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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Signaling networks: Entering the worm hole
A systematic screen in C. elegans maps genetic interactions between different signaling pathways implicated in human disease.
Original research papers: Nature Genetics 38,
896–903 (2006); Nature Genetics 38, 882–884 (2006) |
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Tumorigenesis: Nodal aggression
Developmentally relevant signaling pathways activated by the TGF–β–related morphogen Nodal promote melanoma aggressiveness.
Original research papers: Nature Medicine 12, 925–932 (2006); Nature Medicine 12, 882–884 (2006) |
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Voltage-gated Ion Channels: A charged finding
Sphingomyelinase activates voltage-gated K+ channels by altering the charge of lipids in the plasma membrane.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 696–699 (21 June 2006) |
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Merlin: Transforming itself
CPI-17 inhibits the tumor suppressor merlin by antagonizing dephosphorylation by the phosphatase MYPT-1-PP1δ, leading to tumorigenic transformation.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 576–579 (2 May 2006) |
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Asymmetry
in action
Allosteric activation of the kinase domain of
epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) uncovers a new level of regulation.
Original research paper: Cell 125,
1137 – 1149, (2006) |
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In
hot pursuit
Low surface expression of CD127 (the a-chain
of the IL-7 receptor) can be used to identify human CD4+CD25+
regulatory T (TReg) cells.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med.
203, 1701 – 1711, (2006) |
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In
brief: August 2006
DNA repair
| Morphogenesis
| Nuclear
Transport | T-cell
activation | Apoptosis
| Autophagy
| Breast
Cancer | Tumour
Immunology | Developmental
biology | Technology
| Epigenetics
| Computational
genomics | Synaptic
Plasticity | Neurodegenerative
Disorders |
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Tumour
metabolism: Energy exchange
Downregulation of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A)
in malignant cells diminishes their tumorigenicity.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 9,
425 – 434, (2006) |
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Keeping
it in the family
The clear cell sarcoma (CCS) fusion protein EWS-ATF
induces expression of the melanocyte master regulator and oncogene
MITF.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 9,
473 – 484, (2006) |
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Xenopus tropicalis goes genetic
A new study demonstrates the feasibility of both
forward and reverse genetic screens for chemically induced mutations
in Xenopus tropicalis, a diploid cousin of X. laevis.
Original research paper: PLoS Genet. 2,
e91 – 150, (2006) |
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Branching
out with WNT
Neuronal activity influences dendritic arborization
by increasing the secretion of Wnt-2.
Original research paper: Neuron 50,
897 – 909, (2006) |
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Nerve
Regeneration: A strain on regeneration
Two strains of Nogo-A-deficient mice show surprising
variability in the extent of neurite regeneration following corticospinal
tract injury.
Original research paper: J. Neurosci.
26, 5591 – 5603, (2006) |
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Active
on the spot
Inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP6)
and the nuclear pore complex-associated protein Gle1 control nuclear
mRNA export by activating the DEAD-box helicase Dbp5.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol.
8, 645 – 647, (2006) |
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Defective
genes at checkpoints
Alterations in two mouse genes: Ly108
and Tlr7 provide a potential explanation for the pathogenesis
of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Original research paper: Science 312,
1665 – 1669, (2006) |
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Oncogenomics:
Cross-species comparisons
An integrative oncogenomic analysis of gene amplifications
in mouse and human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) identifies oncogenes
that are co-amplified and cooperate to promote tumorigenesis.
Original research paper: Cell 125,
1253 – 1267, (2006) |
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Microenvironment:
Down to a T
Selective loss of Smad4-dependent signaling in
T cells leads to the development of carcinomas throughout the gastrointestinal
tract in mice, whereas epithelial-specific deletion of the Smad4 gene
does not.
Original research paper: Nature 441,
1015 – 1019, (2006) |
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A
TOPLESS two-step to polarity
A new study suggests that transcriptional inactivation
by promoter histone deacetylation prevents root formation in the shoot
pole during Arabidopsis embryogenesis.
Original research paper: Science 312,
1520 – 1523, (2006) |
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Nerve
regeneration: A dual role for reactive astrocytes
Stat3 is a key regulator of reactive astrocytes
in the healing process after spinal cord injury.
Original research paper: Nature Med. 7,
617 – 627, (2006) |
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Optimizing
your optical tweezers
A new measurement theory for dual-trap optical
tweezers enables researchers to optimize their experiments to limit
noise from Brownian movement.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 103, 9006 – 9011, (2006) |
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p53
turns on the energy switch
Synthesis of Cytochrome c Oxidase 2 (SCO2), a
transcriptional target of the tumor suppressor p53, helps regulate
the balance between the utilization of respiratory and glycolytic
pathways
Original research paper: Science 312,
1650 – 1653, (2006) |
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Clamping
down on exocytosis
A reversible clamping protein known as complexin
mediates synaptic vesicle fusion in response to an increase in intracellular
calcium.
Original research paper: Science 3,
641 – 653, (2006) |
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Involvement
of IL-1 in IL-17 production
IL-1 promotes the differentiation and expansion
of interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing T cells which are involved in
the development of autoimmune diseases.
Original research paper: J. Exp. Med.
203, 1685 – 1691, (2006) |
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Wandering
downstream
The growth-stimulatory effect of Notch1 in T-cell
acute lymphoblastic leukemias and lymphomas (T-ALL) is partly due
to the upregulation of the proto-oncogene MYC.
Original research paper: Genes Dev. 6,
347 – 359, (2006) |
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Nanog:
the gift of choice
The transcription factor Nanog cooperates with
other as-yet-unknown embryonic stem cell factors to orchestrate pluripotency
after cell fusion.
Original research paper: Nature 441,
997 – 1001, (2006) |
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Under
the influence
Ethanol inhibits clearance of the neurotransmitter
serotonin (5-HT) from the extracellular fluid in the mouse hippocampus
through a serotonin transporter-independent mechanism.
Original research paper: J. Neurosci.
26, 6431 – 6438, (2006) |
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An
affinity for new proteins
Metabolic incorporation of an unnatural amino
acid allows researchers to rapidly affinity purify newly synthesized
proteins from mammalian cell lysates for direct identification by
mass spectrometry.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl. Acad.
Sci. USA 103, 9482 – 9487, (2006) |
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VAV
proteins get busy
New studies show that VAV proteins regulate angiogenesis
as well as promoting the development of hypertension and cardiovascular
dysfunction in mice.
Original research paper: Nature Med. 26,
4830 – 4842, (2006) |
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Demise
of activated T cells
The NF-?B regulator Bcl-3 and the proapoptotic
Bcl-2 family members Bim and Puma regulate T cell death.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad.
Sci. USA 103, 10979 – 10984, (2006) |
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Leukaemia
stem cells: Self-renewal-associated signature
Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) acquire the ability
to self-renew by activating only a portion of the genes that are typically
expressed by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).
Original research paper: Nature 5,
311 – 321, (2006) |
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Microarray
mix and match
When comparing results across microarray platforms,
matching probes to the same exon rather than to the same gene reduces
the number of discrepancies.
Original research paper: Nature Biotechnol.
7, 200 – 210, (2006) |
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Degrading
Id
The anaphase promoting complex (APC) and its
activator Cdh1 couple cell cycle exit and axonal growth by regulating
the abundance of the inhibitor of differentiation 2 (Id2).
Original research paper: Nature Rev. Neurosci.
7, 603 – 616, (2006) |
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Partners
in crime
The release of PrPSc from scrapie-infected
cells is markedly enhanced by retroviral infection.
Original research paper: EMBO J. 25,
2674 – 2685, (2006) |
