This month in Bio-Med Roundup:
- Teodoro et al . found that the tumor suppressor protein p53 stimulates the production of factors that inhibit tumor angiogenesis.
- Ding et al . investigated gender differences in patenting in the life sciences.
- Esposito et al. identified three distinct clades of smallpox virus -- from West Africa, Asia, and South America -- that appear to have evolved by recombination and genome reduction.
- Whitlock et al . and Pastalkova et al. elucidated links between synaptic long-term potentiation and learning and memory
Jump to:
Cell/Developmental Biology
Neuroscience
Plant Science
Medicine
Microbiology
Sociology/Psychology
Immunology
Molecular Biology
This month’s Bio-Med Roundup is sponsored by Polyplus-transfection
Polyplus’ INTERFERinTM siRNA transfection reagent achieves over 90 % silencing efficiency at 1 nM siRNA in a wide variety of cells with excellent viability. Using low siRNA concentrations avoids unwanted toxic and off-target effects. INTERFERinTM is ready to use and the transfection protocol is simple. It is compatible with serum and antibiotics. For more information, please visit INTERFERinTM siRNA transfection reagent page and ask for a trial size.
CELL/DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Netrins Promote Developmental and Therapeutic Angiogenesis ( 4 August 2006 )
B. D. Wilson, M. Ii, K. W. Park, A. Suli, L. K. Sorensen, F. Larrieu-Lahargue, L. D. Urness, W. Suh, J. Asai, G. A.H. Kock et al.
The netrins, developmental factors that guide axons as they find their targets, also direct the formation of new blood vessels.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/640
The Neurospora Checkpoint Kinase 2: A Regulatory Link Between the Circadian and Cell Cycles ( 4 August 2006 )
A. M. Preguerio, Q. Liu, C. L. Baker, J. C. Dunlap, J. J. Loros
A fungal ortholog of a key regulator for the mammalian cell cycle links cell division with the circadian cycle, gating the ability of DNA damage to reset the clock.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/644
N- to C-Terminal SNARE Complex Assembly Promotes Rapid Membrane Fusion ( 4 August 2006 )
A. V. Pobbati, A. Stein, D. Fasshauer
A preassembled complex of fusion proteins can fuse membranes in vitro as rapidly as is observed during secretion in intact neurons.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/673
A Clamping Mechanism Involved in SNARE-Dependent Exocytosis ( 4 August 2006 )
C. G. Giraudo, W. S. Eng, T. J. Melia, J. E. Rothman
The protein complexin prevents synaptic vesicles from fusing until calcium is sensed by another protein, synaptotagmin, to initiate fusion.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/676
Anaphase Inactivation of the Spindle Checkpoint ( 4 August 2006 )
W. J. Palframan, J. B. Meehl, S. L. Jaspersen, M. Winey, A. W. Murray
The system that ensures that all chromosomes are properly attached to the spindle poles during cell division is later inactivated by the interaction of two proteins.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/680
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5787/624
The Molecular Architecture of Axonemes Revealed by Cryoelectron Tomography ( 18 August 2006 )
D. Nicastro, C. Schwartz, J. Pierson, R. Gaudette, M. E. Porter, J. R. McIntosh
The internal structure of the flagellum reveals how its motor enzyme dynein regulates flagellar movement and thus cellular motility.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/944
ATM Engages Autodegradation of the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase COP1 After DNA Damage ( 25 August 2006 )
D. Dornan, H. Shimizu, A. Mah, T. Dudhela, M. Eby, K. O’Rourke, S. Seshagiri, V. M. Dixit
After a cell experiences DNA damage, the enzyme that normally tags a tumor suppressor for degradation is inhibited, allowing accumulation of the tumor suppressor.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1122
Individual Cell Migration Serves as the Driving Force for Optic Vesicle Evagination ( 25 August 2006 )
M. Rembold, F. Loosli, R. J. Adams, J. Wittbrodt
High-resolution imaging of cells in living fish shows that migrating cells form the eye by acting individually rather than collectively.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1130
NEUROSCIENCE
Frames, Biases, and Rational Decision-Making in the Human Brain ( 4 August 2006 )
B. De Martino, D. Kumaran, B. Seymour, R. J. Dolan
The framing effect—in which the way a question is posed alters the answer—is a result of biases arising in the amygdala, a brain region involved with emotion.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/684
Tequila, a Neurotrypsin Ortholog, Regulates Long-Term Memory Formation in Drosophila ( 11 August 2006 )
G. Didelot, F. Molinari, P. Tchénio, D. Comas, Elodie Milhiet, A. Munnich, L. Colleaux, T. Preat
The normal Drosophila homolog of a defective human gene that causes mental retardation is necessary for proper memory formation.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/851
Graded Regulation of the Kv2.1 Potassium Channel by Variable Phosphorylation ( 18 August 2006 )
K.-S. Park , D. P. Mohapatra, H. Misonou, J. S. Trimmer
A proteomic method identifies which seven of the potential phosphorylaton sites are regulated in vivo by a phosphatase in a delayed rectifier potassium channel.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/976
Learning Induces Long-Term Potentiation in the Hippocampus ( 25 August 2006 )
J. R. Whitlock, A. J. Heynen, M. G. Shuler, M. F. Bear
Rapid learning in rats strengthens synapses in the hippocampus of the brain, confirming that synaptic long-term potentiation underlies learning in vivo.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1093
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5790/1141
Storage of Spatial Information by the Maintenance Mechanism of LTP ( 25 August 2006 )
E. Pastalkova, P. Serrano, D. Pinkhasova, E. Wallace, A. A. Fenton, T. C. Sacktor
Maintenance of spatial memories in the rat brain can be reversed by inhibition of long-term synaptic potentiation in the rat brain.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1141
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5790/1058
PLANT SCIENCE
Dodeca-CLE Peptides as Suppressors of Plant Stem Cell Differentiation ( 11 August 2006 )
Y. Ito, I. Nakanomyo, H. Motose, K. Iwamoto, S. Sawa, N. Dohmae, H. Fukuda
A 31-member family of genes encodes dodecapeptides with two hydroxyproline residues (peptides) that control the fates of plant stem cells.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/843
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5788/773
A Plant Peptide Encoded by CLV3 Identified by in Situ MALDI-TOF MS Analysis ( 11 August 2006 )
T. Kondo, S. Sawa, A. Kinoshita, S. Mizuno, T. Kakimoto, H. Fukuda, Y. Sakagami
A 12–amino acid plant peptide that controls the shoot apical meristem was identified by in situ matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–time-of-flight mass spectrometry.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/845
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5788/773
Evolutionary Paths Underlying Flower Color Variation in Antirrhinum ( 18 August 2006 )
A. C. Whibley, N. B. Langlade, C. Andalo, A. I. Hanna, A. Bangham, C. Thébaud, E. Coen
The genetic differences underlying various color morphs of two snapdragon species can be identified and used to construct their likely evolutionary path.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/963
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5789/924
Brassinosteroids Regulate Dissociation of BKI1, a Negative Regulator of BRI1 Signaling, from the Plasma Membrane ( 25 August 2006 )
X. Wang and J. Chory
A steroid hormone signaling pathway in plants is activated when an inhibitor is displaced from the cell membrane.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1118
MEDICINE
p53-Mediated Inhibition of Angiogenesis Through Up-Regulation of a Collagen Prolyl Hydroxylase ( 18 August 2006 )
J. G. Teodoro, A. E. Parker, X. Zhu, M. R. Green
A tumor suppressor protein inhibits tumor formation in part by stimulating the production of the body’s own inhibitors of the tumor’s blood supply.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/968
Mutations That Increase the Life Span of C. elegans Inhibit Tumor Growth ( 18 August 2006 )
J. M. Pinkston, D. Garigan, M. Hansen, C. Kenyon
A strain of worm that develops cancer as it ages is protected from tumor growth by mutations that extend its life span.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/971
Chemical Chaperones Reduce ER Stress and Restore Glucose Homeostasis in a Mouse Model of Type 2 ( 25 August 2006 )
Diabetes
U. Özcan, E. Yilmaz, L. Özcan, M. Furuhashi, E. Vaillancourt, R. O. Smith, C. Z. Görgün, G. S. Hotamisligil
Small-molecule drugs that help to fold and process proteins correct type 2 diabetes in a mouse model, providing a new lead for the treatment of human diabetes.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1137
MICROBIOLOGY
Regulation of Sexual Development of Plasmodium by Translational Repression ( 4 August 2006 )
G. R. Mair, J. A. M. Braks, L. S. Garver, J. C. A. G. Wiegant, N. Hall, R. W. Dirks, S. M. Khan, G. Dimopoulos, C. J. Janse, A. P. Waters
An essential RNA helicase sequesters mRNAs in the developing malaria parasite until they are needed, presenting a likely target for therapeutics.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/667
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5787/626
Genome Sequence Diversity and Clues to the Evolution of Variola (Smallpox) Virus ( 11 August 2006 )
J. J. Esposito, S. A. Sammons, A. M. Frace, J. D. Osborne, M. Olsen-Rasmussen, M. Zhang, D. Govil, I. K. Damon, R. Kline, M. Laker et al.
Samples of the smallpox virus reveal three distinct clades—from West Africa , Asia , and South America —a finding that could facilitate the response to an unintended release.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/807
Escherichia coli Induces DNA Double-Strand Breaks in Eukaryotic Cells ( 11 August 2006 )
J.-P. Nougayrède, S. Homburg, F. Taieb, M. Boury, E. Brzuszkiewicz, G. Gottschalk, C. Buchrieser, J. Hacker, U. Dobrindt, E. Oswald
Microbes that normally live in the gut produce a small molecule that slows the turnover of the gut lining by damaging host DNA, possibly enhancing their colonization.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/848
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5788/772
Symbiotic Bacteria Direct Expression of an Intestinal Bactericidal Lectin ( 25 August 2006 )
H. L. Cash, C. V. Whitham, C. L. Behrendt, L. V. Hooper
The cells that line the intestine secrete a small molecule that binds to resident bacteria through a peptidylglycan interaction and kills them.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1126
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5790/1052
SOCIOLOGY/PSYCHOLOGY
Gender Differences in Patenting in the Academic Life Sciences ( 4 August 2006 )
W. W. Ding, F. Murray, T. E. Stuart
A longitudinal study shows that women scientists have patented their findings at less than half the rate of men, perhaps because of fewer collaborations and industrial contacts.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/665
The Psychological Risks of Vietnam for U.S. Veterans: A Revisit with New Data and Methods ( 18 August 2006 )
B. P. Dohrenwend, J. B. Turner, N. A. Turse, B. G. Adams, K. C. Koenen, R. Marshall
An extensive reanalysis of a previous study of the effects of the Vietnam War on its veterans provides a more reliable estimate of the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/979
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5789/923
IMMUNOLOGY
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Immunoglobulin G Resulting from Fc Sialylation ( 4 August 2006 )
Y. Kaneko, F. Nimmerjahn, J. V. Ravetch
Inflammatory antibodies can be converted to potentially useful anti-inflammatory agents by altering their attached sugar residues.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5787/670
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5787/627
Requirement for Coronin 1 in T Lymphocyte Trafficking and Cellular Homeostasis ( 11 August 2006 )
N. Föger, L. Rangell, D. M. Danilenko, A. C. Chan
An actin binding protein is necessary for immune cells to move and function normally.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/839
See related Perspective at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/313/5788/767
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Single-Molecule, Motion-Based DNA Sequencing Using RNA Polymerase ( 11 August 2006 )
W. J. Greenleaf and S. M. Block
The motions of individual RNA polymerase molecules moving along DNA, resolved at the base-pair level, can reveal the DNA sequence.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5788/801
Argonaute Slicing Is Required for Heterochromatic Silencing and Spreading ( 25 August 2006 )
D. V. Irvine, M. Zaratiegui, N. H. Tolia, D. B. Goto, D. H. Chitwood, M. W. Vaughn, L.r Joshua-Tor, R. A. Martienssen
In RNA interference, genes are silenced through base-pairing of small interfering RNAs with RNA, presumably transcribed from the silenced region.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5790/1134
This month’s Bio-Med Roundup is sponsored by Polyplus-transfection
Polyplus’ INTERFERinTM siRNA transfection reagent achieves over 90 % silencing efficiency at 1 nM siRNA in a wide variety of cells with excellent viability. Using low siRNA concentrations avoids unwanted toxic and off-target effects. INTERFERinTM is ready to use and the transfection protocol is simple. It is compatible with serum and antibiotics. For more information, please visit INTERFERinTM siRNA transfection reagent page and ask for a trial size.