Nature Communications - 20 April 2016

Advertisement Premade Stable Cell Lines  Each of the following cell lines is available in a number of widely-studied cancer cell lines, providing useful tools for studying cancer properties and development of effective therapies CRISPR-Cas9 Stable Cell Lines Luciferase+GFP Dual Labeled Cancer Cell Lines GFP Labeled Cancer Cell Lines Cell Structure Related Stable Cell Lines Learn more >>     Weekly Content Alert Nature Communications is now fully open access. Read more. 20 April 2016  Featured image: Halberg et al. show a non-neuronal function of Fas2 in brush border maintenance in the fruit fly renal tubules Latest content: Articles Erratum Advertisement Do you know of an innovative approach to selectively deliver new chemical entities to podocytes in diabetic nephropathy patients? If so, Boehringer Ingelheim invites you to enter their InnoCentive Challenge. A $20,000 award fund is available along with options for Research Collaborations. The deadline for submissions is May 13, 2016. See the full details and enter here Journal homepage Recommend to library Web feed   Advertisement npj Quantum Information is an online-only, open access journal providing important updates on quantum information research and theory. Recent published articles include: Multilayer microwave integrated quantum circuits for scalable quantum computing, and Achieving quantum precision limit in adaptive qubit state tomography.     Advertisement NPG Asia Materials is proud to present a web focus on Magnetic materials for spintronic devices. This web focus features a selection of articles that are related to magnetic materials for potential application in magnetoelectronic and spintronic devices. Such materials include artificial multiferroics, half metallic Heusler alloys, topological insulators, Dirac semimetals, manganites, nanofibers, and spin wave materials, as well as molecular interfaces.  Access the Web Focus today!       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     A two decade dementia incidence comparison from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies I and II OPEN F. E. Matthews, B. C. M. Stephan, L. Robinson, C. Jagger, L. E. Barnes, A. Arthur, C. Brayne, Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies (CFAS) Collaboration, A. Comas-Herrera, R. Wittenberg, T. Dening, C.F.M. McCracken, C. Moody, B. Parry, E. Green, R. Barnes, J. Warwick, L. Gao, A. Mattison, C. Baldwin et al. Future dramatic rises in dementia are widely reported, assuming no change in incidence. Matthews and colleagues report that, in contrast to such statements, age-specific incidence has dropped over 20 years, with overall incidence of dementia remaining stable in a large multi-site population study from England. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11398 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Neuroscience  Exploring the biophysical option space for feeding the world without deforestation OPEN Karl-Heinz Erb, Christian Lauk, Thomas Kastner, Andreas Mayer, Michaela C. Theurl and Helmut Haberl Safeguarding existing forests is an important ecological concern but constrains the expansion of farmland to feed the growing world population. Here the authors analyse the option space for future changes in agriculture and diets compatible with a no-deforestation goal. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11382 Biological Sciences  Ecology  NETosis and lack of DNase activity are key factors in Echis carinatus venom-induced tissue destruction OPEN Gajanan D. Katkar, Mahalingam S. Sundaram, Somanathapura K. NaveenKumar, Basavarajaiah Swethakumar, Rachana D. Sharma, Manoj Paul, Gopalapura J. Vishalakshi, Sannaningaiah Devaraja, Kesturu S. Girish and Kempaiah Kemparaju The saw-scaled viper venom causes continued tissue damage that may cause death. Here the authors show that the venom attracts neutrophils to the bite site and induces neutrophil extracellular traps that capture venom components causing tissue damage, which can be prevented by enzymatic DNA degradation. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11361 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Medical research  The timescales of global surface-ocean connectivity OPEN Bror F. Jönsson and James R. Watson The adaptive capabilities of planktonic communities to climate change remain uncertain. Here, using Lagrangian particle tracking and network theory, the authors show that surface ocean currents can navigate the globe within 10 years, suggesting that marine plankton may keep pace with climate change. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11239 Earth Sciences  Climate science  Ecology  Oceanography  Integrated multi-omics analysis of oligodendroglial tumours identifies three subgroups of 1p/19q co-deleted gliomas OPEN Aurélie Kamoun, Ahmed Idbaih, Caroline Dehais, Nabila Elarouci, Catherine Carpentier, Eric Letouzé, Carole Colin, Karima Mokhtari, Anne Jouvet, Emmanuelle Uro-Coste, Nadine Martin-Duverneuil, Marc Sanson, Jean-Yves Delattre, Dominique Figarella-Branger, Aurélien de Reyniès, François Ducray, POLA network, Clovis Adam, Marie Andraud, Marie-Hélène Aubriot-Lorton et al. Oligodendroglial tumours are characterized into three different molecular subtypes. Here, the authors use genomic data to identify a further three subgroups of 1p/19q co-deleted tumours and demonstrate an association with an aggressive phenotype. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11263 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Genetics  Medical research  Nanoparticle chemisorption printing technique for conductive silver patterning with submicron resolution OPEN Toshikazu Yamada, Katsuo Fukuhara, Ken Matsuoka, Hiromi Minemawari, Jun’ya Tsutsumi, Nobuko Fukuda, Keisuke Aoshima, Shunto Arai, Yuichi Makita, Hitoshi Kubo, Takao Enomoto, Takanari Togashi, Masato Kurihara and Tatsuo Hasegawa Silver nanocolloids are promising materials for printed electronic technologies. Here, the authors manufacture ultrafine conductive patterns utilizing the exclusive chemisorption of weakly encapsulated silver nanocolloids on a photoactivated surface. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11402 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Aurora A drives early signalling and vesicle dynamics during T-cell activation OPEN Noelia Blas-Rus, Eugenio Bustos-Morán, Ignacio Pérez de Castro, Guillermo de Cárcer, Aldo Borroto, Emilio Camafeita, Inmaculada Jorge, Jesús Vázquez, Balbino Alarcón, Marcos Malumbres, Noa B. Martín-Cófreces and Francisco Sánchez-Madrid Aurora A is a protein kinase that contributes to the progression of mitosis by stimulating microtubule nucleation. Here the authors show that Aurora A also functions during T cell activation by maintaining TCR signaling through Lck activation. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11389 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Immunology  Calorimetry of a Bose–Einstein-condensed photon gas OPEN Tobias Damm, Julian Schmitt, Qi Liang, David Dung, Frank Vewinger, Martin Weitz and Jan Klaers Phase transitions are often revealed by a discontinuous behaviour of thermodynamic quantities. Here, the authors study the thermodynamic behaviour of a trapped 2D photon gas, revealing critical behaviour at the phase transition through a cusp singularity of the specific heat. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11340 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Dispersion and shape engineered plasmonic nanosensors OPEN Hyeon-Ho Jeong, Andrew G. Mark, Mariana Alarcón-Correa, Insook Kim, Peter Oswald, Tung-Chun Lee and Peer Fischer Sensors based on localized surface plasmon resonance suffer from low figures of merit. Here, the authors achieve high refractive index sensitivities and figures of merit by introducing a chiral shape and the idea of engineering the material dispersion function. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11331 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Optical physics  Atomic mechanism of polarization-controlled surface reconstruction in ferroelectric thin films OPEN Peng Gao, Heng-Jui Liu, Yen-Lin Huang, Ying-Hao Chu, Ryo Ishikawa, Bin Feng, Ying Jiang, Naoya Shibata, En-Ge Wang and Yuichi Ikuhara Miniature of electronic devices is attractive yet challenging due to structural variation at nanoscale. Here, Gao et al. report atomic imaging of reconstruction and unusual domain walls on Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 surfaces, providing possibilities to engineer nanoscale structural change. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11318 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Transformation of metal-organic frameworks for molecular sieving membranes OPEN Wanbin Li, Yufan Zhang, Congyang Zhang, Qin Meng, Zehai Xu, Pengcheng Su, Qingbiao Li, Chong Shen, Zheng Fan, Lei Qin and Guoliang Zhang Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are attracting increasing attention as membrane components for molecular sieving due to the range of desirable properties they exhibit. Here, the authors employ in situ cation substitution to transform MOF topologies, and endow the membranes with improved separation capabilities. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11315 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Dynamic and flexible H3K9me3 bridging via HP1β dimerization establishes a plastic state of condensed chromatin OPEN Kyoko Hiragami-Hamada, Szabolcs Soeroes, Miroslav Nikolov, Bryan Wilkins, Sarah Kreuz, Carol Chen, Inti A. De La Rosa-Velázquez, Hans Michael Zenn, Nils Kost, Wiebke Pohl, Aleksandar Chernev, Dirk Schwarzer, Thomas Jenuwein, Matthew Lorincz, Bastian Zimmermann, Peter Jomo Walla, Heinz Neumann, Tuncay Baubec, Henning Urlaub and Wolfgang Fischle Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1), including HP1 α, β and γ, is a family of non-histone chromatin factors thought to be involved in chromatin organization. Here, the authors show that dimeric HP1β interacts dynamically with H3K9me3, a hallmark of heterochromatin, and bridges condensed chromatin. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11310 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Molecular biology  Supramolecular macrocycles reversibly assembled by Te…O chalcogen bonding OPEN Peter C. Ho, Patrick Szydlowski, Jocelyn Sinclair, Philip J. W. Elder, Joachim Kübel, Chris Gendy, Lucia Myongwon Lee, Hilary Jenkins, James F. Britten, Derek R. Morim and Ignacio Vargas-Baca Similarly to halogen bonding, the heavier chalcogens are capable of forming supramolecular links with electron rich sites. Here, the authors show that these forces can allow the formation of well-defined cyclic structures that are stable in solution and are capable of forming host-guest complexes. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11299 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Organic chemistry  Structural control of mixed ionic and electronic transport in conducting polymers OPEN Jonathan Rivnay, Sahika Inal, Brian A. Collins, Michele Sessolo, Eleni Stavrinidou, Xenofon Strakosas, Christopher Tassone, Dean M. Delongchamp and George G. Malliaras Conducting polymers are promising materials for applications including bioelectronics and soft robotics, but little is known about how morphology affects mixed conduction. Here, the authors show how bulk ionic/electronic transport is affected by changes in nano- and meso-scale structure in PEDOT:PSS films. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11287 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Physical chemistry  Genetically encoded photocrosslinkers locate the high-affinity binding site of antidepressant drugs in the human serotonin transporter OPEN Hafsteinn Rannversson, Jacob Andersen, Lena Sørensen, Benny Bang-Andersen, Minyoung Park, Thomas Huber, Thomas P. Sakmar and Kristian Strømgaard Molecular details of how antidepressant drugs bind to the human serotonin transporter are not currently clear. Here, the authors introduce photo-cross-linkers into the protein and map the binding site of several antidepressants. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11261 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Rashba coupling amplification by a staggered crystal field OPEN David Santos-Cottin, Michele Casula, Gabriel Lantz, Yannick Klein, Luca Petaccia, Patrick Le Fèvre, François Bertran, Evangelos Papalazarou, Marino Marsi and Andrea Gauzzi Future spintronic devices may exploit spin-orbit interactions, which often emerge from broken symmetries and strongly influence electronic behaviour. Here, the authors evidence the amplification of Rashba coupling by a crystal field that breaks the local inversion symmetry at the Ni site in BaNiS2. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11258 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Bridge helix bending promotes RNA polymerase II backtracking through a critical and conserved threonine residue OPEN Lin-Tai Da, Fátima Pardo-Avila, Liang Xu, Daniel-Adriano Silva, Lu Zhang, Xin Gao, Dong Wang and Xuhui Huang RNA Polymerase II can detect and cleave mis-incorporated nucleotides by a proofreading mechanism that requires backtracking of the enzyme. Here the authors show that Pol II backtracking occurs in a stepwise mode that involves two intermediate states where the fraying of the terminal RNA nucleotide is a prerequisite. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11244 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Physical chemistry  Multivalent display of minimal Clostridium difficile glycan epitopes mimics antigenic properties of larger glycans OPEN Felix Broecker, Jonas Hanske, Christopher E. Martin, Ju Yuel Baek, Annette Wahlbrink, Felix Wojcik, Laura Hartmann, Christoph Rademacher, Chakkumkal Anish and Peter H. Seeberger Immunologically-active glycans are promising vaccine candidates but can be difficult to synthesize. Here, the authors show that pentavalent display of a minimal disaccharde epitope on a chemical scaffold can mimic a native C. difficile glycan antigen, representing a simple approach to synthetic vaccine production. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11224 Biological Sciences  Chemical biology  Immunology  Tum/RacGAP functions as a switch activating the Pav/kinesin-6 motor OPEN Li Tao, Barbara Fasulo, Brandt Warecki and William Sullivan Centralspindlin consists of dimeric kinesin-6 and dimeric RacGAP, and is involved in the organization of anaphase midzone microtubules. Here, the authors show that the RacGAP is needed for motor activity at the plus-end of microtubules, but not for the bundling activity associated with kinesin-6. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11182 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Super-complexes of adhesion GPCRs and neural guidance receptors OPEN Verity A. Jackson, Shahid Mehmood, Matthieu Chavent, Pietro Roversi, Maria Carrasquero, Daniel del Toro, Goenuel Seyit-Bremer, Fanomezana M. Ranaivoson, Davide Comoletti, Mark S. P. Sansom, Carol V. Robinson, Rüdiger Klein and Elena Seiradake FLRT proteins are known to interact with Lphns and Unc5s, mediating cell adhesion and repulsion respectively. Here the authors use crystallography, native mass spectrometry, molecular dynamics simulations and cell-based assays to show that these three proteins form large super-complexes with functions distinct from their smaller subcomplexes. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11184 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Neuroscience  Cumulative early life adversity predicts longevity in wild baboons OPEN Jenny Tung, Elizabeth A. Archie, Jeanne Altmann and Susan C. Alberts Adverse early life experiences can have negative consequences for health and survival in later life. Here, Tung et al. show that in female baboons, the cumulative number of adverse experiences can be a strong predictor of lifespan. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11181 Biological Sciences  Ecology  Zoology  Genetic encoding of DNA nanostructures and their self-assembly in living bacteria OPEN Johann Elbaz, Peng Yin and Christopher A. Voigt DNA nanostructures have the potential to be powerful tools in many areas of biology however they are difficult to manufacture completely in vivo. Here the authors combine RNA hairpins and reverse transcription to generate and assemble a complex DNA structure inside the cellular environment. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11179 Biological Sciences  Bioengineering  Molecular biology  Nuclear RNA-seq of single neurons reveals molecular signatures of activation OPEN Benjamin Lacar, Sara B. Linker, Baptiste N. Jaeger, Suguna Krishnaswami, Jerika Barron, Martijn Kelder, Sarah Parylak, Apuã Paquola, Pratap Venepally, Mark Novotny, Carolyn O'Connor, Conor Fitzpatrick, Jennifer Erwin, Jonathan Y. Hsu, David Husband, Michael J. McConnell, Roger Lasken and Fred H. Gage The molecular dynamics associated with neuronal activation patterns in vivo are unclear. Lacar et al. perform single-nuclei RNA-sequencing of hippocampal neurons from mice exposed to a novel environment, and identify large-scale transcriptome changes in individual neurons associated with the experience. 19 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11022 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Mincle-mediated translational regulation is required for strong nitric oxide production and inflammation resolution OPEN Wook-Bin Lee, Ji-Seon Kang, Won Young Choi, Quanri Zhang, Chul Han Kim, Un Yung Choi, Jeongsil Kim-Ha and Young-Joon Kim Resolution of granulomas in mycobacterial infection requires macrophages to switch from cytokine to nitric oxide (NO) production. Here the authors show that Mincle stimulates translation of the key NO synthesis genes by a mechanism dependent on p38-mediated hypusination of eiF5A. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11322 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Molecular biology  Repulsive cues combined with physical barriers and cell–cell adhesion determine progenitor cell positioning during organogenesis OPEN Azadeh Paksa, Jan Bandemer, Burkhard Hoeckendorf, Nitzan Razin, Katsiaryna Tarbashevich, Sofia Minina, Dana Meyen, Antonio Biundo, Sebastian A. Leidel, Nadine Peyrieras, Nir S. Gov, Philipp J. Keller and Erez Raz The precise positioning of organ progenitor cells is essential for organ development and function. Here the authors use live imaging and mathematical modelling to show that the confinement of a motile progenitor cell population results from coupled physical barriers and cell-cell interactions. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11288 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  The oncogenic transcription factor c-Jun regulates glutaminase expression and sensitizes cells to glutaminase-targeted therapy OPEN Michael J. Lukey, Kai Su Greene, Jon W. Erickson, Kristin F. Wilson and Richard A. Cerione Cancer cells have previously been shown to be addicted to glutamine and glutaminase enzyme activity. Here, the authors show that overexpression of the JUN proto-oncogene in breast cancer cells regulates glutaminase expression and is sufficient to confer sensitivity to glutaminase-targeted therapy. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11321 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Molecular biology  Induction of IL-25 secretion from tumour-associated fibroblasts suppresses mammary tumour metastasis OPEN Shu-Yi Yin, Feng-Yin Jian, Yung-Hsiang Chen, Shih-Chang Chien, Mao-Chih Hsieh, Pei-Wen Hsiao, Wen-Hwa Lee, Yueh-Hsiung Kuo and Ning-Sun Yang Interleukin-25 has been reported to have anticancer activity with very little effect on non-malignant cells. Here, the authors show that a synthetic phytochemical can be used to induce the secretion of Interleukin-25 from tumour associated fibroblasts resulting in impaired tumour metastasis. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11311 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Immunology  Medical research  Structural basis for specific single-stranded RNA recognition by designer pentatricopeptide repeat proteins OPEN Cuicui Shen, Delin Zhang, Zeyuan Guan, Yexing Liu, Zhao Yang, Yan Yang, Xiang Wang, Qiang Wang, QunXia Zhang, Shilong Fan, Tingting Zou and Ping Yin Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins bind RNA and are involved in the regulation of RNA metabolism in eukaryotes. Here, the authors examine the capability of these proteins as modules for gene manipulation using structural biology methods. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11285 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biotechnology  Experimental perfect state transfer of an entangled photonic qubit OPEN Robert J. Chapman, Matteo Santandrea, Zixin Huang, Giacomo Corrielli, Andrea Crespi, Man-Hong Yung, Roberto Osellame and Alberto Peruzzo Transferring quantum information is a fundamental task, but doing so with high fidelity is a challenging task. Here, the authors implement the perfect state transfer protocol to a photonic qubit, entangled with a second one in a different location, across eleven coupled waveguides. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11339 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Optical physics  Theoretical physics  A uniform survey of allele-specific binding and expression over 1000-Genomes-Project individuals OPEN Jieming Chen, Joel Rozowsky, Timur R. Galeev, Arif Harmanci, Robert Kitchen, Jason Bedford, Alexej Abyzov, Yong Kong, Lynne Regan and Mark Gerstein Using variants from the 1000 Genomes Project, RNA-seq and ChIP-seq data from related projects, this study describes a resource and survey of allele-specific binding and gene expression. A catalogue of allelic SNPs and annotation elements is available as an online resource at alleledb.gersteinlab.org. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11101 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Genetics  Intermediate honeycomb ordering to trigger oxygen redox chemistry in layered battery electrode OPEN Benoit Mortemard de Boisse, Guandong Liu, Jiangtao Ma, Shin-ichi Nishimura, Sai-Cheong Chung, Hisao Kiuchi, Yoshihisa Harada, Jun Kikkawa, Yoshio Kobayashi, Masashi Okubo and Atsuo Yamada Sodium-excess metal oxides Na2MO3 are appealing cathode materials for sodium-ion batteries. Here, the authors demonstrate that honeycomb-type cation ordering in Na2RuO3 triggers the oxygen redox reaction via frontier orbital reorganization, increasing the capacity by 1/3 compared with disordered Na2RuO3. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11397 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Materials science  Ndfip-mediated degradation of Jak1 tunes cytokine signalling to limit expansion of CD4+ effector T cells OPEN Claire E. O’Leary, Christopher R. Riling, Lynn A. Spruce, Hua Ding, Suresh Kumar, Guoping Deng, Yuhong Liu, Steven H. Seeholzer and Paula M. Oliver Ndfip1 is an activator of Itch E3 ubiquitin ligase that limits T cell activation. Here the authors identify Jak1 in a proteomic screen for Ndfip dependent substrates, and show that Ndfip1/2 double-deficient T cells have reduced degradation of Jak1 and as a result are hyper-responsive to cytokine stimulation. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11226 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Molecular biology  Crystal structure of glycogen debranching enzyme and insights into its catalysis and disease-causing mutations OPEN Liting Zhai, Lingling Feng, Lin Xia, Huiyong Yin and Song Xiang Debranching of glycogen is an important step in its use as an energy source. Here, the authors describe the crystal structures of glycogen debranching enzyme alone and in complex with oligosaccharides and provide molecular insights into the function, and into associated diseases. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11229 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  The complex binding mode of the peptide hormone H2 relaxin to its receptor RXFP1 OPEN Ashish Sethi, Shoni Bruell, Nitin Patil, Mohammed Akhter Hossain, Daniel J. Scott, Emma J. Petrie, Ross A. D. Bathgate and Paul R. Gooley The mechanism by which relaxin activates the relaxin family peptide receptor-1 is poorly understood. Here, Sethi et al. identify a relaxin binding site in an extracellular linker between the LDLa and LRR domains and propose that relaxin binding stabilizes a helical conformation that leads to receptor activation. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11344 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Guided post-acceleration of laser-driven ions by a miniature modular structure OPEN Satyabrata Kar, Hamad Ahmed, Rajendra Prasad, Mirela Cerchez, Stephanie Brauckmann, Bastian Aurand, Giada Cantono, Prokopis Hadjisolomou, Ciaran L. S. Lewis, Andrea Macchi, Gagik Nersisyan, Alexander P. L. Robinson, Anna M. Schroer, Marco Swantusch, Matt Zepf, Oswald Willi and Marco Borghesi Intense laser-driven acceleration mechanisms are promising for the realization of compact particle accelerators. Here, the authors present a miniature linear accelerating module for laser-driven protons from a foil that addresses limitation in terms of peak energy, bandwidth and beam divergence. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms10792 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Optical physics  Structural basis for Mep2 ammonium transceptor activation by phosphorylation OPEN Bert van den Berg, Anupama Chembath, Damien Jefferies, Arnaud Basle, Syma Khalid and Julian C. Rutherford Mep2 proteins are tightly regulated fungal ammonium transporters. Here, the authors report the crystal structures of closed states of Mep2 proteins and propose a model for their regulation by comparing them with the open ammonium transporters of bacteria. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11337 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Temporal decorrelation by SK channels enables efficient neural coding and perception of natural stimuli OPEN Chengjie G. Huang, Zhubo D. Zhang and Maurice J. Chacron The neural mechanisms underlying efficient coding of natural sensory stimuli have yet to be fully determined. Here, monitoring sensory pyramidal cells in weakly electric fish, the authors find SK channels are necessary for matching the responsiveness of neurons to natural stimuli and subsequent behavioural responses. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11353 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Magnetic droplet nucleation boundary in orthogonal spin-torque nano-oscillators OPEN Sunjae Chung, Anders Eklund, Ezio Iacocca, Seyed Majid Mohseni, Sohrab R. Sani, Lake Bookman, Mark A. Hoefer, Randy K. Dumas and Johan Åkerman Magnetic droplets occur in nanocontact spin-torque oscillators with perpendicular anisotropy, forming part of a family of particle-like magnetic objects, which may be excited for high-frequency applications. Here, the authors determine a current–field phase diagram for magnetic droplet nucleation. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11209 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Explanation of efficient quenching of molecular ion vibrational motion by ultracold atoms OPEN Thierry Stoecklin, Philippe Halvick, Mohamed Achref Gannouni, Majdi Hochlaf, Svetlana Kotochigova and Eric R. Hudson To exploit the internal structure of molecules it is necessary to reach very low temperatures, but this is made impractical by long relaxation times for molecular vibrations. Here the authors provide a theoretical description for the existence of a large class of systems exhibiting efficient vibrational cooling. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11234 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Physical chemistry  Structure of eukaryotic purine/H+ symporter UapA suggests a role for homodimerization in transport activity OPEN Yilmaz Alguel, Sotiris Amillis, James Leung, George Lambrinidis, Stefano Capaldi, Nicola J. Scull, Gregory Craven, So Iwata, Alan Armstrong, Emmanuel Mikros, George Diallinas, Alexander D. Cameron and Bernadette Byrne UapA is a uric acid/xanthine H+ symporter from a filamentous fungus. Here, the authors solve the crystal structure of the transporter in complex with xanthine revealing it to be a dimer, and this homodimerisation is proposed to be important for function. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11336 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Surprise disrupts cognition via a fronto-basal ganglia suppressive mechanism OPEN Jan R. Wessel, Ned Jenkinson, John-Stuart Brittain, Sarah H. E. M. Voets, Tipu Z. Aziz and Adam R. Aron Surprising events affect ongoing behaviour and cognitive processing, yet the underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. Wessel and colleagues show that surprise recruits a motor suppression mechanism which may be implemented via the sub-thalamic nucleus and interrupts working memory performance. 18 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11195 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Femtosecond electron imaging of defect-modulated phonon dynamics OPEN Daniel R. Cremons, Dayne A. Plemmons and David J. Flannigan Phonons—crystal lattice vibrations—interact with crystal defects on the nanometre spatial scale and femtosecond timescale. Here, the authors demonstrate direct, real-space imaging of the nucleation, emergence and dispersion of single-phonon wavefronts at individual atomic-scale defects in semiconductors. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11230 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Impact of gut microbiota on the fly’s germ line OPEN Michael Elgart, Shay Stern, Orit Salton, Yulia Gnainsky, Yael Heifetz and Yoav Soen The gut microbiota can play various roles in the host's physiology, but is not known to influence the germ line. Here, Elgart et al. show that certain extracellular gut bacteria can affect oogenesis and embryo development in the fruit fly. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11280 Biological Sciences  Developmental biology  Genetics  Microbiology  A large family of Dscam genes with tandemly arrayed 5′ cassettes in Chelicerata OPEN Yuan Yue, Yijun Meng, Hongru Ma, Shouqing Hou, Guozheng Cao, Weiling Hong, Yang Shi, Pengjuan Guo, Baoping Liu, Feng Shi, Yun Yang and Yongfeng Jin Drosophila Dscam1 and vertebrate clustered protocadherins (Pcdh) are known for their extraordinary isoform diversity. Here authors identify a shortened Dscam gene family in Chelicerata, which displays homology to Drosophila Dscam1, and employs splicing patterns similar to that of vertebrate Pcdhs. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11252 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Genetics  Quadrupolar and anisotropy effects on dephasing in two-electron spin qubits in GaAs OPEN Tim Botzem, Robert P. G. McNeil, Jan-Michael Mol, Dieter Schuh, Dominique Bougeard and Hendrik Bluhm Electron spins in semiconductors form a potential basis for quantum information technology however they are strongly affected by interactions with nuclear spins. Here, the authors show how quadrupolar interactions, although suppressing nuclear dynamics, can result in an anisotropic enhancement of electronic decoherence. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11170 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Magnetic-free non-reciprocity based on staggered commutation OPEN Negar Reiskarimian and Harish Krishnaswamy Components such as isolators, circulators and gyrators are non-reciprocal in that they allow electromagnetic waves to flow in one direction but not the other. Here, the authors demonstrate a radio-frequency circulator that is compatible with and integrated in a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor integrated circuit. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11217 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Optical physics  Characterization of eukaryotic DNA N6-methyladenine by a highly sensitive restriction enzyme-assisted sequencing OPEN Guan-Zheng Luo, Fang Wang, Xiaocheng Weng, Kai Chen, Ziyang Hao, Miao Yu, Xin Deng, Jianzhao Liu and Chuan He DNA N 6-methyladenine is prevalent in prokaryotes, and is recently also detected in eukaryotes such as roundworm and fly. Here, Luo et al. report a DpnI-assisted base resolution method that detects 6mA genome-wide with nanograms of input DNA and lower sequencing depth than the previous restriction enzyme-based approach. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11301 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Molecular biology  Accelerated search for materials with targeted properties by adaptive design OPEN Dezhen Xue, Prasanna V. Balachandran, John Hogden, James Theiler, Deqing Xue and Turab Lookman Design of materials with targeted properties requires innovative approaches to guide researchers through complex search space. Here, the authors report an adaptive design strategy, using inference and global optimization methods, which can find shape memory alloys with very low thermal hysteresis. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11241 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  Enantioselective acyl transfer catalysis by a combination of common catalytic motifs and electrostatic interactions OPEN Hiroki Mandai, Kazuki Fujii, Hiroshi Yasuhara, Kenko Abe, Koichi Mitsudo, Toshinobu Korenaga and Seiji Suga Nucleophilic catalysts are widely used for acyl transfer reactions, but chiral variants can be difficult to design or synthesise. Here, the authors report catalysts with chirality imparted from a binaphtyl moiety with tert-alcohol unit that show both high activity and enantioselectivity for a range of acyl transfer reactions. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11297 Chemical Sciences  Catalysis  Organic chemistry  Signalling couples hair follicle stem cell quiescence with reduced histone H3 K4/K9/K27me3 for proper tissue homeostasis OPEN Jayhun Lee, Sangjo Kang, Karin C. Lilja, Keegan J. Colletier, Cornelia Johanna Franziska Scheitz, Ying V. Zhang and Tudorita Tumbar Changes in global histone trimethylation have been linked to embryonic but not adult stem cell plasticity. Here, Lee et al. find H3 K4/K9/K27me3 levels actively reduced in adult mouse skin and hair follicle stem cells during quiescence (catagen) and link this to active bone morphogen protein signalling. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11278 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  Free-carrier-induced soliton fission unveiled by in situ measurements in nanophotonic waveguides OPEN Chad Husko, Matthias Wulf, Simon Lefrancois, Sylvain Combrié, Gaëlle Lehoucq, Alfredo De Rossi, Benjamin J. Eggleton and L. Kuipers Solitons are nonlinear waves that exist in diverse forms of matter. Here, Husko et al. use near-field measurements to observe the spatio-temporal evolution of optical pulses in a nanophotonic semiconductor waveguide, demonstrating that nonlinear photo-carrier generation can induce fission of solitons. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11332 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Optical physics  ZBTB20 is required for anterior pituitary development and lactotrope specification OPEN Dongmei Cao, Xianhua Ma, Jiao Cai, Jing Luan, An-Jun Liu, Rui Yang, Yi Cao, Xiaotong Zhu, Hai Zhang, Yu-Xia Chen, Yuguang Shi, Guang-Xia Shi, Dajin Zou, Xuetao Cao, Michael J. Grusby, Zhifang Xie and Weiping J. Zhang The pituitary is a complex structure with the anterior lobe containing five specialized cell types secreting different hormones. Here Cao et al. unravel a role for ZBTB20 in pituitary development and specifically in lactrotrope specification. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11121 Biological Sciences  Developmental biology  Molecular biology  CCNF mutations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia OPEN Kelly L. Williams, Simon Topp, Shu Yang, Bradley Smith, Jennifer A. Fifita, Sadaf T. Warraich, Katharine Y. Zhang, Natalie Farrawell, Caroline Vance, Xun Hu, Alessandra Chesi, Claire S. Leblond, Albert Lee, Stephanie L. Rayner, Vinod Sundaramoorthy, Carol Dobson-Stone, Mark P. Molloy, Marka van Blitterswijk, Dennis W. Dickson, Ronald C. Petersen et al. Ian Blair and colleagues use genome-wide linkage analysis and whole exome sequencing to identify mutations in the CCNF gene in large cohorts of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia patients. In addition to validating the mutations in international cohorts, the authors also show that mutant CCNF gene product affects ubiquitination and protein degradation in cultured cells. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11253 Biological Sciences  Genetics  Plasmonic piezoelectric nanomechanical resonator for spectrally selective infrared sensing OPEN Yu Hui, Juan Sebastian Gomez-Diaz, Zhenyun Qian, Andrea Alù and Matteo Rinaldi Plasmonic metasurfaces can provide exciting optical functionalities. Here, Hui et al. demonstrate an infrared sensor by combining plasmonic and piezoelectric electromechanical resonances, demonstrating efficient transduction of vibration with a strong and polarization-independent absorption over an ultrathin thickness. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11249 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  Optical physics  Fast and sensitive mapping of nanopore sequencing reads with GraphMap OPEN Ivan Sović, Mile Šikić, Andreas Wilm, Shannon Nicole Fenlon, Swaine Chen and Niranjan Nagarajan Read mapping and alignment tools are critical for many applications based on MinION sequencers. Here, the authors present GraphMap, a mapping algorithm designed to analyze nanopore sequencing reads, that progressively refines candidate alignments to handle potentially high error rates to align long reads. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11307 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Molecular biology  X-ray scattering measurements of dissociation-induced metallization of dynamically compressed deuterium OPEN P. Davis, T. Döppner, J. R. Rygg, C. Fortmann, L. Divol, A. Pak, L. Fletcher, A. Becker, B. Holst, P. Sperling, R. Redmer, M. P. Desjarlais, P. Celliers, G. W. Collins, O. L. Landen, R. W. Falcone and S. H. Glenzer High-pressure experiments play a critical role in understanding planetary interiors, but are notoriously difficult to carry out. Here, the authors demonstrate a laboratory platform for the controlled exploration of deuterium, with results that challenge existing models of ionization under compression. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11189 Earth Sciences  Geology and geophysics  Prostacyclin-producing human mesenchymal cells target H19 lncRNA to augment endogenous progenitor function in hindlimb ischaemia OPEN Yuxiao Deng, Zhongwei Yang, Toya Terry, Su Pan, Darren G. Woodside, Jingxiong Wang, Kehe Ruan, James T. Willerson, Richard A. F. Dixon and Qi Liu Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) expressing paracrine factors may enhance therapeutic benefits when transplanted. Here, the authors show that hMSCs stably expressing prostacyclin enhance host regeneration and muscle mass gain in a mouse hindlimb ischaemia model, mediated by the long noncoding RNA H19. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11276 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  Thermoelectric effect and its dependence on molecular length and sequence in single DNA molecules OPEN Yueqi Li, Limin Xiang, Julio L. Palma, Yoshihiro Asai and Nongjian Tao Understanding the thermoelectric effect of materials and molecules is important for understanding their charge transport properties. Here, the authors study the thermoelectric effect in single DNA molecules and show that the charge carrier properties are dependent on both the DNA length and sequence. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11294 Chemical Sciences  Chemical biology  Nanotechnology  Physical chemistry  Enhancing coherent transport in a photonic network using controllable decoherence OPEN Devon N. Biggerstaff, René Heilmann, Aidan A. Zecevik, Markus Gräfe, Matthew A. Broome, Alessandro Fedrizzi, Stefan Nolte, Alexander Szameit, Andrew G. White and Ivan Kassal The efficiency of coherent transport can be enhanced through interaction between the system and a noisy environment. Here, Biggerstaff et al. report an experimental simulation of environment assisted coherent transport using laser-written waveguides, showing that controllable decoherence yields an increase in transport efficiency. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11282 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Optical physics  Interlayer coupling through a dimensionality-induced magnetic state OPEN M. Gibert, M. Viret, P. Zubko, N. Jaouen, J.-M. Tonnerre, A. Torres-Pardo, S. Catalano, A. Gloter, O. Stéphan and J.-M. Triscone Oxide materials can be combined to create heterostructures exhibiting complex properties not found in either substance individually. Here, the authors observe antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange coupling between ferromagnetic lanthanum manganite and nominally paramagnetic lanthanum nickel oxide. 15 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11227 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  A vacuole-like compartment concentrates a disordered calcium phase in a key coccolithophorid alga OPEN Sanja Sviben, Assaf Gal, Matthew A. Hood, Luca Bertinetti, Yael Politi, Mathieu Bennet, Praveen Krishnamoorthy, Andreas Schertel, Richard Wirth, Andrea Sorrentino, Eva Pereiro, Damien Faivre and André Scheffel Coccolithophores are unicellular marine algae that produce calcitic particles inside their cells. Here the authors study cells of the dominant coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi and identify an intracellular compartment that is filled with high concentrations of a disordered form of calcium. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11228 Biological Sciences  Biogeochemistry  Cell biology  Microbiology  Steroid binding to Autotaxin links bile salts and lysophosphatidic acid signalling OPEN Willem-Jan Keune, Jens Hausmann, Ruth Bolier, Dagmar Tolenaars, Andreas Kremer, Tatjana Heidebrecht, Robbie P. Joosten, Manjula Sunkara, Andrew J. Morris, Elisa Matas-Rico, Wouter H. Moolenaar, Ronald P. Oude Elferink and Anastassis Perrakis Autotaxin generates the bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid to regulate diverse biological processes. Here, the authors identify a role for bile salts as direct allosteric inhibitors of autotaxin activity, suggesting that steroids may function as regulators of lysophosphatidic acid signalling. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11248 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Estimation of a general time-dependent Hamiltonian for a single qubit OPEN L. E. de Clercq, R. Oswald, C. Flühmann, B. Keitch, D. Kienzler, H. -Y. Lo, M. Marinelli, D. Nadlinger, V. Negnevitsky and J. P. Home Time-varying Hamiltonians can be reconstructed experimentally if the variation takes place in a single basis, but more general cases are complicated. Here, the authors present an approach to estimate the general time-dependent Hamiltonian of a single spin-qubit and apply it to a trapped-ion transported through a static laser beam. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11218 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Optical physics  A prolific catalyst for dehydrogenation of neat formic acid OPEN Jeff Joseph A. Celaje, Zhiyao Lu, Elyse A. Kedzie, Nicholas J. Terrile, Jonathan N. Lo and Travis J. Williams Formic acid is a promising energy carrier for on-demand hydrogen generation. Here, the authors present a robust, reusable iridium catalyst that enables hydrogen release from neat formic acid under mild conditions and in the presence of air. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11308 Chemical Sciences  Catalysis  Inorganic chemistry  A geometrical approach to control and controllability of nonlinear dynamical networks OPEN Le-Zhi Wang, Ri-Qi Su, Zi-Gang Huang, Xiao Wang, Wen-Xu Wang, Celso Grebogi and Ying-Cheng Lai Complex networks, including physical, biological and social systems are ubiquitous, but understanding of how to control them is elusive. Here Wang et al. develop a framework based on the concept of attractor networks to facilitate the study of controllability of nonlinear dynamics in complex systems. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11323 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Systems biology  Scalable photonic network architecture based on motional averaging in room temperature gas OPEN J. Borregaard, M. Zugenmaier, J. M. Petersen, H. Shen, G. Vasilakis, K. Jensen, E. S. Polzik and A. S. Sørensen Cold atomic ensembles have been considered suitable platforms to realize quantum memories, but their scalability is limited by the cooling apparatuses. Here, the authors show how room temperature atomic microcells can be used for discrete variable ensemble-based quantum information processing. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11356 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Explosive cell lysis as a mechanism for the biogenesis of bacterial membrane vesicles and biofilms OPEN Lynne Turnbull, Masanori Toyofuku, Amelia L. Hynen, Masaharu Kurosawa, Gabriella Pessi, Nicola K. Petty, Sarah R. Osvath, Gerardo Cárcamo-Oyarce, Erin S. Gloag, Raz Shimoni, Ulrich Omasits, Satoshi Ito, Xinhui Yap, Leigh G. Monahan, Rosalia Cavaliere, Christian H. Ahrens, Ian G. Charles, Nobuhiko Nomura, Leo Eberl and Cynthia B. Whitchurch Many bacteria release DNA and membrane vesicles through unclear mechanisms. Here, the authors show that a prophage endolysin is involved in the explosive lysis of a sub-population of cells in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, releasing cytoplasmic content and membrane fragments that rapidly form membrane vesicles. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11220 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Microbiology  Doublon dynamics and polar molecule production in an optical lattice OPEN Jacob P. Covey, Steven A. Moses, Martin Gärttner, Arghavan Safavi-Naini, Matthew T. Miecnikowski, Zhengkun Fu, Johannes Schachenmayer, Paul S. Julienne, Ana Maria Rey, Deborah S. Jin and Jun Ye The ability to produce polar molecules in an optical lattice is used to prepare a system where occupied lattice sites contain a Bose-Fermi doublon. Here, the authors apply this approach to optimize the polar molecule creation process and to study complex out-of-equilibrium Bose-Fermi-Hubbard dynamics. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11279 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Orthogonal ring-closing alkyne and olefin metathesis for the synthesis of small GTPase-targeting bicyclic peptides OPEN Philipp M. Cromm, Sebastian Schaubach, Jochen Spiegel, Alois Fürstner, Tom N. Grossmann and Herbert Waldmann Bicyclic peptides can inhibit biological targets hard to address with small molecules. Here, the authors combine two orthogonal ring-closing reactions to produce bicyclic peptides with improved bioactivity thereby providing a strategy that can greatly improve the structural diversity of such peptides. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11300 Chemical Sciences  Chemical biology  Medicinal chemistry  Organic chemistry  A small number of abnormal brain connections predicts adult autism spectrum disorder OPEN Noriaki Yahata, Jun Morimoto, Ryuichiro Hashimoto, Giuseppe Lisi, Kazuhisa Shibata, Yuki Kawakubo, Hitoshi Kuwabara, Miho Kuroda, Takashi Yamada, Fukuda Megumi, Hiroshi Imamizu, José E. Náñez Sr, Hidehiko Takahashi, Yasumasa Okamoto, Kiyoto Kasai, Nobumasa Kato, Yuka Sasaki, Takeo Watanabe and Mitsuo Kawato Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is manifested by subtle but significant changes in the brain. Here, Yahata and colleagues devise a novel machine learning algorithm and develop a reliable ASD classifier based on brain functional connectivity, with which they quantitatively measure neuroimaging dimensions between ASD and other mental disorders. 14 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11254 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Linking stress-driven microstructural evolution in nanocrystalline aluminium with grain boundary doping of oxygen OPEN Mo-Rigen He, Saritha K. Samudrala, Gyuseok Kim, Peter J. Felfer, Andrew J. Breen, Julie M. Cairney and Daniel S. Gianola Nanocrystalline metals are ultra-strong because of the large fraction of material at the grain boundaries, but this also leads to instability under applied loads. Here, the authors deepen our understanding of this by linking stress-driven motion of grain boundaries to grain boundary chemistry. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11225 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  Tor forms a dimer through an N-terminal helical solenoid with a complex topology OPEN Domagoj Baretić, Alex Berndt, Yohei Ohashi, Christopher M. Johnson and Roger L. Williams The target of rapamycin (Tor) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that regulates a wide range of anabolic and catabolic processes. Here the authors describe a sub-nanometer cryo-EM structure of a yeast Tor–Lst8 complex and propose an overall topology that differs from that previously suggested for mTORC1. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11016 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  High-dimensional genomic data bias correction and data integration using MANCIE OPEN Chongzhi Zang, Tao Wang, Ke Deng, Bo Li, Sheng’en Hu, Qian Qin, Tengfei Xiao, Shihua Zhang, Clifford A. Meyer, Housheng Hansen He, Myles Brown, Jun S. Liu, Yang Xie and X. Shirley Liu Analyses of data from high-throughput genomic technologies are challenging given large data dimensionality. Here, Liu and colleagues describe a method called MANCIE (Matrix Analysis and Normalization by Concordant Information Enhancement) that can conduct genomic data normalization and bias correction to detect biologically relevant information. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11305 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Genetics  The dynamic organization of fungal acetyl-CoA carboxylase OPEN Moritz Hunkeler, Edward Stuttfeld, Anna Hagmann, Stefan Imseng and Timm Maier Acetyl-CoA carboxylases are central regulatory hubs of fatty acid metabolism and are important targets for drug development in obesity and cancer. Here, the authors demonstrate that the regulation of these highly dynamic enzymes in fungi is governed by a mechanism based on phosphorylation-dependent conformational variability. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11196 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Dazl is a target RNA suppressed by mammalian NANOS2 in sexually differentiating male germ cells OPEN Yuzuru Kato, Takeo Katsuki, Hiroki Kokubo, Aki Masuda and Yumiko Saga The Nanos family protein, NANOS2, is required for sexual differentiation of male germ cells in mice, however, the molecular RNA targets are unknown. Here, Kato et al. identify Dazl, a germ cell-specific gene, as being a target of NANOS, with stabilized Dazl mRNA causing abnormal resumption of the cell cycle. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11272 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology  Sex bias in CNS autoimmune disease mediated by androgen control of autoimmune regulator OPEN Meng-Lei Zhu, Pearl Bakhru, Bridget Conley, Jennifer S. Nelson, Meghan Free, Aaron Martin, Joshua Starmer, Elizabeth M. Wilson and Maureen A. Su Males are less susceptible to autoimmune diseases due to immunomodulatory effects of androgen. Here the authors show that androgen receptor upregulates Aire and Aire-dependent transcription in the thymic epithelium, and that Aire is required for androgen-mediated suppression of experimental autoimmune encephalitis. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11350 Biological Sciences  Immunology  The cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin2 regulates brush border length and organization in Drosophila renal tubules OPEN Kenneth A. Halberg, Stephanie M. Rainey, Iben R. Veland, Helen Neuert, Anthony J. Dornan, Christian Klämbt, Shireen-Anne Davies and Julian A. T. Dow In Drosophila, Fasciclin 2 (Fas2) has been mainly studied in the nervous system, yet this adhesion protein is more abundant in the adult renal tubule. Here the authors show that Fas2 is essential for brush border maintenance in renal tubules through regulation of microvilli length and organization. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11266 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  In situ regeneration of bioactive coatings enabled by an evolved Staphylococcus aureus sortase A OPEN Hyun Ok Ham, Zheng Qu, Carolyn A. Haller, Brent M. Dorr, Erbin Dai, Wookhyun Kim, David R. Liu and Elliot L. Chaikof Bioactive coatings offer a strategy to modulate host response to implants, but their translation to the clinic is hampered by their fast in vivo degradation. Here, the authors use an engineered bacterial protein to regenerate an anti-thrombogenic film in vitro and in situ after device implantation. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11140 Biological Sciences  Bioengineering  Biotechnology  Materials science  Augmenting drug–carrier compatibility improves tumour nanotherapy efficacy OPEN Yiming Zhao, François Fay, Sjoerd Hak, Jose Manuel Perez-Aguilar, Brenda L. Sanchez-Gaytan, Brandon Goode, Raphaël Duivenvoorden, Catharina de Lange Davies, Astrid Bjørkøy, Harel Weinstein, Zahi A. Fayad, Carlos Pérez-Medina and Willem J. M. Mulder The in vivo anticancer efficacy of nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery depends on the association between the drug and its carrier. Here, the authors use FRET to show that the drug hydrophobicity, and miscibility with the carrier, influence nanoparticle accumulation in murine tumour models. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11221 Biological Sciences  Biotechnology  Chemical biology  Materials science  RAS signalling through PI3-Kinase controls cell migration via modulation of Reelin expression OPEN Esther Castellano, Miriam Molina-Arcas, Agata Adelajda Krygowska, Philip East, Patricia Warne, Alastair Nicol and Julian Downward Ras signalling through PI3K kinase has an important role in tumour initiation and progression. Here, the authors show that the interaction of Ras with PI3-Kinase p110α and the subsequent activation of Rac-GTPase impairs cell -cell interaction by blocking the downstream Reelin/E-cadherin, thus resulting in cell migration. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11245 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Cell biology  A genetic network that suppresses genome rearrangements in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and contains defects in cancers OPEN Christopher D. Putnam, Anjana Srivatsan, Rahul V. Nene, Sandra L. Martinez, Sarah P. Clotfelter, Sara N. Bell, Steven B. Somach, Jorge E.S. de Souza, André F. Fonseca, Sandro J. de Souza and Richard D. Kolodner Here, Richard Kolodner and colleagues use assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae to identify 182 genetic modifiers of gross chromosomal rearrangements (GCRs). They also compared these Genome Instability Suppressing (GIS) genes and pathways in human cancer genome, and found many ovarian and colorectal cancer cases have alterations to GIS pathways. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11256 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Genetics  Molecular biology  Fast and sensitive taxonomic classification for metagenomics with Kaiju OPEN Peter Menzel, Kim Lee Ng and Anders Krogh Here, Anders Krogh and colleagues describe Kaiju, a metagenome taxonomic classification program that uses maximum (in-)exact matches on the protein-level to account for evolutionary divergence. The authors show that Kaiju performs faster and is more sensitive compared with existing algorithms and can be used on a standard computer. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11257 Biological Sciences  Bioinformatics  Genetics  Magnetic hyperbolic optical metamaterials OPEN Sergey S. Kruk, Zi Jing Wong, Ekaterina Pshenay-Severin, Kevin O'Brien, Dragomir N. Neshev, Yuri S. Kivshar and Xiang Zhang The ability to control both electric and magnetic dispersion of light allows a novel type of hyperbolic material with impedance matched to air. Here, the authors show experimentally a topological transition between elliptic and magnetic hyperbolic dispersions in a metamaterial for control of thermal radiation. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11329 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Optical physics  Phosphorylation modifies the molecular stability of β-amyloid deposits OPEN Nasrollah Rezaei-Ghaleh, Mehriar Amininasab, Sathish Kumar, Jochen Walter and Markus Zweckstetter Protein aggregation plays a crucial role in several neurodegenerative diseases. Here the authors demonstrate that phosphorylation of β-amyloid aggregates—the pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease—can change the molecular properties of aggregates, suggesting how phosphorylation contributes to disease progression. 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11359 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Biophysics  Neuroscience    Nature Communications JOBS of the week PhD Student German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Postdoctor Researcher McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School Group leader Institut Curie Research Fellow The University of Warwick Postdoc Drexel University Investigator Scientist x2 The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology Research Fellow TU Dresden Post-Doctoral Research Scientist Rothampsted Research Post Doctoral Fellow University of Chicago Postgraduate - Doctorate / PhD University of Fribourg More Science jobs from Nature Communications EVENT Horizons of Cancer Biology and Therapy Inaugural Symposium 07.09.16 Lausanne, Switzerland More science events from       Latest Erratum     Erratum: Layer-dependent quantum cooperation of electron and hole states in the anomalous semimetal WTe2 OPEN Pranab Kumar Das, D. Di Sante, I. Vobornik, J. Fujii, T. Okuda, E. Bruyer, A. Gyenis, B. E. Feldman, J. Tao, R. Ciancio, G. Rossi, M. N. Ali, S. Picozzi, A. Yadzani, G. Panaccione and R. J. Cava 13 April 2016 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms11355 Physical Sciences  Condensed matter  Materials science  Nanotechnology      Advertisement Nature Outlook Urban Health & Well-Being This Nature Outlook explores some of the obstacles to a healthy, happy urban life - and the development of strategies to overcome them. Available free online Produced with support from: The Institute of Urban Environment, CAS; Zhongke DingShi Environmental Engineering; Ningbo Tianhe Aquatic Ecosystems; Huilv Landscape Construction     Advertisement nature.com webcasts Nature Publishing Group presents a custom webcast on Advances in neuroscience: New methods for correlating structure and function Thursday May 5, 2016 8AM PDT, 10AM CDT, 11AM EDT, 4PM BST, 5PM CEST  Register for the webcast and live Q&A session Sponsored by: Leica Microsystems     Advertisement All content now free to access including archives! Nature Communications is an open access journal that publishes high-quality research from all areas of the natural sciences. Papers published by the journal represent important advances of significance to specialists within each subject area including the life sciences. Visit the website to explore ALL the content available within your field.   Natureevents is a fully searchable, multi-disciplinary database designed to maximise exposure for events organisers. The contents of the Natureevents Directory are now live. The digital version is available here. Find the latest scientific conferences, courses, meetings and symposia on natureevents.com. For event advertising opportunities across the Nature Publishing Group portfolio please contact natureevents@nature.com  More Nature Events You have been sent this Table of Contents Alert because you have opted in to receive it. You can change or discontinue your e-mail alerts at any time, by modifying your preferences on your nature.com account at:www.nature.com/myaccount (You will need to log in to be recognised as a nature.com registrant) For further technical assistance, please contact our registration department For other enquiries, please contact our customer feedback department Nature Publishing Group | One New York Plaza, Suite 4500 | New York | NY 10004-1562 | USA Nature Publishing Group's worldwide offices: London - Paris - Munich - New Delhi - Tokyo - Melbourne San Diego - San Francisco - Washington - New York - Boston Macmillan Publishers Limited is a company incorporated in England and Wales under company number 785998 and whose registered office is located at Brunel Road, Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. © 2013 Nature Publishing Group, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited. All Rights Reserved.