This month in Bio-Med Roundup:
- Hellsten et al. presented the draft genome sequence of the western clawed frog Xenopus tropicalis, an important model for vertebrate development.
- Burmann et al. and Proshkin et al. shed light on the coupling of transcription and translation in bacteria.
- Charron and Koechlin showed that the human brain is limited to accurately negotiate the pursuit of two concurrent goals at the same time.
- Hansen et al. found that in rhesus macaques, cytomegalovirus establishes superinfections by evading the immune response mediated by CD8+ T cells.
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GENETICS
Variation in Transcription Factor Binding Among Humans (9 April 2010)
M. Kasowski et al.
Transcription factor binding sites vary among individuals and are correlated with differences in expression.
Heritable Individual-Specific and Allele-Specific Chromatin Signatures in Humans (9 April 2010)
R. McDaniell et al.
An appreciable amount of variation in chromatin status and transcription factor binding has a genetic basis.
Evolution of an Expanded Sex-Determining Locus in Volvox (16 April 2010)
P. Ferris et al.
Mating loci among green algae show conserved gene order, but also have many unique features that may explain gamete size differences.
Genotype to Phenotype: A Complex Problem (23 April 2010)
R. D. Dowell et al.
In yeast, the impact of gene knockouts depends on genetic background.
Mutations in DCC Cause Congenital Mirror Movements (30 April 2010)
M. Srour et al.
Humans who display involuntary symmetrical limb movements carry mutations in a gene required for nerve growth across the midline.
The Genome of the Western Clawed Frog Xenopus tropicalis (30 April 2010)
U. Hellsten et al.
Assembly, annotation, and analysis of the frog genome compares gene content and synteny with the human and chicken genomes.
Analysis of Genetic Inheritance in a Family Quartet by Whole-Genome Sequencing (30 April 2010)
J. C. Roach et al.
Genomic sequencing of an entire family reveals the rate of spontaneous mutations in humans and identifies disease genes.
BIOCHEMISTRY
A Gating Charge Transfer Center in Voltage Sensors (2 April 2010)
X. Tao et al.
An occluded site stabilizes charged amino acids as they cross the membrane field to achieve switchlike channel opening.
Dynamic Regulation of Archaeal Proteasome Gate Opening As Studied by TROSY NMR (2 April 2010)
T. L. Religa et al.
Entry of substrate into the proteasome is regulated by dynamic gates that move in and out of the entrance pores.
Structural Basis of Preexisting Immunity to the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Virus (16 April 2010)
R. Xu et al.
An epitope conserved between the 1918 and 2009 pandemic flu viruses explains age-related immunity to the 2009 virus.
Molecular Basis of Alternating Access Membrane Transport by the Sodium-Hydantoin Transporter Mhp1 (23 April 2010)
T. Shimamura et al.
Three complementary crystal structures reveal the mechanism of a transport protein in molecular dynamics simulations.
Light-Induced Structural Changes in a Photosynthetic Reaction Center Caught by Laue Diffraction (30 April 2010)
A. B. Wöhri et al.
Fleeting molecular events are observed as light illuminates chlorophyll to initiate photosynthesis.
NEUROSCIENCE/PSYCHOLOGY
Synchrony of Thalamocortical Inputs Maximizes Cortical Reliability (2 April 2010)
H.-P. Wang et al.
Synchronous synaptic inputs from a very small number of thalamic neurons can be strong enough to activate cortical neurons.
Why Copy Others? Insights from the Social Learning Strategies Tournament (9 April 2010)
L. Rendell et al.
Learning from what others do is more efficient than learning all on one’s own.
Divided Representation of Concurrent Goals in the Human Frontal Lobes (16 April 2010)
S. Charron and E. Koechlin
The human brain is limited to accurately negotiate the pursuit of two concurrent goals at the same time.
Cbln1 Is a Ligand for an Orphan Glutamate Receptor δ2, a Bidirectional Synapse Organizer (16 April 2010)
K. Matsuda et al.
A signaling complex serves as a synapse organizer that acts bidirectionally on both pre- and postsynaptic components.
Lab Experiments for the Study of Social-Ecological Systems (30 April 2010)
M. A. Janssen et al.
Coordinated Punishment of Defectors Sustains Cooperation and Can Proliferate When Rare (30 April 2010)
R. Boyd et al.
Communication and coordination are essential components in cooperative endeavors.See the related Perspective
CELL/DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
Functional Hierarchy and Reversibility Within the Murine Spermatogenic Stem Cell Compartment (2 April 2010)
T. Nakagawa et al.
Developmental flexibility within a stem cell system underpins the robust maintenance of spermatogenesis.
Caspase-Dependent Conversion of Dicer Ribonuclease into a Death-Promoting Deoxyribonuclease (16 April 2010)
A. Nakagawa et al.
An enzyme that chops up RNA can be switched to DNA fragmentation and can trigger programmed cell death in worms.
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Rapid Diversification of Cell Signaling Phenotypes by Modular Domain Recombination (16 April 2010)
S. G. Peisajovich et al.
Systematic swapping of modular protein domains verifies a mechanism for generation of phenotypic diversity in yeast.
Systematic Analysis of Human Protein Complexes Identifies Chromosome Segregation Proteins (30 April 2010)
J. R. A. Hutchins et al.
A strategy designed to decipher the function of proteins identified in RNA interference screens reveals new insights into mitosis.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Partitioning of Histone H3-H4 Tetramers During DNA Replication–Dependent Chromatin Assembly (2 April 2010)
M. Xu et al.
Inheritance of histones H3 and H4 implies that epigenetic marks are copied between nucleosomes.
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Stoichiometry and Architecture of Active DNA Replication Machinery in Escherichia coli (23 April 2010)
R. Reyes-Lamothe et al.
Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy reveals the organization of the replisome in living bacterial cells.
A NusE:NusG Complex Links Transcription and Translation (23 April 2010)
B. M. Burmann et al.
Cooperation Between Translating Ribosomes and RNA Polymerase in Transcription Elongation (23 April 2010)
S. Proshkin et al.
The ribosome pushes RNA polymerase to prevent backtracking, which links rates of translation with transcription.
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IMMUNOLOGY
Evasion of CD8+ T Cells Is Critical for Superinfection by Cytomegalovirus (2 April 2010)
S. G. Hansen et al.
Cytomegalovirus monkeys can reinfect an already-infected host by evading the CD8+ T cell–mediated immune response.
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Transnuclear Mice with Predefined T Cell Receptor Specificities Against Toxoplasma gondii Obtained via SCNT (9 April 2010)
O. Kirak et al.
Researchers describe a method to obtain transgenic mice for the study of T cell responses to infectious disease.
Protein Kinase C-θ Mediates Negative Feedback on Regulatory T Cell Function (16 April 2010)
A. Zanin-Zhorov et al.
Suppressive T cells repurpose inflammatory signaling pathways to promote their suppressive functions.
Dysregulated Humoral Immunity to Nontyphoidal Salmonella in HIV-Infected African Adults (23 April 2010)
C. A. MacLennan et al.
Abnormal antibody responses produced in HIV-infected individuals are ineffective at clearing food-poisoning bacteria.
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MEDICINE
Metabolic Syndrome and Altered Gut Microbiota in Mice Lacking Toll-Like Receptor 5 (9 April 2010)
M. Vijay-Kumar et al.
The innate immune system may promote metabolic health through effects on gut microbes.
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Arsenic Trioxide Controls the Fate of the PML-RARα Oncoprotein by Directly Binding PML (9 April 2010)
X.-W. Zhang et al.
Arsenic, a drug used clinically for leukemia, binds directly to an oncogenic protein, thereby promoting its degradation.
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PLANT SCIENCE
Orchestration of Floral Initiation by APETALA1 (2 April 2010)
K. Kaufmann et al.
The master transcription factor APETALA1 dynamically regulates a complex genetic network to guide flower development.
Maize Tumors Caused by Ustilago maydis Require Organ-Specific Genes in Host and Pathogen (2 April 2010)
D. S. Skibbe et al.
Transcriptionally different expression occurs between infected maize tissues and the corn smut infecting these tissues.
MICROBIOLOGY
D-Amino Acids Trigger Biofilm Disassembly (30 April 2010)
I. Kolodkin-Gal et al.
Bacteria secrete an unusual form of amino acids to escape from aging communities by dissolving the surrounding matrix.
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