Nature Communications - 27 August 2014

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Weekly Content Alert 27 August 2014  Featured image: Zhou et al. fabricate a flexible, non-volatile photonic flash memory using upconversion nanocrystals driven by infrared light Latest content: Articles Journal homepage Recommend to library Web feed   Advertisement Nature Biotechnology  ANIMATION: ANTIBODY-DRUG CONJUGATES  The challenges facing targeted delivery of antibody-drug conjugates to a tumor are presented in a 3D animation that describes some of the mechanisms by which these agents target cells. Animation by Nucleus Inc. Produced with support from Daiichi Sankyo and Takeda Pharmaceuticals     Latest Articles View all Articles     A smart and versatile theranostic nanomedicine platform based on nanoporphyrin Yuanpei Li, Tzu-yin Lin, Yan Luo, Qiangqiang Liu, Wenwu Xiao, Wenchang Guo, Diana Lac, Hongyong Zhang, Caihong Feng, Sebastian Wachsmann-Hogiu, Jeffrey H. Walton, Simon R. Cherry, Douglas J. Rowland, David Kukis, Chongxian Pan and Kit S. Lam Nanoparticles can be used for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. Here, the authors report that nanoparticles made of a single chemical building block, called nanoporphyrins, incorporate eight different functionalities, including various types of imaging, drug delivery and cancer therapy. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5712 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Nanotechnology  One-dimensional surface phonon polaritons in boron nitride nanotubes Xiaoji G. Xu, Behnood G. Ghamsari, Jian-Hua Jiang, Leonid Gilburd, Gregory O. Andreev, Chunyi Zhi, Yoshio Bando, Dmitri Golberg, Pierre Berini and Gilbert C. Walker Surface plasmon and phonon polaritons are useful for sub-diffraction limit waveguiding of light, but phonon polaritons are advantageous in the mid-infrared. Xu et al. show that one-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes can support propagating phonon polaritons, making them a suitable platform for further study. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5782 Physical Sciences  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Reversible control of spin-polarized supercurrents in ferromagnetic Josephson junctions N. Banerjee, J.W.A. Robinson and M. G. Blamire The ability to manipulate spin-polarized supercurrents could enable the development of superconducting spintronic devices whose performance exceeds that of conventional spintronics. Banerjee et al. demonstrate a superconducting analogue of the archetypical spintronic device, the spin valve. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5771 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Condensed matter  Surface-enhanced redox chemistry of polysulphides on a metallic and polar host for lithium-sulphur batteries Quan Pang, Dipan Kundu, Marine Cuisinier and L. F. Nazar In lithium-sulfur batteries, many porous conductive carbon materials are proposed to confine soluble polysulfides, but the efficiency is generally low. Here, the authors use a Magnéli phase of titanium oxide as the cathode host and electron conduit, which binds the lithium (poly)sulfides well, leading to excellent battery performance. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5759 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Physical chemistry  Superconductivity and phase instability of NH3-free Na-intercalated FeSe1-zSz Jiangang Guo, Hechang Lei, Fumitaka Hayashi and Hideo Hosono The superconducting phase of alkali-metal-intercalated iron-selenide superconductors is difficult to study because of a tendency to separate into multiple phases. Guo et al. report the identification of three new iron-selenide superconducting phases, one of which shows the ThCr2Si2-type structure. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5756 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Glucocerebrosidase depletion enhances cell-to-cell transmission of α-synuclein Eun-Jin Bae, Na-Young Yang, Miyoung Song, Cheol Soon Lee, Jun Sung Lee, Byung Chul Jung, He-Jin Lee, Seokjoong Kim, Eliezer Masliah, Sergio Pablo Sardi and Seung-Jae Lee Transmission of alpha-synuclein aggregates between neurons has been observed in animal models of Parkinson’s disease, however, the mechanism of transmission remains unclear. Bae et al. report that a cycle of uptake, co-aggregation and exocytosis is enhanced by loss of glucocerebrosidase activity. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5755 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  Enhancing 2D growth of organic semiconductor thin films with macroporous structures via a small-molecule heterointerface Boseok Kang, Moonjeong Jang, Yoonyoung Chung, Haena Kim, Sang Kyu Kwak, Joon Hak Oh and Kilwon Cho High-performance organic electronics require minimal grain boundaries in an organic semiconductor active layer. Here, Kang et al. report the growth of pentacene thin films in a macroporous structure with improved crystallinity, which is guided by a chemically heterogeneous, rubber-like substrate. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5752 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Organic chemistry  ArhGAP30 promotes p53 acetylation and function in colorectal cancer Jilin Wang, Jin Qian, Ye Hu, Xuan Kong, Haoyan Chen, Qinghua Shi, Long Jiang, Chenming Wu, Weiping Zou, Yingxuan Chen, Jie Xu and Jing-Yuan Fang Tumour suppressor activity of p53 has been suggested to rely on acetylation of its C terminus. Here Wang and colleagues show that the Rho GTPase-activating protein ArhGAP30 is required for P300-mediated p53 acetylation and functional activation in colorectal cancer, and identify ArhGAP30 as a potential prognostic marker. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5735 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Molecular biology  Unconventionally secreted effectors of two filamentous pathogens target plant salicylate biosynthesis OPEN Tingli Liu, Tianqiao Song, Xiong Zhang, Hongbo Yuan, Liming Su, Wanlin Li, Jing Xu, Shiheng Liu, Linlin Chen, Tianzi Chen, Meixiang Zhang, Lichuan Gu, Baolong Zhang and Daolong Dou Salicylate is a regulator of innate immunity to infection in plants. Here, Liu et al. show that two plant pathogens secrete enzymes that disrupt salicylate biosynthesis and plant immunity, and reveal that these effectors are secreted via an unconventional mechanism. 26 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5686 Biological Sciences  Microbiology  Plant sciences  Strong effects of genetic and lifestyle factors on biomarker variation and use of personalized cutoffs OPEN Stefan Enroth, Åsa Johansson, Sofia Bosdotter Enroth and Ulf Gyllensten Protein biomarkers could play an important role in the diagnosis and management of diseases. Here the authors investigate the impact of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors on 92 protein biomarkers for cancer and inflammation and suggest that personalized biomarker thresholds should be used in cancer management. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5684 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Genetics  An ultracompact X-ray source based on a laser-plasma undulator I.A. Andriyash, R. Lehe, A. Lifschitz, C. Thaury, J.-M. Rax, K. Krushelnick and V. Malka Synchrotron radiation sources based on a combination of laser plasma accelerators and magnetic undulator have been limited in terms of brightness. Here, Andriyash et al. propose to use a sub-millimetre nano-wire array as a laser-plasma undulator that could produce bright, collimated and tunable X-ray pulses. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5736 Physical Sciences  Fluids and plasma physics  Grail controls Th2 cell development by targeting STAT6 for degradation Anupama Sahoo, Andrei Alekseev, Lidiya Obertas and Roza Nurieva The mechanisms controlling Th2-mediated inflammation are not well defined. Here the authors show that the E3 ubiquitin ligase Grail is involved in a negative feedback loop with Th2-specific transcription factors and regulates Th2-mediated allergic asthma responses. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5732 Biological Sciences  Immunology  MicroRNA-378 controls classical brown fat expansion to counteract obesity Dongning Pan, Chunxiao Mao, Brian Quattrochi, Randall H. Friedline, Lihua J. Zhu, Dae Young Jung, Jason K. Kim, Brian Lewis and Yong-Xu Wang Brown fat tissue contributes to organismal energy expenditure due to its thermogenic capacity. Here, the authors identify miR-378 as a specific regulator of brown fat tissue expansion, and suggest that physiological crosstalk between adipose tissue depots leads to a reduction in white fat mass. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5725 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Live imaging of calcium spikes during double fertilization in Arabidopsis OPEN Yuki Hamamura, Moe Nishimaki, Hidenori Takeuchi, Anja Geitmann, Daisuke Kurihara and Tetsuya Higashiyama Intracellular calcium waves are key signalling elements during the fertilization process of animals, involved in egg activation. Here the authors image calcium oscillations during the fertilization process in flowering plants, revealing specific signatures involved in the success of this process. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5722 Biological Sciences  Plant sciences  Functional high-throughput screening identifies the miR-15 microRNA family as cellular restriction factors for Salmonella infection Claire Maudet, Miguel Mano, Ushasree Sunkavalli, Malvika Sharan, Mauro Giacca, Konrad U. Förstner and Ana Eulalio The functional role of microRNAs in the interplay between bacterial pathogens and host cells is not well defined. Here, using an image-based high-throughput screening approach, the authors identify a family of microRNAs that regulates Salmonella infection and characterize their mechanism of action. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5718 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Immunology  Superabsorption of light via quantum engineering OPEN K. D. B. Higgins, S. C. Benjamin, T. M. Stace, G. J. Milburn, B. W. Lovett and E. M. Gauger A quantum system that super-radiates must also exhibit enhanced absorption, but the former always dominates in natural systems. However, by invoking environmental quantum control techniques, Higgins et al. demonstrate that a system can exhibit quantum-enhanced light absorption. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5705 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  Theoretical physics  Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with single spin sensitivity OPEN C. Müller, X. Kong, J.-M. Cai, K. Melentijević, A. Stacey, M. Markham, D. Twitchen, J. Isoya, S. Pezzagna, J. Meijer, J. F. Du, M. B. Plenio, B. Naydenov, L. P. McGuinness and F. Jelezko Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful technique that can identify the presence of certain atoms in a sample by their magnetic properties. Müller et al. now take this concept to its ultimate limit by measuring individual nuclear spins near the surface of diamond. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5703 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Twist1 induces endothelial differentiation of tumour cells through the Jagged1-KLF4 axis Hsiao-Fan Chen, Chi-Hung Huang, Chung-Ji Liu, Jung-Jyh Hung, Chih-Chin Hsu, Shu-Chun Teng and Kou-Juey Wu Tumour angiogenesis is critical for tumour growth and metastasis but the mechanisms that promote the growth of new blood vessels by tumours are not completely clear. Here the authors show that overexpression of the transcription factor Twist1 in certain tumour cells can lead them to differentiate into endothelial cells. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5697 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Nanoscale nickel oxide/nickel heterostructures for active hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis Ming Gong, Wu Zhou, Mon-Che Tsai, Jigang Zhou, Mingyun Guan, Meng-Chang Lin, Bo Zhang, Yongfeng Hu, Di-Yan Wang, Jiang Yang, Stephen J. Pennycook, Bing-Joe Hwang and Hongjie Dai There is ongoing research into new electrocatalysts for hydrogen production from water splitting. Here, the authors report the electrocatalytic performance of nickel/nickel oxide heterostructures on carbon nanotubes, and are able to assemble a water electrolyzer operated by a single-cell 1.5 V battery. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5695 Chemical Sciences  Catalysis  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Observation of monolayer valence band spin-orbit effect and induced quantum well states in MoX2 Nasser Alidoust, Guang Bian, Su-Yang Xu, Raman Sankar, Madhab Neupane, Chang Liu, Ilya Belopolski, Dong-Xia Qu, Jonathan D. Denlinger, Fang-Cheng Chou and M. Zahid Hasan Single layers of atoms can exhibit electronic properties far removed from their three-dimensional counter parts, with much potential for spintronics. Here, the authors provide evidence of spin-orbit splitting and extrinsic quantum well states in MoS2 and MoSe2 by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5673 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  X-ray holography with a customizable reference Andrew V. Martin, Adrian J. D’Alfonso, Fenglin Wang, Richard Bean, Flavio Capotondi, Richard A. Kirian, Emmanuele Pedersoli, Lorenzo Raimondi, Francesco Stellato, Chun Hong Yoon and Henry N. Chapman X-ray Fourier-transform holography has been restricted by a limited choice of reference waves. Here, Martin et al. demonstrate X-ray Fourier-transform holography with an almost unrestricted choice for the reference wave, allowing greater flexibility in the design of holographic experiments. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5661 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  Male–female communication triggers calcium signatures during fertilization in Arabidopsis OPEN Philipp Denninger, Andrea Bleckmann, Andreas Lausser, Frank Vogler, Thomas Ott, David W. Ehrhardt, Wolf B. Frommer, Stefanie Sprunck, Thomas Dresselhaus and Guido Grossmann Fertilization involves species-specific interaction and eventually fusion of two gametic cells, and calcium signalling plays a key role in this process. Here, the authors monitor the changes in intracellular calcium that take place during fertilization of flowering plants and point to specific signatures associated with specific steps of the process. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5645 Biological Sciences  Plant sciences  Reversible changes in pancreatic islet structure and function produced by elevated blood glucose OPEN Melissa F. Brereton, Michaela Iberl, Kenju Shimomura, Quan Zhang, Alice E. Adriaenssens, Peter Proks, Ioannis I. Spiliotis, William Dace, Katia K. Mattis, Reshma Ramracheya, Fiona M. Gribble, Frank Reimann, Anne Clark, Patrik Rorsman and Frances M. Ashcroft In patients with diabetes, insulin release from pancreatic β-cells is reduced due to altered islet structure and function. Here, Brereton et al. show that elevated blood glucose underlies these changes and is sufficient to reversibly alter β-cell identity in a mouse model of β-cell dysfunction. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5639 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Magnetic force microscopy reveals meta-stable magnetic domain states that prevent reliable absolute palaeointensity experiments Lennart V. de Groot, Karl Fabian, Iman A. Bakelaar and Mark J. Dekkers Obtaining reliable estimates of the absolute palaeointensity of the Earth’s magnetic field is difficult and many methods induce alteration. de Groot et al. present a means to see and explain changes in magnetization in unreliable samples, explaining why some samples systematically fail paleointensity experiments. 22 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5548 Earth Sciences  Geology and geophysics  Materials science  Trans-regulation of oligodendrocyte myelination by neurons through small GTPase Arf6-regulated secretion of fibroblast growth factor-2 Masahiro Akiyama, Hiroshi Hasegawa, Tsunaki Hongu, Michael A. Frohman, Akihiro Harada, Hiroyuki Sakagami and Yasunori Kanaho The GTPase Arf6, expressed in the central nervous system, is implicated in neural development in vitro, but the roles it plays in vivo are unclear. Akiyama et al. show in vivo that Arf6 positively regulates oligiodendrocyte myelination via the release of the growth factor FGF-2 from hippocampal neurons. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5744 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  Higher levels of sex chromosome heteromorphism are associated with markedly stronger reproductive isolation Thiago G. Lima Sex chromosomes might contribute to a faster evolution of intrinsic postzygotic isolation. Here, Lima shows that species with no sex chromosomes evolve lower levels of postzygotic isolation, while species with homomorphic sex chromosomes show an intermediate pattern when compared with those with heteromorphic or no sex chromosomes. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5743 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Genetics  Enhanced synapse remodelling as a common phenotype in mouse models of autism Masaaki Isshiki, Shinji Tanaka, Toshihiko Kuriu, Katsuhiko Tabuchi, Toru Takumi and Shigeo Okabe Impaired neuronal connectivity is implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, the authors perform time-lapse imaging of brain neurons from different mouse models of ASD and provide evidence for enhanced turnover of excitatory synapses as a commonly occurring mechanism in ASD. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5742 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  An upconverted photonic nonvolatile memory Ye Zhou, Su-Ting Han, Xian Chen, Feng Wang, Yong-Bing Tang and V.A.L. Roy Conventional flash memory devices are voltage driven and found to be unsafe for confidential data storage. Here, the authors propose a light driven, rewritable photonic flash memory device based on upconversion nanocrystals with a high ON/OFF ratio and long retention time. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5720 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  A metabolic view on menopause and ageing Kirsi Auro, Anni Joensuu, Krista Fischer, Johannes Kettunen, Perttu Salo, Hannele Mattsson, Marjo Niironen, Jaakko Kaprio, Johan G. Eriksson, Terho Lehtimäki, Olli Raitakari, Antti Jula, Aila Tiitinen, Matti Jauhiainen, Pasi Soininen, Antti J. Kangas, Mika Kähönen, Aki S. Havulinna, Mika Ala-Korpela, Veikko Salomaa et al. Changes in serum metabolites can indicate the development of disease. Here, the authors measure serum metabolite and lipoprotein levels in a large cohort of Northern Europeans, creating metabolic fingerprints for various age groups and, specifically, for women at the onset of menopause. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5708 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Autophagic degradation of the inhibitory p53 isoform Δ133p53α as a regulatory mechanism for p53-mediated senescence Izumi Horikawa, Kaori Fujita, Lisa M Miller Jenkins, Yukiharu Hiyoshi, Abdul M. Mondal, Borivoj Vojtesek, David P. Lane, Ettore Appella and Curtis C. Harris p53-mediated replicative senescence is associated with downregulation of the inhibitory p53 isoform Δ133p42α. Horikawa et al. show that this downregulation is a result of specific targeting of Δ133p42α for autophagic degradation by the E3 ubiquitin ligase STUB1. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5706 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Magnon transistor for all-magnon data processing OPEN Andrii V. Chumak, Alexander A. Serga and Burkard Hillebrands A disturbance in the local magnetic order can propagate across a material just like a wave. Chumak et al. now demonstrate a transistor operating on a single quantum of these so-called spin waves, known as a magnon, which could be a central element for magnetic-material-based information processing. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5700 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  High susceptibility to fatty liver disease in two-pore channel 2-deficient mice Christian Grimm, Lesca M. Holdt, Cheng-Chang Chen, Sami Hassan, Christoph Müller, Simone Jörs, Hartmut Cuny, Sandra Kissing, Bernd Schröder, Elisabeth Butz, Bernd Northoff, Jan Castonguay, Christian A. Luber, Markus Moser, Saskia Spahn, Renate Lüllmann-Rauch, Christina Fendel, Norbert Klugbauer, Oliver Griesbeck, Albert Haas et al. Two-pore channel 2 has been implicated in coupling changes in cellular energy status with endolysosomal function. Grimm et al. show that mice lacking this channel display defects in endolysosomal trafficking of LDL-cholesterol and are susceptible to hepatic cholesterol overload and fatty liver disease. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5699 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Medical research  Cardiac arrhythmia induced by genetic silencing of ‘funny’ (f) channels is rescued by GIRK4 inactivation Pietro Mesirca, Jacqueline Alig, Angelo G. Torrente, Jana Christina Müller, Laurine Marger, Anne Rollin, Claire Marquilly, Anne Vincent, Stefan Dubel, Isabelle Bidaud, Anne Fernandez, Anika Seniuk, Birgit Engeland, Jasmin Singh, Lucile Miquerol, Heimo Ehmke, Thomas Eschenhagen, Joel Nargeot, Kevin Wickman, Dirk Isbrandt et al. The ‘funny’ current (If) is important for the generation and regulation of the heart’s automaticity. Here the authors show that If silencing through genetic modification of the f-channel component HCN4 causes heart arrhythmia by altering Ca2+ handling in pacemaker myocytes. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5664 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Ubiquitin-binding site 2 of ataxin-3 prevents its proteasomal degradation by interacting with Rad23 Jessica R. Blount, Wei-Ling Tsou, Gorica Ristic, Aaron A. Burr, Michelle Ouyang, Holland Galante, K. Matthew Scaglione and Sokol V. Todi Polyglutamine repeat expansion in ataxin-3 causes neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, and reducing the levels of the mutant protein improves pathology. Here the authors show that ataxin-3 is degraded through an ubiquitination-independent mechanism that is impeded by protein interactions with proteasome-associated factors. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5638 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  Protein crystalline frameworks with controllable interpenetration directed by dual supramolecular interactions Fuji Sakai, Guang Yang, Manfred S. Weiss, Yijiang Liu, Guosong Chen and Ming Jiang Proteins are particularly desirable building blocks for self-assembled biomimetic materials. Here, the authors present crystalline frameworks based on concanavalin A with controllable levels of interpenetration via dual supramolecular interactions. 21 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5634 Chemical Sciences  Biochemistry  Materials science  Aryl hydrocarbon receptor negatively regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activity by inhibiting NLRP3 transcription Wanwan Huai, Rui Zhao, Hui Song, Jing Zhao, Lei Zhang, Lining Zhang, Chengjiang Gao, Lihui Han and Wei Zhao Aryl hydrocarbon receptor is best known as an inducer of detoxification enzymes in response to xenobiotics, but is also increasingly recognized as a negative regulator of immune responses. Here the authors show that it inhibits transcription of a key component of the inflammasome, a sensor of cellular infection-associated stress. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5738 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Influenza A virus protein PB1-F2 translocates into mitochondria via Tom40 channels and impairs innate immunity Takuma Yoshizumi, Takeshi Ichinohe, Osamu Sasaki, Hidenori Otera, Shun-ichiro Kawabata, Katsuyoshi Mihara and Takumi Koshiba Mitochondria modulate the innate immune response of infected cells against RNA viruses such as influenza. Here Yoshizumi et al. show that an influenza A viral protein, PB1-F2, interferes with such response by inducing mitochondrial fragmentation and altering the RIG-I and NLRP3 innate immune pathways. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5713 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Virology  Silver-catalysed direct amination of unactivated C–H bonds of functionalized molecules Mingyu Yang, Bo Su, Yang Wang, Kang Chen, Xingyu Jiang, Yun-Fei Zhang, Xi-Sha Zhang, Guihua Chen, Ye Cheng, Zhichao Cao, Qing-Yun Guo, Lushun Wang and Zhang-Jie Shi Functionalizing unactivated carbon–hydrogen bonds is a powerful and atom efficient method to introduce functionality into a molecule. Here, the authors show activation and intramolecular amination of primary C–H bonds using a silver catalyst. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5707 Chemical Sciences  Catalysis  Organic chemistry  Identification of genetic variants associated with alternative splicing using sQTLseekeR OPEN Jean Monlong, Miquel Calvo, Pedro G. Ferreira and Roderic Guigó RNA sequencing has enabled the global analysis of both gene expression levels and splicing events. Here, the authors develop a multivariate approach that is able to identify SNPs that influence splicing, and investigate the overlap of these with functional domains across the genome, including previously identified GWAS signals. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5698 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Genetics  Enhancement of biological reactions on cell surfaces via macromolecular crowding Rafi Chapanian, David H. Kwan, Iren Constantinescu, Fathima A. Shaikh, Nicholas A..A. Rossi, Stephen G Withers and Jayachandran N Kizhakkedathu Optimizing cell-surface biological reactions is an important goal of biotechnology and industrial processes. Here the authors use macromolecular crowding to enhance the enzymatic conversion of red blood cells to the universal type O blood type, using orders of magnitude less enzyme than was previously required. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5683 Biological Sciences  Biotechnology  Bioreactor droplets from liposome-stabilized all-aqueous emulsions Daniel C. Dewey, Christopher A. Strulson, David N. Cacace, Philip C. Bevilacqua and Christine D. Keating Bioreactors need to separate the internal environment from the bulk, while also allowing entry and exit of substrate and product. Here, the authors make highly uniform, semipermeable droplets using an aqueous two-phase system, and show potential as microreactors based on a ribozyme cleavage reaction. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5670 Chemical Sciences  Biochemistry  Materials science  Physical chemistry  Differentiated availability of geochemical mercury pools controls methylmercury levels in estuarine sediment and biota Sofi Jonsson, Ulf Skyllberg, Mats B. Nilsson, Erik Lundberg, Agneta Andersson and Erik Björn Methylmercury in aquatic biota constitutes a severe environmental issue globally, but models struggle to provide accurate quantification. Here, the authors combine experimental approaches to assess contributions from different pools and use the data to interpret the mercury cycle in an estuarine setting. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5624 Earth Sciences  Biogeochemistry  Thermoelectric Seebeck effect in oxide-based resistive switching memory OPEN Ming Wang, Chong Bi, Ling Li, Shibing Long, Qi Liu, Hangbing Lv, Nianduan Lu, Pengxiao Sun and Ming Liu Oxide-based resistive switching memory is known to depend on the formation and rupture of a conducting filament, although the mechanism behind this remains debated. Here, the authors measure the Seebeck effect to understand the intrinsic electronic transport mechanism in the conducting filament. 20 August 2014 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms5598 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology    Nature Communications JOBS of the week Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cellular / Molecular Biology of the B-MYB Transcription Factor King's College London Metabolic modeller (5064) VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland University Assistant (prae doc) at the Department of Biological Chemistry University of Vienna (Universitaet Wien) Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Organic Chemistry University of Oxford PhD Fellowship: Mathematical Modelling of Measures Supporting Eelgrass Recovery University of Southern Denmark Electrophysiologist to Study Ion Channel Dysfunction in Neurological Disorders Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry AS CR PhD in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Cardiff University Postdoctoral Fellow Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Mount Sinai Hospital Postdoctoral Associate Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) Postdoctoral Position in Bacterial Microcompartment Engineering Michigan State University More Science jobs from Nature Communications EVENT Development of Cancer Medicines 27.11.14 London, UK More science events from     Advertisement Nature Reviews Neurology  Focus on Epilepsy  In this special focus issue, cutting-edge investigators from around the world highlight the important challenges and progress in epilepsy research and clinical practice. 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