Articles in 2015

Analyses ofDrosophila melanogasterpolytene chromosomes elucidate the interconnections between gene expression, genome organization into topologically associated domains (TADs) and the structures of euchromatin and heterochromatin.

Recent studies inArabidopsis thalianahave identified interconnected signalling networks that regulate plant vascular development. These findings have increased our understanding of vascular development from early cell specification during embryogenesis to the latest stages of differentiation of the phloem and xylem.

Catenins are typically considered to function at cell–cell junctions. However, it has recently become evident that multiple catenins can enter the nucleus and regulate gene expression. Thus, catenins might form complex networks, coupling membrane-associated signalling with transcriptional events.

Microtubule plus ends and minus ends accumulate specific sets of proteins that can regulate microtubule dynamics, connect microtubules to cellular structures and recruit signalling molecules that collectively control cellular behaviour. Our knowledge of the factors that associate with microtubule ends, and the mechanisms through which they do this, has strongly increased in recent years.

Autophagy-induced degradation of the nuclear lamina protects cells from tumorigenesis

The Hippo signalling pathway regulates spindle orientation and asymmetric cell division

A novel protocol for protein interactome analysis in three dimensions identifies the crucial role of highly abundant, weak interactions.

Sestrin 2 has been shown to function as a leucine sensor for the mTORC1 signalling pathway.

Plant genomes encode diverse small RNAs, such as microRNAs, secondary siRNAs, heterochromatic siRNAs and various RNA-dependent RNA polymerases, DICER proteins and ARGONAUTE proteins. Together, these constitute several genetic and epigenetic silencing pathways with diverse cellular and developmental functions, in processes including reproductive transitions, genomic imprinting and paramutation.

Recent studies have changed our understanding of the prevalence and biological significance of DNAN⁶-adenine methylation (6mA) in eukaryotes. This modification is involved in regulating transcription, transposable elements and epigenetic inheritance, and thus can be considered to be a eukaryotic epigenetic mark.

Lipids tailor membrane identities and function as molecular hubs in all cellular processes. The development of pioneering technologies, including affinity-purification lipidomics and the liposome microarray-based assay (LiMA), will enable researchers to decipher protein–lipid interactions and enhance our understanding of how lipids modulate protein function and structure.

Leonie Ringrose highlights how mathematical modelling can provide insights into fundamental mechanisms underlying epigenetic regulation.

Transgenic plants expressing viral DNA-targeting components of the CRISPR–Cas genome editing system are immune to geminiviruses.

Glucose from excess dietary carbohydrate is converted to fatty acids in the liver throughde novolipogenesis. Lipogenic genes have common features in their promoters and are coordinately regulated at the transcriptional level. Recent insights have been gained into the signalling pathways that regulate key transcription factors such as USFs, SREBP1C, LXRs and ChREBP.

Ribosome profiling has the power to interrogate —in vivoand on a global scale — what is being translated, how this translation is regulated and where in the cell the translation of specific sets of proteins occurs.