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.
 | Inflammation: PARsing the response to sepsis
Sepsis-induced coagulation triggers PAR1–S1P3 signaling in dendritic cells, resulting in systemic inflammation.
Original research paper: Nature 452, 654-658 (2008) |
 | Erythropoeisis: Rac and mDia CARt out the nucleus
The small GTPases Rac1 and Rac2 regulate mDia2 to promote asymmetric cell division and enucleation in developing erythrocytes.
Original research paper: Nature Cell Biology 10, 314-321 (2008) |
 | Pyruvate kinase: Energizing tumor cell growth
A tumor-specific isoform of pyruvate kinase is regulated by binding to phosphotyrosine-containing peptides, which balances energy production and macromolecule anabolism to promote tumorigenesis.
Original research paper: Nature 452, 230-233 (2008) |
 | Platelet aggregation: Kindlin' integrin activation
The platelet protein Kindlin-3 activates integrins by binding to their cytoplasmic β tails upon blood vessel injury, thus allowing efficient platelet aggregation and preventing blood loss.
Original research paper: Nature Medicine 14, 325-330 (2008) |
 | Stem cells: Immunosuppression by mesenchymal stem cells
Treating mesenchymal stem cells with interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in combination with either tumor-necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1α (IL-1α) or IL-1β, induces their immunosuppressive activity.
Original research paper: Cell Stem Cell 2, 141-150 (2008) |
 | Allergy and asthma: Mother knows best
The presence of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) in breast milk induces regulatory T cells in newborn mice, which helps protect mice against the development of allergic airway inflammation.
Original research paper: Nature Med. 14, 170-175 (2008) |
 | In brief: March 2008
Signal transduction | Cell cycle | Protein degradation | Oncogenes | Senescence | Sleep | Anticancer drugs | Chemical biology |
 | Development: DV patterning in time and AP space
A study in zebrafish has revealed that protein concentration and temporal cues are important for bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-mediated dorsoventral patterning during development.
Original research paper: Dev. Cell 14, 108-119 (2008) |
 | Synaptic plasticity: Rise and shine (we are all morning people!)
The cortex and hippocampus of wakeful rats contain increased levels of GluR1, CaMKII, NR2A and GSK3β compared to rats that were allowed to sleep, suggesting that sleep resets neuronal excitability and facilitates plasticity.
Original research paper: Nature Neurosci. 11, 200-208 (2008) |
 | Anticancer drugs: Antisense angiogenesis inhibition
A key transcription factor involved in tumor angiogenesis — inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1) — has been successfully targeted and inhibited by using a peptide-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide (PCAO).
Original research paper: Nature Biotech. 26, 91-100 (2008) |
 | Stem cells: Harvest in the right season
The release of hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow into the blood stream follows a physiologically regulated circadian rhythm.
Original research paper: Nature advance online publication, 6 February 2008 (doi: 10.1038/nature06685) |
 | Cytoskeleton: Microtubule tip tracker
The microtubule-associated protein XMAP215 functions as a processive polymerase that promotes microtubule growth by facilitating the addition of multiple rounds of tubulin to the growing microtubule end.
Original research paper: Cell 132, 79-88 (2008) |
 | Innate immunity: New role for cathepsin K
The lysosomal cysteine protease cathepsin K regulates TLR9 signaling, and affects both the resorption of bone by osteoclasts and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Original research paper: Science 319, 624-627 (2008) |
 | Metabolism: The importance of polarity
Loss of the serine/threonine kinase LKB1 disrupts pancreatic acinar cell polarity, which contributes to the development of gastrointestinal neoplasms and confers a high risk of pancreatic cancer.
Original research paper: Mol. Cell. Biol. 28, 2414-2425 (2008) |
 | Neurodegenerative disease: In the PINK
Expression of PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) protects neurons from the neurotoxic effects of mitochondrial toxins, suggesting a potential mechanism by which mutations in PINK1 might lead to Parkinson's disease.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 1638-1643 (2008) |
 | Cardiovascular disease: Hormone mimic reduces cholesterol
A thyroid hormone mimetic, KB2115 (eprotirome), lowers cholesterol levels without the cardiotoxic side effects observed upon treatment with thyroid hormone.
Original research paper: Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 663-667 (2008) |
 | Post-translational modification: Sugar-coated signalling
The O-glucosyltransferase Rumi attaches glucose sugars to numerous serine residues in the extracellular region of Notch, which facilitates the proteolytic processing of Notch at cell membranes.
Original research paper: Cell 132, 247-258 (2008) |
 | B-cell signalling: Synapse formation wRAPped up with help from RAC2
The B-cell receptor signals through the small GTPases Rap and Rac2 to induce the cytoskeletal and morphological changes that lead to the formation of an immunological synapse.
Original research paper: Immunity 28, 75-87 (2008) |
 | Allergy and Asthma: Regulation of TGFβ1 PINned down
Inhibiting the peptidyl–prolyl isomerase PIN1 in models of allergen-induced inflammation reduces allergic lung fibrosis, suggesting that PIN1 could be a therapeutic target for the treatment of chronic asthma.
Original research paper: J. Clin. Invest. 118, 479-490 (2008) |
 | Cancer stem cells: Developmental block
Epigenetic silencing of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) receptor 1B blocks differentiation in a subset of glioblastoma tumor-initiating cells and contributes to their tumorigenicity.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 13, 69-80 (2008) |
 | Signal transduction: New tricks for old JNKs
Phosphorylation of the glutamate-receptor subunits GluR1 and GluR2L by JNK1 regulates their insertion into neuronal membranes.
Original research paper: EMBO J. 27, 361-372 (2008) |
 | Obesity drugs: Illuminating weight loss
Taranabant, the cannabinoid 1 receptor inverse agonist, mediates weight loss in humans by decreasing food intake and increasing resting energy expenditure.
Original research paper: Cell Metab. 7, 68-78 (2008) |
 | Plant cell biology: Shedding light on plant growth
Phytochrome interacting factors (PIFs) coordinate plant development by integrating the light and gibberellin hormone signaling pathways.
Original research paper: Nature 451, 480-484 (2008) |
 | Allergy and Asthma: What 'drives' IL-4 versus IL-13 signalling?
The way in which the IL-4Rα–IL-13Rα1 receptor heterodimer affects different responses to IL-4 versus IL-13 has now been explained by both structural and kinetic data.
Original research paper: Cell 132, 259-272 (2008) |
 | Vaccines: TBK1 mediates DNA vaccine immunogenicity
TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) mediates the adjuvant effect of DNA-based vaccines by increasing their immunogenicity independently of the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway.
Original research paper: Nature 451, 725-729 (2008) |
 | Tumour suppressors: Where to begin?
Biallelic loss of the tumor suppressor Neurofibromatosis type 1 (Nf1) promotes tumorigenesis in differentiated Schwann cells, but not in neural crest stem cells.
Original research paper: Cancer Cell 13, 129-140 (2008) |
 | Analgesia: Picking out the pieces of GABA receptors
Selective stimulation of the pentameric GABAA receptor α2 and α3 subunits dulls pain in rats without causing sedation.
Original research paper: Nature 451, 330-334 (2008) |
 | Glycobiology: Sugars direct stem cell homing
Adult stem cells can be targeted to a selected tissue through the ex vivo glycan engineering of cell surface receptors.
Original research paper: Nat. Med. 14, 181-187 (2008) |
