EMBO Reports - Table of Contents alert Volume 13 Issue 3, pp 171 - 277

TABLE OF CONTENTS March 2012 | Volume 13, Issue 3 Upfront Science & Society Reviews Scientific Reports Also new AOP Sign up for e-alerts Recommend to your library Web feed Subscribe Upfront Top Editorial Every cell is sacred As the US Presidential election campaign gets into gear, Howy peers into a grim future, if current trends should be taken to their (il)logical conclusion Howy Jacobs EMBO reports (2012), 13, 171; 10.1038/embor.2012.8 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 01 March 2012 Subject Categories: Science Policy & Funding Opinion Simplicity Scientists should remember that some of the most successful theories have been the most simple; complex theories risk losing their usefulness in a thicket of detail and exceptions. Paul van Helden EMBO reports (2012), 13, 172; 10.1038/embor.2012.6 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 03 February 2012 Subject Categories: Philosophy & History of Science Hot off the Press Autophagy—alias self-eating—appetite and ageing Two articles—one published online in January and in the March issue EMBO reports—implicate autophagy in the control of appetite by regulating neuropeptide production in hypothalamic neurons. Autophagy decline with age in POMC neurons induces obesity and metabolic syndrome. David C. Rubinsztein EMBO reports (2012), 13, 173 - 174; 10.1038/embor.2012.5 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 03 February 2012 Subject Categories: Cellular Metabolism | Neuroscience | Membranes & Transport Meeting Point Tales of the autophagy crusaders The EMBO workshop on Autophagy in Health and Disease brought together researchers to cover the biogenesis of the autophagosome, the regulation of autophagy, selective autophagy and the role of autophagy in disease and cell death. Eyal Kalie and Sharon A. Tooze EMBO reports (2012), 13, 175 - 177; 10.1038/embor.2012.7 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 07 February 2012 Subject Categories: Differentiation & Death | Membranes & Transport | Molecular Biology of Disease Signalling through the grapevine The 5th Barossa Meeting on Cell Signalling and Molecular Medicine was held in November 2011 in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. The combination of an inspirational environment and outstanding science led to a superb meeting that highlighted the versatility of cellular signalling systems and how they can be targeted by novel therapeutic approaches. Ivan Dikic and Roger J Daly EMBO reports (2012), 13, 178 - 180; 10.1038/embor.2012.16 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 21 February 2012 Subject Categories: Signal Transduction Science & Society Top Time, evolution and physical reductionism Understanding and explaining the nature of time remains a major challenge for science. The task is made harder by the living world, which seems to run on a different concept of time than the realm of physics. Valentí Rull EMBO reports (2012), 13, 181 - 185; 10.1038/embor.2012.4 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 03 February 2012 Subject Categories: Evolution, Environment & Agriculture | Philosophy & History of Science 'Positive biology' as a new paradigm for the medical sciences The nearly exclusive focus on understanding and treating chronic disease might not be the most efficient way to improve public health, especially as an effective alternative strategy exists. Colin Farrelly EMBO reports (2012), 13, 186 - 188; 10.1038/embor.2011.256 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 27 January 2012 Subject Categories: Health & Disease | Philosophy & History of Science PhD survival guide Navigating the perils and pitfalls of a PhD is no easy task. This concise survival guide should help budding scientists avoid the most common mistakes and enjoy their first taste of real research. Leonardo Almeida-Souza and Jonathan Baets EMBO reports (2012), 13, 189 - 192; 10.1038/embor.2012.15 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 17 February 2012 Subject Categories: Scientific Training & Careers What doesn't kill you makes you dumber A causal link between childhood exposure to disease and the development of intelligence would have major implications for public health and international development programmes. Philip Hunter EMBO reports (2012), 13, 193 - 196; 10.1038/embor.2012.13 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 10 February 2012 Subject Categories: Health & Disease | Societal Issues & Politics Reviews Top Protein phosphatases and their regulation in the control of mitosis Our understanding of the role of kinases in cell cycle control is rather advanced, but we are only scratching the surface of the reciprocal control by protein phosphatases. This Review analyzes how phosphatases control mitosis and how to move this emerging field forward. Satoru Mochida and Tim Hunt EMBO reports (2012), 13, 197 - 203; 10.1038/embor.2011.263 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 20 January 2012 Subject Categories: Cell Cycle Merlin: a tumour suppressor with functions at the cell cortex and in the nucleus Merlin, a crucial mediator of contact inhibition, is analysed here. It affects growth in several ways: activating the Hippo pathway, promoting the establishment of epithelial adhesion and polarity, and translocating to the nucleus to induce a growth-suppressive programme of gene expression. Wei Li, Jonathan Cooper, Matthias A. Karajannis and Filippo G. Giancotti EMBO reports (2012), 13, 204 - 215; 10.1038/embor.2012.11 Abstract | Full text | PDF Published online: 21 February 2012 Subject Categories: Molecular Biology of Disease | Signal Transduction | Cell & Tissue Architecture Scientific Reports Top RWD domain: a recurring module in kinetochore architecture shown by a Ctf19–Mcm21 complex structure The crystal structure of kinetochore subcomplex Ctf19–Mcm21 reveals that both contain “double-RWD” domains. Other kinetochore proteins also have related RWD domains, suggesting this building block is a recurring module of kinetochore architecture. Florian Schmitzberger and Stephen C Harrison EMBO reports (2012), 13, 216 - 222; 10.1038/embor.2012.1 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 10 February 2012 Subject Categories: Cell Cycle | Structural Biology CryB from Rhodobacter sphaeroides: a unique class of cryptochromes with new cofactors The structure of RsCryB reveals two cofactors only conserved in the CryPro subfamily—6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityl-lumazine in the antenna-binding domain and a [4Fe-4S] cluster in the catalytic domain—suggesting an alternative method of electron transfer in this family. Yann Geisselbrecht, Sebastian Frühwirth, Claudia Schroeder, Antonio J Pierik, Gabriele Klug and Lars-Oliver Essen EMBO reports (2012), 13, 223 - 229; 10.1038/embor.2012.2 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 31 January 2012 Subject Categories: Structural Biology The role of deimination in ATP5b mRNA transport in a transgenic mouse model of multiple sclerosis Bhattacharya and collaborators find that a mouse model for multiple sclerosis develops mitochondrial dysfunction through deimination of REF, an RNA-binding protein involved in mRNA transport into mitochondria. Di Ding, Mabel Enriquez-Algeciras, Kunjan R Dave, Miguel Perez-Pinzon and Sanjoy K Bhattacharya EMBO reports (2012), 13, 230 - 236; 10.1038/embor.2011.264 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 20 January 2012 Subject Categories: Membranes & Transport | RNA | Molecular Biology of Disease Suppression of Rac1 activity at the apical membrane of MDCK cells is essential for cyst structure maintenance Kiyokawa and colleagues use FRET biosensors in 3D MDCK cell cultures to find that Rac1 activity is suppressed in the apical membrane of polarized cells. Ectopic activation of Rac1 in this domain severely disorders epithelial structure by disrupting intercellular tight junctions and reorienting cell division axes. Shunsuke Yagi, Michiyuki Matsuda and Etsuko Kiyokawa EMBO reports (2012), 13, 237 - 243; 10.1038/embor.2011.249 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 20 January 2012 Subject Categories: Cell & Tissue Architecture Nuclear IGF1R is a transcriptional co-activator of LEF1/TCF Insulin growth factor 1 receptor is known to translocate to the nucleus upon IGF1 signalling. Sehat and collaborators show in this report that nuclear IGFR1 is a transcriptional co-factor of LEF1/TCF required for cyclin D and axin2 activation independently of β-catenin. Dudi Warsito, Sylvia Sjöström, Sandra Andersson, Olle Larsson and Bita Sehat EMBO reports (2012), 13, 244 - 250; 10.1038/embor.2011.251 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 20 January 2012 Subject Categories: Signal Transduction | Chromatin & Transcription The FIH hydroxylase is a cellular peroxide sensor that modulates HIF transcriptional activity HIF asparaginyl hydroxylase (FIH) is shown to be strikingly more sensitive to peroxide than the HIF prolyl hydroxylases, indicating that hypoxia and oxidative stress are distinct regulators of the HIF response. Norma Masson, Rachelle S Singleton, Rok Sekirnik, David C Trudgian, Lucy J Ambrose, Melroy X Miranda, Ya-Min Tian, Benedikt M Kessler, Christopher J Schofield and Peter J Ratcliffe EMBO reports (2012), 13, 251 - 257; 10.1038/embor.2012.9 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 07 February 2012 Subject Categories: Signal Transduction | Cellular Metabolism Loss of autophagy in hypothalamic POMC neurons impairs lipolysis Both selective loss of autophagy in POMC neurons and ageing decrease α-melanocyte stimulating hormone levels, promoting adiposity, impairing lipolysis and altering glucose homeostasis. These effects can be pharmacologically alleviated, suggesting prevention strategies for obesity and metabolic syndrome. Susmita Kaushik, Esperanza Arias, Hyokjoon Kwon, Nuria Martinez Lopez, Diana Athonvarangkul, Srabani Sahu, Gary J Schwartz, Jeffrey E Pessin and Rajat Singh EMBO reports (2012), 13, 258 - 265; 10.1038/embor.2011.260 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 17 January 2012 Subject Categories: Membranes & Transport | Cellular Metabolism | Neuroscience Large-scale mapping of human protein interactome using structural complexes This study describes a new framework that utilizes experimental evidence on structural complexes, the atomic details of binding interfaces and evolutionary conservation to map the human protein interactome. Manoj Tyagi, Kosuke Hashimoto, Benjamin A Shoemaker, Stefan Wuchty and Anna R Panchenko EMBO reports (2012), 13, 266 - 271; 10.1038/embor.2011.261 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. Published online: 20 January 2012 Subject Categories: Genomic & Computational Biology | Structural Biology | Proteins Strong association between mRNA folding strength and protein abundance in S. cerevisiae On the basis of large-scale analyses of genomic data, this study identifies a strong correlation between the strength of mRNA folding and protein expression levels in S. cerevisiae and discusses potential explanations for this correlation. Hadas Zur and Tamir Tuller EMBO reports (2012), 13, 272 - 277; 10.1038/embor.2011.262 Abstract | Full text | PDF | Supp. info. | Review Process File Published online: 17 January 2012 Subject Categories: RNA | Proteins | Genomic & Computational Biology Please note that you need to be a subscriber or site-licence holder to enjoy full-text access to EMBO reports. In order to do so, please purchase a subscription. You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. 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