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.
 | Growth and migration: Ras in a PI3Kle
Loss of Ras binding to phosphoinositide 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) by mutating its catalytic subunit p110γ leads to diminished Drosophila cell growth and reduced migration of mouse neutrophils.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology (15 October 2006) |
 | Seed development: The hunt for the missing receptor ABAtes
The Mg-chelatase H subunit (CHLH) is the elusive abscisic acid receptor (ABAR) required for seed development and stomatal aperture regulation.
Original research paper: Nature 443, 823-826 (19 October 2006) |
 | Axon guidance: The asymmetry of attraction
Asymmetric targeting of β-actin mRNA in growth cones underlies axon turning in response to guidance cues.
Original research paper: Nature Neuroscience 9, 1265 - 1273 (2006) |
 | Stem cell fate: What a stem cell Wnts
Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in vivo leads to a loss of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) differentiation and self-renewal potential.
Original research paper: Nature Immunology 7, 1048 - 1056 (2006) |
 | Stop–Go signals for T cells
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) overrides the T-cell receptor-mediated stop signal by increasing T-cell motility, thus inhibiting T-cell activation.
Original research paper: Science (24 Aug 2006) |
 | Death by granzyme B
After activation, T helper 2 (TH2), but not T helper 1 (TH1) cells release the serine protease Granzyme B from intracellular granules, leading to induced cell death.
Original research paper: Immunity 25, 237 – 247, (2006) |
 | In brief: October 2006
Dendritic cells | Signalling | Cell polarity | B cells | Angiogenesis | Checkpoints | Tumour Suppressors | Angiogenesis | Neurodegenerative diseases | Cell Biology | Therapeutic angiogenesis | Metabolic disorders | Cancer |
 | Longevity mutations inhibit tumours
Mutations in the insulin receptor daf-2 have a lifespan-increasing effect in C. elegans that compensates for the tumorigenic effect of tumor suppressor gld-1 mutations.
Original research paper: Science 313, 971 – 975, (2006) |
 | Familiar faces and new connections
The product of the tumor-suppressor gene promyelocytic leukemia (PML) has been found to be a crucial inhibitor of neo-angiogenesis, in both neoplastic and ischemic conditions.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 779 – 785, (2006) |
 | Pick a CARD
In innate immunity, the caspase-recruitment-domain protein 9 (CARD9) cooperates with BCL10 (B-cell lymphoma 10) to induce NF-κB activation, leading to the production of cytokines against fungal infections.
Original research paper: Nature 442, 651 – 656, (2006) |
 | Kiss and patch up
Damage to the digestive tract from partially digested food is repaired by calcium-dependent mucus secretion and resealed with spent membrane vesicles.
Original research paper: PLoS Biol. 4, e276 – 172, (2006) |
 | Balancing self-renewal and ageing
Expression of the tumor suppressor p16INK4a rises with age, limiting the replicative capacity of stem cells and the regenerative capacity of aging tissues.
Original research paper: Nature (2006) |
 | RNAi misses the target
Off-target effects can dominate the results of genome-wide RNAi screens in Drosophila, but can be reduced by excluding certain sequences from dsRNAs.
Original research paper: Nature (2006) |
 | Channels show the way
The voltage-gated sodium channel NAV 1.6a plays cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous roles in the axonal outgrowth of zebrafish motor neurons.
Original research paper: Development 133, 3827 – 3836, (2006) |
 | Snapshots of gene expression
Sensitive snapshots of mRNA expression in mammalian cells highlight dramatic random temporal variations in gene expression in the absence of external stimuli.
Original research paper: PLoS Biology 4, e309 – , (2006) |
 | Give us a kiz
Phosphorylation of Kizuna (Kiz) by the threonine kinase Polo-like kinase-1 (Plk1) protects centrosomes from collapse during mitosis.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biol. (2006) |
 | Refining mixed-lineage progenitors
Transcription factors act as antagonistic secondary cell-fate determinants to induce development of a specific blood cell type from a common progenitor.
Original research paper: Cell 126, 755 – 766, (2006) |
 | Activating the executioner
The procaspase-activating compound 1 (PAC1) induces apoptosis in various cancers but appears to be relatively non-toxic to normal cells.
Original research paper: Nature Chem. Biol. (2006) |
 | How many genes...?
The selection of mutated genes as well as the type of mutation differs between breast and colorectal tumor cells, supporting the hypothesis of tissue-specific carcinogenesis.
Original research paper: Science (2006) |
 | Double delivery
With tunable properties, quantum dot-lipid hybrid vesicles can be constructed for use as intracellular delivery vehicles as well as for the fluorescent staining of plasma membranes.
Original research paper: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 45, 5478 – 5483, (2006) |
 | Perils of ageing
The transcription factors HSF-1 and DAF-16 have opposing disaggregation and aggregation activities that function together to prevent Alzheimer's Disease.
Original research paper: Science (2006) |
 | Aiding and abetting
The movement of caspase-8 to lipid rafts following T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation is facilitated by tumor-necrosis-factor-receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6).
Original research paper: Curr. Biol. 16, 1666 – 1671, (2006) |
 | End of the old guard?
An early p53 response appears to not be required for DNA damage repair, although the activation of p53 through the oncogene-mediated activation of the tumor suppressor p19ARF is crucial for tumor suppression.s
Original research paper: Nature 443, 214 – 217, (2006) |
 | A recipe for reprogramming
The expression of only 4 genes — Oct3/4, Klf4, Sox2 and Myc — is required to reprogram fibroblasts to an embryonic stem cell-like state.
Original research paper: Cell 126, 663 – 676, (2006) |
 | Glutamate signals growth
Compelling new in vivo evidence shows that glutamatergic activity is vital for early developmental events.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 12161 – 12166, (2006) |
