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.
 | Tyro RTKs: Driving NK cell differentiation
Gas6 and protein S activate Tyro3 receptor tyrosine kinases, directing NK cell differentiation and maturation.
Original research papers: Nature Immunology 7, 747 – 754 (2006); Nature Immunology 7, 702 – 704; (2006) |
 | Homer1a: Easing the pain
The synaptic scaffolding protein Homer1a modulates pain processing in the spinal cord.
Original research paper: Nature Medicine 12, 677 – 681 (2006) |
 | Stem cells: self-renewal regulators revealed
Novel self-renewal-regulators shed light on the transcriptional networks governing cell fate determination in embryonic stem cells.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 533 - 538 (03 Aug 2006) |
 | HSV-1: LAT-eral thinking
Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) uses an RNA interference strategy to downregulate TGF-β signaling and prevent host cell apoptosis.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 82 - 85 (06 Jul 2006) |
 | Epigenetic regulation: Blimp1 steers PGC development
Blimp-1 and Prmt5 are methyltransferases that regulate epigenetic changes in mouse primordial germ cells (PGCs).
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 8, 623 - 630 (2006) |
 | Mechanisms of disease: Blame ROS
A new study shows that reactive oxygen species (ROS) trigger multiple forms of insulin resistance.
Original research paper: Nature 440, 944 – 948 (2006) |
 | Nuclear pores: Two-sided approach
Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are inserted into the nuclear envelope from both the nucleoplasmic and cytoplasmic sides in a Ran guanosine triphosphate-dependent manner.
Original research paper: Science 312, 440 – 443 (2006) |
 | In brief: June 2006
Centromeres | Cell death | Autophagy | Phagocytosis | Regulatory T cells | Antigen-presenting cells | Macrophages | Tumour Suppressors | Oncogenes | Tumour Immunology | Drug discovery | Epigenetics | Neurogenetics |
 | Cell biology of the neuron: Dynamic duo regulate microtubule plasticity
Phosphorylation of the microtubule-destabilizing protein SCG10 by JNK1 is a key event in balancing microtubule stability in axons and dendrites.
Original research paper: J. Cell Biol. 173, 265 – 277 (2006) |
 | Virology: A novel state of undress
The glycoproteins A34 and B5 on Vaccinia virus interact with glycosaminoglycans on the target cell's surface to induce viral membrane shedding and facilitate virus entry.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 11, 5989 – 5994 (2006) |
 | More than just 'doing the math'
Computational tools continue to move beyond mere sequence-based bioinformatic analysis into more advanced arenas of prediction, deduction and network building.
Original research paper: Nat. Genet. 38, 576 – 582 (2006), Mol. Cell 22, 285 – 295 (2006) |
 | Cancer: Blocking LOX prevents cancer spread
Monoamine oxidase lysyl oxidase (LOX) promotes the migration of malignant cancerous cells from their primary tumor formation site and is crucial for hypoxia-induced metastasis.
Original research paper: Nature 440, 1222 – 1226 (2006) |
 | Ageing: Age-old quest
Mutations in the nuclear structural protein lamin A underlie both the premature aging syndrome Hutchinson-Gilford progeria (HGPS) and physiological ageing.
Original research paper: Science 27 Apr 2006 (doi:10.1126/science.1127168) |
 | Natural killer cells: Adaptive killers
A subpopulation of natural killer cells can mediate long-lived, antigen-specific adaptive recall responses independently of B and T cells.
Original research paper: Nature Immunol. 7, 507 – 516 (2006) |
 | Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Putting p53 in context
Telomere dysfunction and reduced activity of the tumor suppressor p53 cooperate to induce hepatocellular carcinoma progression.
Original research paper: Cancer Res. 66, 4766 – 4773 (2006) |
 | Stem cells: Poised for action
Four new papers show that unique chromatin properties of mammalian stem cells regulate their pluripotency and differentiation.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol. March 29 2006 (doi: 10.1038/ncb1403); Cell 125, 315 – 326 (2006); Cell 125, 301 – 313 (2006); Nature April 19 2006 (doi:10.1038/nature04733) |
 | Innate immunity: Finding flagellin
Macrophages can sense cytosolic flagellin through members of the NOD-like receptor (NLR) family, independently from Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) signaling.
Original research paper: Nature Immunol. 30 April 2006 (doi:10.1038/ni1346); Nature Immunol. 30 April 2006 (doi:10.1038/ni1344); PLoS Pathogens 3 e18 (2006); J. Exp. Med. 203, 1093 – 1104 (2006) |
 | Ion channels: Fast track to ion-channel modulators
A new method that measures the activity of voltage-gated ion channels using extracellular electrical field stimulation and voltage-sensitive fluorescent probes has been used to screen ion channel modulators.
Original research paper: Nature Biotechnol. 24, 439 – 446 (2006) |
 | Signal transduction: Adding a piece to the puzzle
Parafibromin/Hyrax is a novel component of the Wnt pathway that directly associates with ß-catenin to control Wnt target-gene expression.
Original research paper: Cell 125, 327 – 341 (2006) |
 | T-cell activation: CCL3 and CCL4 actively recruit CD8+ T cells
The chemokines CCL3 and CCL4 guide naive CD8+ T cells to sites of antigen-specific interactions between CD4+ T cells and dendritic cells.
Original research paper: Nature 440, 890 – 895 (2006) |
 | Circadian rhythms: Clocking on
Genes that regulate the circadian clock in mammals, such as period 1 (PER1), might function as a tumor-suppressors.
Original research paper: Mol. Cell 22, 375 – 382 (2006) |
 | Technology: A targeted viewing
A hybrid virus that combines the efficiency of adeno-associated virus (AAV) and the adaptability of a bacteriophage, can deliver imaging or anti-cancer agents to specific cancer cells.
Original research paper: Cell 125, 385 – 398 (2006) |
 | Development: Dishevelled effect
A conserved mammalian planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway regulates the concomitant lengthening and narrowing of the neural plates — a morphogenic process defined as convergent extension.
Original research paper: Development 133, 1767 – 1778 (2006) |
 | G-Protein-coupled receptors: Targeting the hotspot of G-protein interactions
Compounds that differentially modulate interactions between   subunits of G-proteins and their effectors, demonstrate a novel approach for modulating G protein–coupled receptor signaling.
Original research paper: Science 312, 443 – 446 (2006) |
 | Cell division: Time to bud off
The NoCut signaling pathway uses cell cleavage to delay the completion of cytokinesis in budding yeast cells with spindle-midzone defects.
Original research paper: Cell 125, 85 – 98 (2006) |
 | B cells: Spread yourself thin
Optimal B cell activation involves B cells spreading over the antigen-bearing membrane and then contracting to collect bound antigen into a central aggregate.
Original research paper: Science 312, 738 – 741 (2006) |
 | Tumour suppressors: Form and function
Mdm4 (also known as MDMX) deficiency improves the capacity of mutant p53 to suppress oncogene-induced tumors, emphasizing the importance of targeting Mdm4 in chemotherapies designed to activate p53.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 9, 273 – 285 (2006) |
 | Transcriptomics: Charting the functional landscape of the mammalian genome
New data permit genome-scale identification of tissue-specific promoters and analysis of the cis-acting elements associated with them.
Original research paper: Nature Genet. 28 April 2006 (doi:10.1038/ng1789) |
 | Synaptogenesis: Neurexins and new synapses
The expression of differentially spliced neurexin variants influences the type of synapses that develop by altering neurexin–neuroligin binding affinities.
Original research paper: J. Neurosci. 26, 4256 – 4265 (2006) |
 | Proteomics: Exploring how the organelles are organized
Work from several laboratories describes ongoing efforts to map the proteome of cellular organelles.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 103, 6518 – 6523 (2006); Cell 125, 187 – 199 (2006); Cell 125, 173 – 186 (2006) |
 | Signal transduction: Understanding NEMO
The connection between tumor-necrosis-factor receptor-1 (TNFR1) signaling, IκB kinase (IKK)and NF-κB activation, as well as the biochemical mechanism underling NEMO's signaling function in IKK activation, have now been revealed.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol. 8, 398 – 406 (2006); Mol. Cell 22, 245 – 257 (2006) |
 | Macrophages: Regulatory circuit in the lungs
Exposure of alveolar macrophages to microbial products releases them from alveolar epithelial cells and suppresses the expression of &alphaVß6-integrin, thereby removing tumor growth factor (TGFß)-mediated inhibition.
Original research paper: Immunity 24, 475 – 487 (2006) |
 | Tumour suppressors: Sssh, we are about to begin
Overexpression of one component of the pre-replication complex represses the expression of the INK4a, INK4b and ARF tumor suppressors and promotes the oncogenic transformation of cells.
Original research paper: Nature 440, 702 – 706 (2006) |
 | Development: Top-notch neural induction
Notch is a key factor in the promotion of neural commitment of embryonic stem cells, thus providing an encouraging step towards the production of pure cell populations.
Original research paper: PloS Biol. 4, e121 (2006) |
 | Parasitology: Who's HOSTing who?
The intracellular pathogen Toxoplasma gondii gains access to key molecules by sequestering organelles from the host cell's endocytic pathway.
Original research paper: Cell 125, 261 – 274 (2006) |
 | ESCs keep their options open
Two powerful technologies reveal a chromatin-based mechanism for maintaining embryonic stem cell (ESC) pluripotency.
Original research paper: Nat. Cell Biol. 8, 532 – 538 (2006) |
