes and reveals the organizational principles of its cellular machinery.
Original research paper: Nature 440, 631 - 636 (30 Mar 2006) |
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Angiopoietin-2 and TNF-α: Enhancing inflammation
Angiopoietin-2 amplifies the response of endothelial cells to TNF-α by facilitating inflammatory cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium.
Original research papers: Nature Medicine 12, 235 – 239 (2006); Nature Medicine 12, 171 – 172 (2006) |
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Receptor endocytosis: Dual role for Ubiquitin
Monoubiquitination of ubiquitin-binding domain-containing endocytic adaptor proteins causes auto-inhibition preventing interaction with and regulation of ubiquitinylated receptors.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 8, 163 – 169 (2006) |
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Back talk
The zebrafish Nodal-related morphogen, Squint (Sqt), is localized asymmetrically in four-cell embryos and is involved in dorsal–ventral axis specification.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 1030 – 1035, (2005) |
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TWEAK and TNF: Yin and Yang in innate immunity
TWEAK (TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis) modulates the transition from innate to adaptive immunity by repressing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 931 – 944, (2005) |
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In brief: February 2006
Cell cycle | Nuclear envelope | DNA repair | Bacterial invasion | Cell cycle | Haematopoiesis | Apoptosis | T-cell signalling | Autoimmunity | Signalling | Biomarkers | Human disease | Synaptic physiology |
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HSCs find their niche
New research shows that expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is crucial for their lodgment in the endosteal niche.
Original research paper: Nature 6, 93 – 106, (28 Dec 2005) |
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Where does all this noise come from?
The major sources of extrinsic variability in eukaryotic gene expression have been identified by computational modeling.
Original research paper: Nature 7, 34 – 44, (21 December 2005) |
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Talking about regeneration
The basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor Olig2 suppresses neurogenesis following brain injury in adulthood.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 102, 18183 – 18188, (2005) |
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New route to kinase inhibition
A new class of compounds that inhibit Bcr-abl kinase activity through an allosteric non-ATP competitive mechanism may help the development of improved leukemia therapies.
Original research paper: Nature Chem. Biol. 2, 95 – 102, (2006) |
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Bridging the GPCR gap
A bivalent ligand that targets both m- and d-opioid receptors has comparable analgesic effects to morphine but without the tolerance and dependence effects that chronic exposure causes.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 102, 19208 – 19213, (2005) |
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Training GFP to fold
A method to select for proteins that are highly efficient at folding yields an optimized 'superfolder' GFP for use in protein fusions.
Original research paper: Nat. Biotechnol. 24, 79 – 88, (2006) |
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Targeted integration
Cellular lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF/p75) controls the site of HIV DNA integration in human cells by binding both chromosomal DNA and HIV integrase.
Original research paper: Nature Med. 11, 1287 – 1289, (2005) |
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Yeast proteome: More than a sum of its parts
The first genome-wide screen for protein complexes in yeast identifies 257 novel complexes and reveals the organizational principles of its cellular machinery.
Original research paper: Nature Advance online publication, (22 January 2006) |
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Cell cycle: Signalling crosstalk
Phosphorylation of the inner centromere protein INCENP by Aurora-B and cyclin-dependent kinase-1 (Cdk1), and the subsequent recruitment of Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1), are required for cell cycle progression during early mitosis.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol. 8, 180 – 187, (2006) |
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Inflammation: T-bet links innate and adaptive immune responses
A new study shows that the transcription factor T-bet is not only required for T helper 1 (TH1)-cell differentiation, but also for pro-inflammatory cytokine production and T-cell priming.
Original research paper: J. Clin. Invest. 116, 414 – 421, (2006) |
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T-cell signalling: FYN keeps ITCH under control
The E3 ubiquitin ligase itchy (ITCH) is negatively regulated by FYN-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation.
Original research paper: Mol. Cell 21, 135 – 141, (2006) |
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Biomarkers: Marked aggression
The small heat shock protein a-basic-crystallin (aB-crystallin) has been linked to an aggressive subtype of human breast tumors by gene profiling.
Original research paper: J. Clin. Invest. 116, 261 – 270, (2006) |
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Developmental biology: Regeneration swims into view
Fgf20a — a new member of the FGF family — seems to be specifically required for initiating Zebrafish fin regeneration.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1957 – 1960, (2006) |
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Glia: Essential assemblies
Two isoforms of neurofascin, Nfasc155 and Nfasc186, have distinct and crucial roles in the formation of functional nodes of Ranvier.
Original research paper: Neuron 48, 737 – 742, (2005) |
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Pinning the tail on the substrate
New high-throughput 'kinomic' analysis strategies could provide kinase researchers with a bounty of information about the targets and the regulation of their favorite enzymes.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 679 – 684, (2005) |
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Angiopoietin-2 and TNF-a: Enhancing inflammation
Angiopoietin-2 amplifies the response of endothelial cells to TNF-a by facilitating inflammatory cell adhesion to the vascular endothelium.
Original research paper: Nature Medicine 12, 235 – 239, () |
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Sumoylation: The power of SUMO
A new study shows that SUMO (small ubiquitin-like modifier) conjugation is essential for nuclear integrity, chromosome segregation and embryonic viability.
Original research paper: Dev. Cell 9, 769 – 779, (2005) |
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Protein degradation: Maintaining supplies
Proteasomal protein degradation during sudden amino-acid deprivation ensures the translation of new proteins.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1960 – 1963, (2005) |
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Inflammation: Switching on the inflammasome
Three studies have identified bacterial components and endogenous 'danger' signals that activate the NALP3 (cryopyrin) inflammasome.
Original research paper: Nature (11 Jan 2006) |
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Apoptosis: Invasive loss
Reduced expression of the pro-apoptotic enzyme caspase-8 in neuroblastoma cells facilitates the formation of metastases in vivo.
Original research paper: Nature 439, 95 – 99, (2006) |
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Developmental biology: How to get your bearings
Chromatin reorganization around the GLABRA2 locus in response to local positional information induces cell fate switching in the root epidermis of Arabidopsis.
Original research paper: Nature 439, 493 – 496, (2006) |
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Behavioural neuroscience: Addicted to love
Differential signaling through certain dopamine receptors promotes selective aggression towards strangers in the characteristically monogamous prairie voles.
Original research paper: Nature Neurosci. 9, 133 – 139, (2006) |
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Bacterial pathogenesis: A sweet attachment
The pathogenic bacterium Vibrio cholerae relies on a single protein that binds to a sugar present on the surface of both zooplankton and human epithelial cells to colonize the intestine.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 863 – 866, (2005) |
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Receptor endocytosis: Dual role for Ubiquitin
Monoubiquitination of ubiquitin-binding domain-containing endocytic adaptor proteins causes auto-inhibition preventing interaction with and regulation of ubiquitinylated receptors.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 8, 163 – 169, () |
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Cell division: Giving directions
A new study shows that nucleoporins are important for the proper orientation of the mitotic spindle and the maintenance of cell polarity.
Original research paper: Dev. Biol. 289, 360 – 371, (2006) |
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Cell signalling: Fill in the Wnt gaps
Glycogen-synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) and casein kinase-1? (CK1?) stimulate Wnt signal transduction by activating low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor-related protein-6 (LRP6).
Original research paper: Nature 438, 867 – 872, (2005) |
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Lymphocyte signalling: Linking the scaffold to the workforce
PKC-dependent phosphorylation of the scaffolding protein CARMA1 is critical for NF-?B activation in lymphocytes.
Original research paper: Immunity 23, 561 – 574, (2005) |
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Microenvironment: A nurturing tumour?
Some tumors are able to exert selective pressure for mutations in the surrounding stromal cells to accelerate cancer progression.
Original research paper: Cell 123, 1001 – 1011, (2005) |
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Gene regulation: No escape from micromanagement
New evidence suggests that microRNAs do not only modulate the output of many genes, they also confer robustness to gene expression and influence the evolution of many 3' UTRs.
Original research paper: Science 310, 1817 – 1821, (2005) |
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Glia: NMDA receptors on oligodendrocytes
Contrary to previous reports, oligodendrocytes express a distinct form of NMDA receptor that mediates ischemic injury.
Original research paper: Nature 438, 1162 – 1166, (2005) |
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Tiny droplets make a big splash
Micrometer-sized emulsion droplets form the foundation for a new method that could change how scientists approach high-throughput screening.
Original research paper: Chem. Biol. 12, 1281 – 1289, (2005) |
