This month in Bio-Med Roundup:

· Hwang et al. created eleven patient-specific human embryonic stem cell lines by somatic cell nuclear transfer.
· Blanford et al. and Scholte et al. found that a fungal pathogen used to control locusts also kills malaria-infected mosquitoes and inhibits development of the malaria parasite.
· Haynes et al. showed that anti-HIV antibodies can also react against a patient's own proteins.
· Hammock and Young reported that in prairie voles, the strength of mate bonding depends on the length of a particular repetitive DNA sequence.

Jump to:
Medicine
Immunology
Cell Biology
Microbiology
Neuroscience
Plant Science
Biochemistry


MEDICINE

Anchorless Prion Protein Results in Infectious Amyloid Disease Without Clinical Scrapie (3 June 2005)
B. Chesebro, M. Trifilo, R. Race, K. Meade-White, C. Teng, R. LaCasse, L. Raymond, C. Favara, G. Baron, S. Priola, et al.
In mice in which the normal prion protein has been artificially severed from its membrane anchor, misfolded prion proteins produce amyloid plaques and brain damage, but not the clinical symptoms of scrapie.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1435
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5727/1420

Epigenetic Transgenerational Actions of Endocrine Disruptors and Male Fertility (3 June 2005)
M. D. Anway, A. S. Cupp, M. Uzumcu, M. K. Skinner
When pregnant rats are exposed to environmental toxins, four subsequent generations of offspring show impaired fertility and correlated changes in DNA methylation.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1466

Protection from Experimental Asthma by an Endogenous Bronchodilator (10 June 2005)
L. G. Que, L. Liu, Y. Yan, G. S.Whitehead, S. H. Gavett, D. A. Schwartz, J. S. Stamler
A nitric oxide–carrying molecule protects against hyperactivity of lung airways in a model of asthma.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1599
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5728/1560

A Mutation in the TRPC6 Cation Channel Causes Familial Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (17 June 2005)
M. P. Winn, P. J. Conlon, K. L. Lynn, M. K. Farrington, T. Creazzo, A. F. Hawkins, N. Daskalakis, S. Y. Kwan, S. Ebersviller, J. L. Burchette et al.
An inherited form of a life-threatening kidney disorder is caused by a defect in a membrane protein thought to regulate calcium entry into cells.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1801

Patient-Specific Embryonic Stem Cells Derived from Human SCNT Blastocysts (17 June 2005)
W. S. Hwang, S. I. Roh, B. C. Lee, S. K. Kang, D. K. Kwon, S. Kim, S. J. Kim, S. W. Park, H. S. Kwon, C. K. Lee et al.
Eleven human embryonic stem cell lines derived from cells of males and females suffering from injury or disease have been generated by improved somatic cell nuclear transfer.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1777

Extension of Murine Life Span by Overexpression of Catalase Targeted to Mitochondria (24 June 2005)
S. E. Schriner, N. J. Linford, G. M. Martin, P. Treuting, C. E. Ogburn, M. Emond, P. E. Coskun, W. Ladiges, N. Wolf, H. Van Remmen et al.
In mice, expression of extra copies of an antioxidase enzyme in mitochondria reduces age-related decline and prolongs life span.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1909
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5730/1875


IMMUNOLOGY

Accelerated Intestinal Epithelial Cell Turnover: A New Mechanism of Parasite Expulsion (3 June 2005)
L. J. Cliffe, N. E Humphreys, T. E. Lane, C. S. Potten, C. Booth, R. K. Grencis
Mice resist infection by an intestinal parasite by rapidly shedding gut epithelial cells, thus expelling the worm.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1463

The Structure of Interleukin-2 Complexed with Its Alpha Receptor (3 June 2005)
M. Rickert, X. Wang, M. J. Boulanger, N. Goriatcheva, K. C. Garcia
The cytokine interleukin-2 first binds to a projection on one of three receptors on immune cells, then recruits the remaining two receptors to form the immune signaling complex.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1477

TLR11 Activation of Dendritic Cells by a Protozoan Profilin-Like Protein (10 June 2005)
F. Yarovinsky, D. Zhang, J. F. Andersen, G. L. Bannenberg, C. N. Serhan, M. S. Hayden, S. Hieny, F. S. Sutterwala, R. A. Flavell, S. Ghosh, A. Sher
A protein from a protozoan parasite triggers a receptor of the innate immune system, a protective response similar to that seen for bacterial pathogens.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1626

Cardiolipin Polyspecific Autoreactivity in Two Broadly Neutralizing HIV-1 Antibodies (24 June 2005)
B. F. Haynes, J. Fleming, E. W. St. Clair, H. Katinger, G. Stiegler, R. Kunert, J. Robinson, R. M. Scearce, K. Plonk, H. F. Staats et al.
Antibodies that react with a broad range of HIV strains and could therefore be protective also react against the patients’ own proteins, explaining their scarcity.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1906
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5730/1878


CELL BIOLOGY

Kinesin and Dynein Move a Peroxisome in Vivo: A Tug-of-War or Coordinated Movement? (3 June 2005)
C. Kural, H. Kim, S. Syed, G. Goshima, V. I. Gelfand, P. R. Selvin
High-resolution images of organelles moving along cytoskeletal tracks in living cells show that different motors drive the forward and backward motion, with only one type operating at a time.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1469

Mechanism of Divergent Growth Factor Effects in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation (3 June 2005)
I. Kratchmarova, B. Blagoev, M. Haack-Sorensen, M. Kassem, M. Mann
Improved proteomic analysis by mass spectrometry reveals the pathways activated by two similar growth factors, explaining why only one can trigger differentiation of bone cells.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1472

The Kinase Domain of Titin Controls Muscle Gene Expression and Protein Turnover (10 June 2005)
S. Lange, F. Xiang, A. Yakovenko, A. Vihola, P. Hackman, E. Rostkova, J. Kristensen, B. Brandmeier, G. Franzen, B. Hedberg, et al.
The giant muscle protein titin, through its kinase domain, communicates mechanical changes to the nucleus to remodel muscle characteristics through modulation of gene expression by other signaling molecules.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1599

Elementary Response of Olfactory Receptor Neurons to Odorants (24 June 2005)
V. Bhandawat, J. Reisert, K.-W. Yau
Odor molecules are less effective in eliciting a response than are photons of light, reflecting a fundamental difference in how the two sensory receptors amplify impinging signals.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1931

GDF11 Controls the Timing of Progenitor Cell Competence in Developing Retina (24 June 2005)
J. Kim, H.-H.Wu, A. D. Lander, K.M. Lyons, M. M. Matzuk, A. L. Calof
A growth factor in the developing retina tells the progenitor cells when to stop forming one differentiated cell type and to begin production of the others.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1927


MICROBIOLOGY

Diversity of the Human Intestinal Microbial Flora (10 June 2005)
P. B. Eckburg, E. M. Bik, C. N. Bernstein, E. Purdom, L. Dethlefsen, M. Sargent, S. R. Gill, K. E. Nelson, D. A. Relman
Genetic analysis of colon samples from healthy people reveals that different people harbor rather different microbe populations, some of which were previously undescribed.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1635

Fungal Pathogen Reduces Potential for Malaria Transmission (10 June 2005)
S. Blanford, B. H. K. Chan, N. Jenkins, D. Sim, R. J. Turner, A. F. Read, M. B. Thomas
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1638

An Entomopathogenic Fungus for Control of Adult African Malaria Mosquitoes (10 June 2005)
E.-J. Scholte, K. Ng'habi, J. Kihonda, W. Takken, K. Paaijmans, S. Abdulla, G. F. Killeen, B. G. J. Knols
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1641
A fungus already used to control locusts eliminates more than 90% of malaria-infected mosquitoes in lab tests and inhibits development of the malaria parasite in the field.

Endosomal Proteolysis of the Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Is Necessary for Infection (10 June 2005)
K. Chandran, N. J. Sullivan, U. Felbor, S. P.Whelan, J. M. Cunningham
For the Ebola virus to infect successfully, a host enzyme must digest a surface protein on the virus, suggesting a new target for treatment of this fatal infection.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1643

Larger Islands House More Bacterial Taxa (24 June 2005)
T. Bell, D. Ager, J.-I. Song, J. A. Newman, I. P. Thompson, A. K. Lilley, C. J. van der Gast
Microbes, thought to be exceptions from the power law that predicts more species in large areas, actually obey it in “island” habitats like tree holes.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1884

Community Proteomics of a Natural Microbial Biofilm (24 June 2005)
R. J. Ram, N. C. VerBerkmoes, M. P. Thelen, G. W. Tyson, B. J. Baker, R. C. Blake, II, M. Shah, R. L. Hettich, J. F. Banfield
Analysis of 2033 proteins from the five predominant microbes in an acid mine drainage biofilm reveal many proteins involved in protein refolding and response to oxidative stress.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1915


NEUROSCIENCE

Microsatellite Instability Generates Diversity in Brain and Sociobehavioral Traits (10 June 2005)
E. A. D. Hammock and L. J. Young
In prairie voles, the strength of mate bonding is controlled by the size of a repetitive DNA sequence in the regulatory region of the gene for a brain hormone receptor.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5728/1630

Major Dissociation Between Medial and Lateral Entorhinal Input to Dorsal Hippocampus (17 June 2005)
E. L. Hargreaves, G. Rao, I. Lee, J. J. Knierim
A brain center known to store short-term memories integrates spatial and nonspatial information received separately from adjacent cortices.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1792

Early Asymmetry of Gene Transcription in Embryonic Human Left and Right Cerebral Cortex (17 June 2005)
T. Sun, C. Patoine, A. Abu-Khalil, J. Visvader, E. Sum, T. J. Cherry, S. H. Orkin, D. H. Geschwind, C. A. Walsh et al.
Transcription factors become asymmetrically distributed by 12 weeks in the developing human brain, foreshadowing the well-known left-right differences in brain function.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1794

Complementary Process to Response Bias in the Centromedian Nucleus of the Thalamus (17 June 2005)
T. Minamimoto, Y. Hori, M. Kimura
Neurons deep in the brain are activated when subjects must choose a smaller reward when expecting a larger one, possibly encoding the emotion of disappointment or regret.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1798

Synapses Form in Skeletal Muscles Lacking Neuregulin Receptors (24 June 2005)
P. Escher, E. Lacazette, M. Courtet, A. Blindenbacher, L. Landmann, G. Bezakova, K. C. Lloyd, U. Mueller, H. R. Brenner
A receptor previously thought to be necessary for neuromuscular junction formation is found to exert its effect only indirectly, through glial cells.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1920

Dependence of Olfactory Bulb Neurogenesis on Prokineticin 2 Signaling (24 June 2005)
K. L. Ng, J.-D. Li, M. Y. Cheng, F. M. Leslie, A. G. Lee, Q.-Y. Zhou
A secreted protein is identified that attracts neural progenitors to the olfactory bulb and triggers a signaling pathway for their incorporation into the tissue.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5730/1923


PLANT SCIENCE

Cladosporium Avr2 Inhibits Tomato Rcr3 Protease Required for Cf-2–Dependent Disease Resistance (17 June 2005)
H. C. E. Rooney, J. W. van't Klooster, R. A. L. van der Hoorn, M. H. A. J. Joosten, J. D. G. Jones, P. J. G. M. de Wit et al.
Before tomatoes can defend themselves against a common invading fungus, the elicitor protein of the fungus must inactivate a tomato extracellular protease, thus triggering a defensive response.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1783

Nodulation Signaling in Legumes Requires NSP2, a Member of the GRAS Family of Transcriptional Regulators (17 June 2005)
P. Kaló, C. Gleason, A. Edwards, J. Marsh, R. M. Mitra, S. Hirsch, J. Jakab, S. Sims, S. R. Long, J. Rogers et al.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1786

1789 NSP1 of the GRAS Protein Family Is Essential for Rhizobial Nod Factor–Induced Transcription (17 June 2005)
P. Smit, J. Raedts, V. Portyanko, F. Debellé, C. Gough, T. Bisseling, R. Geurts
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1789
Two plant-specific transcription factors jointly guide the development of nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of legumes.
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/308/5729/1749


BIOCHEMISTRY

A Fluoroquinolone Resistance Protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis That Mimics DNA (3 June 2005)
S. S. Hegde, M. W. Vetting, S. L. Roderick, L. A. Mitchenall, A. Maxwell, H. E. Takiff, J. S. Blanchard
Mycobacterium tuberculosis has an antibiotic resistance protein closely resembling DNA that can pair with a DNA-binding protein, protecting it from the antibacterial drug.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5727/1480

Tubulin Polyglutamylase Enzymes Are Members of the TTL Domain Protein Family (17 June 2005)
C. Janke, K. Rogowski, D. Wloga, C. Regnard, A. V. Kajava, J.-M. Strub, N. Temurak, J. van Dijk, D. Boucher, A. van Dorsselaer et al.
An amino acid ligase, the first of a newly described family of enzymes, adds polyglutamyl groups to tubulin to help regulate the cytoskeleton.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/308/5729/1758