Nature Communications - 20 January 2016

Advertisement Nature Index 2015 China The 2015 Nature Index supplement dedicated to China reveals the country's output of high quality science continues to grow - a trend that shows no signs of slowing.  Access now for free.       Weekly Content Alert Nature Communications is now fully open access. Read more. 20 January 2016  Featured image: Nizamoglu et al. present a biodegradable polymer waveguide that directs light deep into tissue for photochemical wound healing. Latest content: Articles Advertisement   Sputtered Metal Deep-UV Interference Filters Manufactured using single substrates of UV-grade fused silica and backed by warranty, these filters are available in  11 different passbands in a wide range of sizes, from 2mm-200mm. Laser damage thresholds >0.15 J/cm2 using a 355nm laser (10 ns pulse, 10 Hz), and suffer no degradation after 2 hours @ 300ºC. www.chroma.com Journal homepage Recommend to library Web feed       Nature Communications - now fully open access All new submissions, if accepted, will be published open access and an article processing charge (APC) will apply. For more information visit the website. Visit our open access funding page or contact openaccess@nature.com to learn more about APC funding.       Latest Articles View all Articles     Iron Age and Anglo-Saxon genomes from East England reveal British migration history OPEN Stephan Schiffels, Wolfgang Haak, Pirita Paajanen, Bastien Llamas, Elizabeth Popescu, Louise Loe, Rachel Clarke, Alice Lyons, Richard Mortimer, Duncan Sayer, Chris Tyler-Smith, Alan Cooper and Richard Durbin This study examines ancient genomes of individuals from the late Iron Age to the middle Anglo-Saxon period in the East of England. Using a newly devised analytic algorithm, the author also estimate the relative ancestry of East English genome derived from Anglo-Saxon migrations and to the rest of Europe. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10408 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Genomic signals of migration and continuity in Britain before the Anglo-Saxons OPEN Rui Martiniano, Anwen Caffell, Malin Holst, Kurt Hunter-Mann, Janet Montgomery, Gundula Müldner, Russell L. McLaughlin, Matthew D. Teasdale, Wouter van Rheenen, Jan H. Veldink, Leonard H. van den Berg, Orla Hardiman, Maureen Carroll, Steve Roskams, John Oxley, Colleen Morgan, Mark G. Thomas, Ian Barnes, Christine McDonnell, Matthew J. Collins et al. Here, Martiniano et al. examine the genetic structure of northern Britain in the late BC/early AD using ancient genome sequencing of 9 individuals. They uncover evidence of far-reaching Roman and later Anglo-Saxon migrations within a background of Britons similar to the earlier Iron Age. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10326 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Exceptional preservation of eye structure in arthropod visual predators from the Middle Jurassic OPEN Jean Vannier, Brigitte Schoenemann, Thomas Gillot, Sylvain Charbonnier and Euan Clarkson Understanding how ancient animals perceived their environment is difficult due to a lack of fossilized eye structures. Here, the authors reconstruct the compound eye of a 160-million-year old thylacocephalan arthropod, Dollocaris, finding evidence of hunting adaptations. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10320 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Palaeontology  Zoology  Autonomous beating rate adaptation in human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes OPEN George Eng, Benjamin W. Lee, Lev Protas, Mark Gagliardi, Kristy Brown, Robert S. Kass, Gordon Keller, Richard B. Robinson and Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic The use of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for heart repair is hampered by their immature structural and contractile properties that may cause arrhythmia. Here, Eng et al. show that electrical conditioning of human cardiomyocytes in 3D culture can enhance connectivity and provide resistance to arrhythmia. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10312 Biological Sciences  Bioengineering  Medical research  Catch reconstructions reveal that global marine fisheries catches are higher than reported and declining OPEN Daniel Pauly and Dirk Zeller Officially reported fisheries statistics suggest that global catches have stabilized since their peak in the mid-1990s. Here, the authors supplement these reported data with best-estimate values of missing data from the literature, and find that global catches have steadily declined over this time period. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10244 Biological Sciences  Ecology  Oceanography  New observations on maternal age effect on germline de novo mutations OPEN Wendy S. W. Wong, Benjamin D. Solomon, Dale L. Bodian, Prachi Kothiyal, Greg Eley, Kathi C. Huddleston, Robin Baker, Dzung C. Thach, Ramaswamy K. Iyer, Joseph G. Vockley and John E. Niederhuber The study of germline mutations has been greatly enhanced by massive parallel sequencing technologies. Here the authors use deep sequencing data from nearly 700 parent-child trios to show maternal age has a small but significant correlation with the number of de novo mutations in the offspring. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10486 Biological Sciences  Genetics  TRAIP/RNF206 is required for recruitment of RAP80 to sites of DNA damage OPEN Nam Soo Lee, Hee Jin Chung, Hyoung-June Kim, Seo Yun Lee, Jae-Hoon Ji, Yoojeong Seo, Seung Hun Han, Minji Choi, Miyong Yun, Seok-Geun Lee, Kyungjae Myung, Yonghwan Kim, Ho Chul Kang and Hongtae Kim Recruiting DNA damage repair factors to the sites of DNA damage is critical for the maintenance of genome integrity. Here the authors identify that the TRAF-interacting protein (TRAIP/RNF206) is required for normal recruitment of RAP80 to DNA lesions and the stimulation of homologous recombination. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10463 Biological Sciences  Molecular biology  Direct measurement of large-scale quantum states via expectation values of non-Hermitian matrices OPEN Eliot Bolduc, Genevieve Gariepy and Jonathan Leach Quantum state tomography is the process of retrieving the values that define a quantum system, but realizing it experimentally can be burdensome. Here, the authors provide an alternative approach via the expectation values of a set of non-Hermitian matrices, and characterize a 100,000-dimensional state. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10439 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  Theoretical physics  The Shp2-induced epithelial disorganization defect is reversed by HDAC6 inhibition independent of Cdc42 OPEN Sui-Chih Tien, Hsiao-Hui Lee, Ya-Chi Yang, Miao-Hsia Lin, Yu-Ju Chen and Zee-Fen Chang Cdc42 activity is important for apical-basal epithelial polarity. Here, the authors show that Shp2 disrupts Cdc42 activation, and by reducing the expression of histone deactylase 6, restores epithelial lumen formation in a cdc42-independent manner. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10420 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Cell biology  Optimal metal domain size for photocatalysis with hybrid semiconductor-metal nanorods OPEN Yuval Ben-Shahar, Francesco Scotognella, Ilka Kriegel, Luca Moretti, Giulio Cerullo, Eran Rabani and Uri Banin The efficiency of photocatalysis on semiconductor-metal hybrid nanostructures can be influenced by myriad factors. Here, through both experimental and theoretical efforts, the authors elucidate the influence of metal domain size upon performance of such structures, allowing future rational design. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10413 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Physical chemistry  Evolution of the fish heart by sub/neofunctionalization of an elastin gene OPEN Yuuta Moriyama, Fumihiro Ito, Hiroyuki Takeda, Tohru Yano, Masataka Okabe, Shigehiro Kuraku, Fred W. Keeley and Kazuko Koshiba-Takeuchi The bulbus arteriosus is an organ unique to the heart of teleosts, composed of specialized smooth muscle. Here, the authors show that the gene elastin b, which regulates cell fate of cardiac precursor cells into smooth muscle, evolved after whole-genome duplication and neofunctionalization in teleosts. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10397 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Genetics  Mutational spectrum of Barrett’s stem cells suggests paths to initiation of a precancerous lesion OPEN Yusuke Yamamoto, Xia Wang, Denis Bertrand, Florian Kern, Ting Zhang, Marcin Duleba, Supriya Srivastava, Chiea Chuen Khor, Yuanyu Hu, Lane H. Wilson, Hagen Blaszyk, Daniil Rolshud, Ming Teh, Jianjun Liu, Brooke E. Howitt, Matthew Vincent, Christopher P. Crum, Niranjan Nagarajan, Khek Yu Ho, Frank McKeon et al. Barrett’s oesophagus is a precancerous intestinal metaplasia that can progress to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. In this study, the authors isolate and characterize human Barrett’s stem cells and identify a specific genomic pedigree that supports the potential role of these cells as precursors of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10380 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Cell biology  Bioabsorbable polymer optical waveguides for deep-tissue photomedicine OPEN Sedat Nizamoglu, Malte C. Gather, Matjaž Humar, Myunghwan Choi, Seonghoon Kim, Ki Su Kim, Sei Kwang Hahn, Giuliano Scarcelli, Mark Randolph, Robert W. Redmond and Seok Hyun Yun Light-based therapies are of growing importance in medicine, though penetrating tissue and reaching the targeted area can be difficult. Here, the authors report the use of biodegradable waveguides capable of directing light where desired, and demonstrate the potential for wound healing. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10374 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Biotechnology  Materials science  Generalized Brewster effect in dielectric metasurfaces OPEN Ramón Paniagua-Domínguez, Ye Feng Yu, Andrey E. Miroshnichenko, Leonid A. Krivitsky, Yuan Hsing Fu, Vytautas Valuckas, Leonard Gonzaga, Yeow Teck Toh, Anthony Yew Seng Kay, Boris Luk’yanchuk and Arseniy I. Kuznetsov Devices with greater freedom are desired in nanophotonics. Here, the authors demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that the generalized Brewster effect can be observed in an all-dielectric metasurface potentially for any angle, wavelength and polarization, due to electric and magnetic dipole interference. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10362 Physical Sciences  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Native characterization of nucleic acid motif thermodynamics via non-covalent catalysis OPEN Chunyan Wang, Jin H. Bae and David Yu Zhang DNA hybridisation thermodynamics parameters underlie rational design of oligonucleotides for diagnostics and nanotechnology. Here, the authors present an accurate method to measure the free energy of a given DNA structure at specific temperature and buffer conditions. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10319 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Physical chemistry  Magnetic bilayer-skyrmions without skyrmion Hall effect OPEN Xichao Zhang, Yan Zhou and Motohiko Ezawa Magnetic skyrmions propagating under an applied current along a nanowire experience the magnus force, deflecting them towards the edges where they may be destroyed, potentially hindering their applications. Here, the authors propose a method to surpass this issue utilizing magnetic bilayers systems. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10293 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Nuclear AURKA acquires kinase-independent transactivating function to enhance breast cancer stem cell phenotype OPEN Feimeng Zheng, Caifeng Yue, Guohui Li, Bin He, Wei Cheng, Xi Wang, Min Yan, Zijie Long, Wanshou Qiu, Zhongyu Yuan, Jie Xu, Bing Liu, Qian Shi, Eric W.-F. Lam, Mien-Chie Hung and Quentin Liu Aurora kinase A is a mitotic kinase that facilitates G2/M events. Here the authors show that in breast cancer cells Aurora kinase A has a kinase-independent function in the nucleus by activating the MYC promoter in cooperation with hnRNP K, enhancing the breast cancer stem cell phenotype. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10180 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Cell biology  The Shine-Dalgarno sequence of riboswitch-regulated single mRNAs shows ligand-dependent accessibility bursts OPEN Arlie J. Rinaldi, Paul E. Lund, Mario R. Blanco and Nils G. Walter In response to intracellular signals, bacterial translational riboswitches embedded in mRNAs can regulate gene expression through inhibition of translation initiation. Here, the authors describe SiM-KARTS, a novel approach for detecting changes in the structure of single RNA molecules in response to a ligand. 19 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms9976 Biological Sciences  Biophysics  Molecular biology  A better-ventilated ocean triggered by Late Cretaceous changes in continental configuration OPEN Yannick Donnadieu, Emmanuelle Pucéat, Mathieu Moiroud, François Guillocheau and Jean- François Deconinck In the Earth's history, the timing of oceanic large-scale events of oxygen depletion remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show that palaeogeography was a major preconditioning factor during the Cretaceous, implying that thresholds to shift toward a global anoxia are likely to be much higher at present. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10316 Earth Sciences  Climate science  Oceanography  Reversal of axonal growth defects in an extraocular fibrosis model by engineering the kinesin–microtubule interface OPEN Itsushi Minoura, Hiroko Takazaki, Rie Ayukawa, Chihiro Saruta, You Hachikubo, Seiichi Uchimura, Tomonobu Hida, Hiroyuki Kamiguchi, Tomomi Shimogori and Etsuko Muto How mutations in β3-tubulin cause axonal growth defects in congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 3 remains elusive. Minoura et al. develop a model system using recombinant human tubulin that demonstrates a link between tubulin mutation, impaired kinesin motility and axonal growth defects. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10058 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  Isotope dependence of the Zeeman effect in lithium-like calcium OPEN Florian Köhler, Klaus Blaum, Michael Block, Stanislav Chenmarev, Sergey Eliseev, Dmitry A. Glazov, Mikhail Goncharov, Jiamin Hou, Anke Kracke, Dmitri A. Nesterenko, Yuri N. Novikov, Wolfgang Quint, Enrique Minaya Ramirez, Vladimir M. Shabaev, Sven Sturm, Andrey V. Volotka and Günter Werth In addition to hyperfine splitting effects, isotope shifts of atomic electronic energy levels allow the investigation nuclear properties. Here, the authors study the isotope dependence of the Zeeman effect in litihium-like calcium isotopes in a Penning-trap setup and find good agreement with QED calculations. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10246 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Termination layer compensated tunnelling magnetoresistance in ferrimagnetic Heusler compounds with high perpendicular magnetic anisotropy OPEN Jaewoo Jeong, Yari Ferrante, Sergey V. Faleev, Mahesh G. Samant, Claudia Felser and Stuart S. P. Parkin Heusler alloy thin films with a distorted tetragonal structure have potential spintronics applications given their bulk perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Here, the authors demonstrate large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in Mn3Ge thin films accompanied by negative tunnelling magnetoresistance. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10276 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Using food-web theory to conserve ecosystems OPEN E. McDonald-Madden, R. Sabbadin, E. T. Game, P. W. J. Baxter, I. Chadès and H. P. Possingham The influence of species conservation on food webs is less well understood than the effects of species loss. Here, the authors test several indices against optimal food web management and find no current metrics are reliably effective at identifying species conservation priorities. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10245 Biological Sciences  Ecology  Tumour cell-derived Wnt7a recruits and activates fibroblasts to promote tumour aggressiveness OPEN Alexandra Avgustinova, Marjan Iravani, David Robertson, Antony Fearns, Qiong Gao, Pamela Klingbeil, Andrew M. Hanby, Valerie Speirs, Erik Sahai, Fernando Calvo and Clare M. Isacke How cancer-associated fibroblasts become activated to support metastasis is not well understood. Here, Avgustinova et al. show that tumour cell-derived Wnt7a activates TGFβ signaling in fibroblasts, inducing them to remodel the microenvironment to the state, which promotes tumour invasiveness and metastasis. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10305 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Insertion compounds and composites made by ball milling for advanced sodium-ion batteries OPEN Biao Zhang, Romain Dugas, Gwenaelle Rousse, Patrick Rozier, Artem M. Abakumov and Jean-Marie Tarascon New sodium-ion battery technology requires better control over solid electrolyte interface formation. Here, the authors report a series of ball-milled sodium alloys and enriched insertion electrodes, which act as sodium reservoirs compensating for sodium loss during solid electrolyte interface formation. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10308 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Physical chemistry  Strongly frustrated triangular spin lattice emerging from triplet dimer formation in honeycomb Li2IrO3 OPEN Satoshi Nishimoto, Vamshi M. Katukuri, Viktor Yushankhai, Hermann Stoll, Ulrich K. Rößler, Liviu Hozoi, Ioannis Rousochatzakis and Jeroen van den Brink Honeycomb iridates are candidates for the realization of a Kitaev spin liquid, displaying properties such as the protection of quantum information. Here, the authors investigate the phase diagram of honeycomb Li2IrO3, using quantum chemistry methods to derive the relevant effective spin Hamiltonian. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10273 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Ancient balancing selection at tan underlies female colour dimorphism in Drosophila erecta OPEN Amir Yassin, Héloïse Bastide, Henry Chung, Michel Veuille, Jean R. David and John E. Pool Sexual dimorphism is common in nature. Here, the authors combine population genetics and functional experiments to show that a region containing the gene tan contributes to sex-limited colour dimorphism in Drosophila erecta and that this dimorphism has likely been adaptively maintained for millions of years. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10400 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Genetics  Evidence for an ice shelf covering the central Arctic Ocean during the penultimate glaciation OPEN Martin Jakobsson, Johan Nilsson, Leif Anderson, Jan Backman, Göran Björk, Thomas M. Cronin, Nina Kirchner, Andrey Koshurnikov, Larry Mayer, Riko Noormets, Matthew O’Regan, Christian Stranne, Roman Ananiev, Natalia Barrientos Macho, Denis Cherniykh, Helen Coxall, Björn Eriksson, Tom Flodén, Laura Gemery, Örjan Gustafsson et al. The development of pan-Arctic Ocean ice shelves during peak glacials was proposed in the 1970s, an idea that has been disputed due to lack of evidence. Here, the authors present geophysical mapping data supporting the presence of such an ice shelf during the peak of the penultimate glaciation ∼140–160 ka. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10365 Earth Sciences  Geology and geophysics  Oceanography  Dynamic detection of electron spin accumulation in ferromagnet–semiconductor devices by ferromagnetic resonance OPEN Changjiang Liu, Sahil J. Patel, Timothy A. Peterson, Chad C. Geppert, Kevin D. Christie, Gordon Stecklein, Chris J. Palmstrøm and Paul A. Crowell In semiconductor spintronic devices, Hanle precession allows for electrical detection of spin accumulation however it is inhibited at room temperature in GaAs by magnetic-field effects. Here, the authors present an alternative method for detecting spin accumulation based on ferromagnetic resonance. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10296 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Visualizing band offsets and edge states in bilayer–monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides lateral heterojunction OPEN Chendong Zhang, Yuxuan Chen, Jing-Kai Huang, Xianxin Wu, Lain-Jong Li, Wang Yao, Jerry Tersoff and Chih-Kang Shih Heterojunctions of two-dimensional materials are used to design electronic and optoelectronic devices. Here, the authors show that zigzag terraces between monolayers and bilayers form atomically sharp type-I heterojunctions, resulting in a wire-like interface both in WSe2 and in MoSe2. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10349 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  Nanotechnology  A role for Separase in telomere protection OPEN Francesca Cipressa, Patrizia Morciano, Giuseppe Bosso, Linda Mannini, Alessandra Galati, Grazia Daniela Raffa, Stefano Cacchione, Antonio Musio and Giovanni Cenci Drosophila telomeres are elongated by transposition of specialized retroelements rather than telomerase activity. Here, the authors show that Separase is enriched at Drosophila telomeres and loss of Sse, the gene encoding Separase, leads to telomere defects, suggesting a role for Separase in telomere protection. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10405 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Molecular biology  Hierarchy of bond stiffnesses within icosahedral-based gold clusters protected by thiolates OPEN Seiji Yamazoe, Shinjiro Takano, Wataru Kurashige, Toshihiko Yokoyama, Kiyofumi Nitta, Yuichi Negishi and Tatsuya Tsukuda The hierarchy of bond stiffness may contribute to the thermal properties of metal clusters. Here, the authors use X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study the stiffness of the gold–gold and gold–sulfur bonds in a series of thiolate-protected, icosahedral-based gold clusters. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10414 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Nanotechnology  Physical chemistry  Magnetoelectric effect and phase transitions in CuO in external magnetic fields OPEN Zhaosheng Wang, Navid Qureshi, Shadi Yasin, Alexander Mukhin, Eric Ressouche, Sergei Zherlitsyn, Yurii Skourski, Julian Geshev, Vsevolod Ivanov, Marin Gospodinov and Vassil Skumryev Whilst CuO possesses spontaneous electrical polarization induced by its magnetic order, no magnetoelectric control of one by the other has been observed. Here, the authors demonstrate modification of the electrical polarization of CuO by suppressing its magnetic helix via an applied magnetic field. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10295 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  European land CO2 sink influenced by NAO and East-Atlantic Pattern coupling OPEN Ana Bastos, Ivan A. Janssens, Célia M. Gouveia, Ricardo M. Trigo, Philippe Ciais, Frédéric Chevallier, Josep Peñuelas, Christian Rödenbeck, Shilong Piao, Pierre Friedlingstein and Steven W. Running The relationship between terrestrial carbon sinks and atmospheric modes of variability remains uncertain. Here, the authors show that the coupling of the North Atlantic Oscillation and East-Atlantic patterns explains variations in the European CO2 sink from 1982 to 2012. 18 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10315 Earth Sciences  Atmospheric science  Climate science  Decrease in coccolithophore calcification and CO2 since the middle Miocene OPEN Clara T. Bolton, María T. Hernández-Sánchez, Miguel-Ángel Fuertes, Saúl González-Lemos, Lorena Abrevaya, Ana Mendez-Vicente, José-Abel Flores, Ian Probert, Liviu Giosan, Joel Johnson and Heather M. Stoll The impact of future and past carbonate chemistry changes on calcifying plankton is poorly understood. Here, the authors show that coccolithophore degree of calcification decreased significantly between 6 and 4 million years ago, in line with declining aqueous CO2 concentrations. 14 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10284 Earth Sciences  Biogeochemistry  Climate science  Ecology  Shaping the nonlinear near field OPEN Daniela Wolf, Thorsten Schumacher and Markus Lippitz While shaping of the electromagnetic fields around nanostructures is widely studied, the influence of the field inside the nanostructures is often overlooked. Here, Wolf et al. control the spatial distribution of third-harmonic emission in a plasmonic nanostructure, imaged by a far field Fourier method. 14 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10361 Physical Sciences  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Functional anterior pituitary generated in self-organizing culture of human embryonic stem cells OPEN Chikafumi Ozone, Hidetaka Suga, Mototsugu Eiraku, Taisuke Kadoshima, Shigenobu Yonemura, Nozomu Takata, Yutaka Oiso, Takashi Tsuji and Yoshiki Sasai It is difficult to generate functional human anterior pituitary tissues in vitro. Here, Ozone et al. generate human anterior pituitary from embryonic stem cells by recapitulating in vivo development, and demonstrate this tissue secretes hormones and rescues hypopituitarism when grafted into mice. 14 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10351 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  Nickel supported on nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes as hydrogen oxidation reaction catalyst in alkaline electrolyte OPEN Zhongbin Zhuang, Stephen A. Giles, Jie Zheng, Glen R. Jenness, Stavros Caratzoulas, Dionisios G. Vlachos and Yushan Yan Cheap and efficient hydrogen oxidation catalysts are needed for low cost hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells. Here, the authors report that nickel nanoparticles supported on nitrogen doped carbon nanotubes have hydrogen oxidation activity similar to platinum-group-metals in alkaline electrolyte. 14 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10141 Chemical Sciences  Catalysis  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Cell-free 3D scaffold with two-stage delivery of miRNA-26a to regenerate critical-sized bone defects OPEN Xiaojin Zhang, Yan Li, Y. Eugene Chen, Jihua Chen and Peter X. Ma A challenge in regenerative medicine is the development of cell-free, non-immunogenic miRNA-delivering scaffolds. Here the authors design a cell-free scaffold capable of efficient and prolonged delivery of miRNA-26a to endogenous cells and show that it can regenerate a full-thickness calvarial bone defect in mice. 14 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10376 Biological Sciences  Bioengineering  Medical research  A pervasive role for biomass burning in tropical high ozone/low water structures OPEN Daniel C. Anderson, Julie M. Nicely, Ross J. Salawitch, Timothy P. Canty, Russell R. Dickerson, Thomas F. Hanisco, Glenn M. Wolfe, Eric C. Apel, Elliot Atlas, Thomas Bannan, Stephane Bauguitte, Nicola J. Blake, James F. Bresch, Teresa L. Campos, Lucy J. Carpenter, Mark D. Cohen, Mathew Evans, Rafael P. Fernandez, Brian H. Kahn, Douglas E. Kinnison et al. High ozone and low water structures in the tropical western Pacific are commonly attributed to transport from the stratosphere or mid-latitudes. Here, Anderson et al. show these structures actually result from ozone production in biomass burning plumes and large-scale descent of air within the tropics. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10267 Earth Sciences  Atmospheric science  Climate science  Crystal structure of the N-myristoylated lipopeptide-bound MHC class I complex OPEN Daisuke Morita, Yukie Yamamoto, Tatsuaki Mizutani, Takeshi Ishikawa, Juri Suzuki, Tatsuhiko Igarashi, Naoki Mori, Takashi Shiina, Hidetoshi Inoko, Hiroaki Fujita, Kazuhiro Iwai, Yoshimasa Tanaka, Bunzo Mikami and Masahiko Sugita Lipid antigens have been added to the antigenic repertoire in recent years. Here, the authors have identified Mamu-B*098 as a lipopeptide antigen presenting molecule and using structural and biochemical analysis have shown that it has a different antigen binding pocket to previously analysed proteins. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10356 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Immunology  Methylation-dependent regulation of HIF-1α stability restricts retinal and tumour angiogenesis OPEN Yunho Kim, Hye Jin Nam, Junyeop Lee, Do Young Park, Chan Kim, Young Suk Yu, Dongha Kim, Se Won Park, Jinhyuk Bhin, Daehee Hwang, Ho Lee, Gou Young Koh and Sung Hee Baek HIF-1α is a pivotal protein involved in angiogenesis and is known to be regulated posttranslationally. Here, the authors show that HIF-1α is methylated by Set7/9 methyltransferase, which reduces protein stability and contributes to reduced angiogenesis. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10347 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Molecular biology  Coordinated activation of distinct Ca2+ sources and metabotropic glutamate receptors encodes Hebbian synaptic plasticity OPEN Cezar M. Tigaret, Valeria Olivo, Josef H.L.P. Sadowski, Michael C. Ashby and Jack R. Mellor During STDP, the magnitude of postsynaptic Ca2+ transients is hypothesized to determine the strength of synaptic plasticity. Here, the authors find that STDP in mature hippocampal synapses does not obey this rule but instead relies on the coordinated activation of NMDARs and VGCCs and their regulation by mGluRs and SK channels. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10289 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Neuroscience  Widely tunable two-colour seeded free-electron laser source for resonant-pump resonant-probe magnetic scattering OPEN Eugenio Ferrari, Carlo Spezzani, Franck Fortuna, Renaud Delaunay, Franck Vidal, Ivaylo Nikolov, Paolo Cinquegrana, Bruno Diviacco, David Gauthier, Giuseppe Penco, Primož Rebernik Ribič, Eleonore Roussel, Marco Trovò, Jean-Baptiste Moussy, Tommaso Pincelli, Lounès Lounis, Michele Manfredda, Emanuele Pedersoli, Flavio Capotondi, Cristian Svetina et al. Two-colour X-ray free electron laser is a powerful tool for pump–probe measurements, but currently constrained by limited tunability. Here, Ferrari et al. develop a configuration that allows tuning both the pump and the probe to specific electronic excitations, providing element selectivity. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10343 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Optical physics  Superlattice-based thin-film thermoelectric modules with high cooling fluxes OPEN Gary Bulman, Phil Barletta, Jay Lewis, Nicholas Baldasaro, Michael Manno, Avram Bar-Cohen and Bao Yang Current thermoelectric modules provide cooling fluxes that are insufficient for high-heat flux applications. Here, the authors demonstrate thin-film-based thermoelectric modules capable of providing cooling fluxes more than double that of the current state-of-the-art. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10302 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  A Drosophila RNAi library modulates Hippo pathway-dependent tissue growth OPEN Joseph H.A. Vissers, Samuel A. Manning, Aishwarya Kulkarni and Kieran F. Harvey Drosophila RNAi libraries are commonly used to perform large-scale functional genetics screens in vivo. Here the authors find that a subset of lines from the VDRC KK RNAi line cause false-positive enhancement of the Hippo pathway, and provide a strain that can test whether a genetic screen of interest will be affected by this technical artefact. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10368 Biological Sciences  Biotechnology  Genetics  Enhanced electronic properties in mesoporous TiO2 via lithium doping for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells OPEN Fabrizio Giordano, Antonio Abate, Juan Pablo Correa Baena, Michael Saliba, Taisuke Matsui, Sang Hyuk Im, Shaik M. Zakeeruddin, Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin, Anders Hagfeldt and Michael Graetzel Perovskite solar cells are still plagued by hysteresis, despite the good charge transport properties of the perovskite counterpart. Here, the authors dope the mesoporous TiO2 scaffold with lithium to improve the transport properties of this other important component of solar cells, and reduce the hysteresis. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10379 Chemical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Structural basis of RNA recognition and dimerization by the STAR proteins T-STAR and Sam68 OPEN Mikael Feracci, Jaelle N. Foot, Sushma N. Grellscheid, Marina Danilenko, Ralf Stehle, Oksana Gonchar, Hyun-Seo Kang, Caroline Dalgliesh, N. Helge Meyer, Yilei Liu, Albert Lahat, Michael Sattler, Ian C. Eperon, David J. Elliott and Cyril Dominguez Sam68 and T-STAR are members of the STAR family of proteins, which regulate various aspects of RNA metabolism. Here, the authors reveal structural features required for alternative splicing regulation by these proteins. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10355 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Molecular biology  Chromatin topology is coupled to Polycomb group protein subnuclear organization OPEN Ajazul H. Wani, Alistair N. Boettiger, Patrick Schorderet, Ayla Ergun, Christine Münger, Ruslan I. Sadreyev, Xiaowei Zhuang, Robert E. Kingston and Nicole J. Francis Polycomb Group (PcG) proteins regulate gene expression and genome architecture. Using super-resolution microscopy and molecular simulations, Wani et al. describe the organization of PcG proteins into hundreds of nano-scale protein clusters and suggest these clusters shape genome architecture. 13 January 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10291 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Molecular biology    Nature Communications JOBS of the week Senior Research Associate University of East Anglia (UEA) Postdoctoral Fellow / Research Associate Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) PostDoc (M / F) Biomarker Research Boehringer Ingelheim Fellowships Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) Research Associate University of Glasgow Postgraduate - Doctorate / PhD University of Fribourg Postdoctoral Training Fellow The Francis Crick Institute PhD position University Hospital Bonn Postdoctoral Fellow The University of Tennessee Health Science Center MRC Postdoctoral Scientist (CSC 74) Medical Research Council More Science jobs from Nature Communications EVENT AAI Advanced Course in Immunology 31.07.16 Boston, USA More science events from       Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. 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