Nature Communications - 11 September 2013

Weekly Content Alert 11 September 2013  Featured image: Lindgren et al. analyze a mosasaur fossil with a crescent-shaped tail fin suggesting that these Late Cretaceous lizards were efficient swimmers. Latest content: Articles Corrigendum Erratum Journal homepage Recommend to library Web feed   Advertisement nature.com webcasts Macmillan Science Communication presents a custom webcast on: Live-cell RNA detection and its use in identifying cancer stem cells within mixed populations Wednesday September 11th 9am PDT / 12pm EDT / 5pm BST / 6pm CEST  Register for the free webcast followed by our live Q & A session  Sponsored by:         Latest Articles View all Articles     Carbon nanotubes on a spider silk scaffold OPEN Eden Steven, Wasan R. Saleh, Victor Lebedev, Steve F. A. Acquah, Vladimir Laukhin, Rufina G. Alamo and James S. Brooks The use of spider silk in electronic devices is dependent on its compatibility with electrically conductive materials. Here, the authors modify spider silk with carbon nanotubes to produce a strong, flexible and electrically conductive thread. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3435 Physical Sciences  Bioengineering  Materials science  Nanotechnology  In situ atomic-scale observation of continuous and reversible lattice deformation beyond the elastic limit OPEN Lihua Wang, Pan Liu, Pengfei Guan, Mingjie Yang, Jialin Sun, Yongqiang Cheng, Akihiko Hirata, Ze Zhang, Evan Ma, Mingwei Chen and Xiaodong Han In bulk materials crystal lattices typically have a limited resistance to elastic strain, beyond which yielding and plastic deformation occur. Here, using in situ transmission electron microscopy, a continuous elastic lattice deformation is observed in nickel nanowires, up to a strain of 34.6%. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3413 Physical Sciences  Materials science  Endogenous fructose production and metabolism in the liver contributes to the development of metabolic syndrome Miguel A. Lanaspa, Takuji Ishimoto, Nanxing Li, Christina Cicerchi, David J. Orlicky, Philip Ruzicky, Christopher Rivard, Shinichiro Inaba, Carlos A. Roncal-Jimenez, Elise S. Bales, Christine P. Diggle, Aruna Asipu, J. Mark Petrash, Tomoki Kosugi, Shoichi Maruyama, Laura G. Sanchez-Lozada, James L. McManaman, David T. Bonthron, Yuri Y. Sautin and Richard J. Johnson Consumption of high amounts of glucose leads to the development of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Here, Lanaspa et al. show that the hepatic conversion of glucose into fructose is a key step in the development of glucose-induced metabolic syndrome and fatty liver in mice. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3434 Biological Sciences  Medical research  Soft tissue preservation in a fossil marine lizard with a bilobed tail fin Johan Lindgren, Hani F. Kaddumi and Michael J. Polcyn Mosasaurs were the dominant marine reptiles in the Late Cretaceous. Lindgren et al. report a mosasaur fossil with preserved soft tissue, providing the first evidence that mosasaurs were propelled by hypocercal tail fins. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3423 Biological Sciences  Evolution  Palaeontology  Ecscr regulates insulin sensitivity and predisposition to obesity by modulating endothelial cell functions Yoshiki Akakabe, Masahiro Koide, Youhei Kitamura, Kiyonari Matsuo, Tomomi Ueyama, Satoaki Matoba, Hiroyuki Yamada, Keishi Miyata, Yuichi Oike and Koji Ikeda The transmembrane protein Ecscr has been implicated in the regulation of endothelial cell signalling. Here, the authors show that Ecscr regulates systemic insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in mice by modulating insulin signalling in endothelial cells. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3389 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Medical research  Non-invasive in vivo assessment of IDH1 mutational status in glioma Myriam M. Chaumeil, Peder E. Z. Larson, Hikari A. I. Yoshihara, Olivia M. Danforth, Daniel B. Vigneron, Sarah J. Nelson, Russell O. Pieper, Joanna J. Phillips and Sabrina M. Ronen The metabolic reaction catalysed by the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) enzyme is commonly perturbed in some glioma subtypes due to gain-of-function mutations in the IDH1 gene. Here, Chaumeil et al. present a method that detects mutant IDH1 activity by measuring the levels of different hyperpolarized metabolites produced by wild-type and mutant IDH1. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3429 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Medical research  Tumour angiogenesis regulation by the miR-200 family Chad V. Pecot, Rajesha Rupaimoole, Da Yang, Rehan Akbani, Cristina Ivan, Chunhua Lu, Sherry Wu, Hee-Dong Han, Maitri Y. Shah, Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo, Justin Bottsford-Miller, Yuexin Liu, Sang Bae Kim, Anna Unruh, Vianey Gonzalez-Villasana, Li Huang, Behrouz Zand, Myrthala Moreno-Smith, Lingegowda S. Mangala, Morgan Taylor et al. The microRNA-200 family members have a role in regulating tumour angiogenesis but the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this study, Pecot et al. demonstrate that miR-200 affects angiogenesis by altering endothelial and cancer cell cytokine secretion. 10 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3427 Biological Sciences  Cancer  Cell biology  Bit-by-bit autophagic removal of parkin-labelled mitochondria Jin-Yi Yang and Wei Yuan Yang Dysfunctional mitochondria are degraded by mitophagy, but how large mitochondria are packed into small autophagic vesicles is unclear. Here, the authors show that dysfunctional mitochondria are degraded in a bit-by-bit fashion initiated at sites where parkin-labelled mitochondrial tubules and the endoplasmic reticulum intersect. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3428 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Coherent Stern–Gerlach momentum splitting on an atom chip Shimon Machluf, Yonathan Japha and Ron Folman In a Stern–Gerlach interferometer, atoms are split by a magnetic field gradient into two paths according to their spin. Here, the authors apply this principle to a Bose–Einstein condensate to demonstrate on-chip coherent splitting of atomic wavepackets and cold atom interferometry. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3424 Physical Sciences  Atomic and molecular physics  Pacific deep circulation and ventilation controlled by tidal mixing away from the sea bottom Akira Oka and Yoshihiro Niwa The global ocean conveyor belt, a key element of climate change, carries heat, carbon and various dissolved materials in the deep ocean. Here, the authors' ocean model simulations demonstrate that tide-induced mixing away from the sea bottom is driving the Pacific branch of this conveyor belt. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3419 Earth Sciences  Climate science  Oceanography  Inducing effect on the percolation transition in complex networks Jin-Hua Zhao, Hai-Jun Zhou and Yang-Yu Liu A K-core of a complex network is a cluster of nodes that are connected to at least K other nodes of the cluster. Zhao et al. show that the influence of nodes outside a percolating K-core of protected nodes determines the size of the core and may cause an abrupt breakdown of the core. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3412 Physical Sciences  Theoretical physics  Genetic design of enhanced valley splitting towards a spin qubit in silicon OPEN Lijun Zhang, Jun-Wei Luo, Andre Saraiva, Belita Koiller and Alex Zunger Electronic spins in Si are potentially useful in the development of solid-state quantum devices, but its degenerate valley states limits this potential. Zhang et al. use a genetic algorithm to identify a Ge/Si-multilayer-clad Si quantum structure whose valley splitting is increased by an order of magnitude. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3396 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Materials science  RecG and UvsW catalyse robust DNA rewinding critical for stalled DNA replication fork rescue OPEN Maria Manosas, Senthil K. Perumal, Piero Bianco, Felix Ritort, Stephen J. Benkovic and Vincent Croquette The helicases UvsW and RecG have both unwinding and rewinding activities and are involved in the rescue of stalled DNA replication forks. Here Manosas et al. use single-molecule techniques to characterize the rewinding activities of the two helicases, concluding that rewinding is actively catalysed. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3368 Biological Sciences  Biochemistry  Molecular biology  DNA-directed self-assembly of shape-controlled hydrogels Hao Qi, Majid Ghodousi, Yanan Du, Casey Grun, Hojae Bae, Peng Yin and Ali Khademhosseini The development of a series of orthogonal binding interactions to direct the controlled self-assembly of mesoscale objects is desirable. Here, the authors use DNA as a sequence-specific glue to assemble hydrogel cuboids into a diverse series of structures in the micro- to millimeter length scale. 09 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3275 Chemical Sciences  Materials science  Nanotechnology  High-resolution three-dimensional mapping of mRNA export through the nuclear pore Jiong Ma, Zhen Liu, Nicole Michelotti, Sethuramasundaram Pitchiaya, Ram Veerapaneni, John R. Androsavich, Nils G. Walter and Weidong Yang Messenger RNAs and their associated proteins are transported from the nucleus through highly selective nuclear pore complexes. Using ultrahigh resolution single-molecule imaging, the authors visualise the path taken by each messenger RNA as it negotiates the pore's selectivity filter. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3414 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Single neurons in monkey prefrontal cortex encode volitional initiation of vocalizations Steffen R. Hage and Andreas Nieder The Broca area is located in the human prefrontal cortex and is involved in voluntary speech. Hage and Nieder now show that a monkey homologue of Broca's area is similarly responsible for monkey volitional vocalizations. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3409 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  Quantal and graded stimulation of B lymphocytes as alternative strategies for regulating adaptive immune responses OPEN E.D. Hawkins, M.L. Turner, C.J. Wellard, J.H.S. Zhou, M.R. Dowling and P.D. Hodgkin B lymphocytes respond to stimulation by proliferating and differentiating. Here the authors quantify and model the responses of B lymphocytes to TLR and CD40-dependent stimulation, and find that the latter induces a more complex response to signals of varying strength. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3406 Biological Sciences  Immunology  Noble metal nanoclusters and nanoparticles precede mineral formation in magmatic sulphide melts OPEN Hassan M. Helmy, Chris Ballhaus, Raúl O.C. Fonseca, Richard Wirth, Thorsten Nagel and Marian Tredoux It has long been suggested, but never shown, that nanometre-sized particles precede mineral formation in magmatic systems. Here, Helmy et al. demonstrate that platinum and arsenic self-organize to nanoparticle precursors in magmatic liquids before mineral crystallization. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3405 Earth Sciences  Geology and geophysics  Identification of a splice variant of mouse TRPA1 that regulates TRPA1 activity Yiming Zhou, Yoshiro Suzuki, Kunitoshi Uchida and Makoto Tominaga TRPA1 is a transient receptor potential channel family member and is involved in the detection of nociceptive stimuli. Zhou et al. identify an alternative splice variant of TRPA1, which increases TRPA1 plasma expression and channel function, and enhances pain-like behaviour in mice. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3399 Biological Sciences  Neuroscience  In situ observation of filamentary conducting channels in an asymmetric Ta2O5-x/TaO2-x bilayer structure Gyeong-Su Park, Young Bae Kim, Seong Yong Park, Xiang Shu Li, Sung Heo, Myoung-Jae Lee, Man Chang, Ji Hwan Kwon, M. Kim, U-In Chung, Regina Dittmann, Rainer Waser and Kinam Kim Despite its importance for non-volatile memory, the origin of resistive switching in a metal insulator-metal structure is unclear. Park et al. fabricate such a structure inside a transmission electron microscope to show that switching occurs via oxygen-vacancy migration, which changes the conduction channels. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3382 Physical Sciences  Applied physics  Nanotechnology  Experimental quantum key distribution with finite-key security analysis for noisy channels Davide Bacco, Matteo Canale, Nicola Laurenti, Giuseppe Vallone and Paolo Villoresi Quantum key distribution allows for the generation of secure secret keys between two parties, although its success rate falls as the keys get shorter and in the presence of noise. Bacco et al. demonstrate that secure keys can be extracted with finite numbers of qubits under realistic conditions. 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3363 Physical Sciences  Optical physics  Siberian larch forests and the ion content of thaw lakes form a geochemically functional entity Ulrike Herzschuh, Luidmila A. Pestryakova, Larissa A. Savelieva, Liv Heinecke, Thomas Böhmer, Boris K. Biskaborn, Andrei Andreev, Arne Ramisch, Avery L.C. Shinneman and H. John B. Birks Hitherto, Siberian vegetation was not considered to cause the south-to-north ion content gradient of thaw lakes. Herzschuh et al. propose that higher evapotranspiration in larch forests compared with that in the tundra leads to local salt accumulation in permafrost soils, which are transported as solutes to nearby lakes. 05 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3408 Earth Sciences  Biogeochemistry  Climate science  HuR and miR-1192 regulate myogenesis by modulating the translation of HMGB1 mRNA Virginie Dormoy-Raclet, Anne Cammas, Barbara Celona, Xian Jin Lian, Kate van der Giessen, Marija Zivojnovic, Silvia Brunelli, Francesca Riuzzi, Guglielmo Sorci, Brian T. Wilhelm, Sergio Di Marco, Rosario Donato, Marco E. Bianchi and Imed-Eddine Gallouzi The nuclear protein HMGB1 is involved in muscle fibre formation. Here, Dormoy-Raclet et al. show that during muscle cell differentiation, the RNA-binding protein HuR promotes HMGB1 mRNA translation by preventing its repression by miR-1192. 05 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3388 Biological Sciences  Developmental biology  Molecular biology  Human DNA helicase HELQ participates in DNA interstrand crosslink tolerance with ATR and RAD51 paralogs OPEN Kei-ichi Takata, Shelley Reh, Junya Tomida, Maria D. Person and Richard D. Wood Agents that cause DNA interstrand crosslinks are widely used to treat cancer. Takata et al. show that the DNA helicase HELQ associates with ATR and RAD51 paralogs, which are components of DNA repair pathways, and helps defend human cells against agents that induce DNA interstrand crosslinks. 04 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3338 Biological Sciences  Molecular biology  All-thiol-stabilized Ag44 and Au12Ag32 nanoparticles with single-crystal structures Huayan Yang, Yu Wang, Huaqi Huang, Lars Gell, Lauri Lehtovaara, Sami Malola, Hannu Häkkinen and Nanfeng Zheng Noble metal nanoparticles are used for applications in optics, catalysis, sensing and others. Here, the authors study the crystal structures of silver and gold-silver intermetallic nanoparticles stabilized by thiol ligand layers, helping to understand the relationship between their structure and properties. 04 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3422 Chemical Sciences  Inorganic chemistry  Nanotechnology    Nature Communications JOBS of the week Research Associate University of Kansas Research Fellow The University of Warwick Research Associate UCL Biostatistician position The National Center for Scientific Research Research Technician Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) Postdoctoral Research Associates x 2 University of Oxford Postdoctoral Fellow University of South Carolina Post Doctoral Fellow Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH More Science jobs from Nature Communications EVENT Alzheimer's Research UK Conference 2014 25.03.14 London, UK More science events from       Latest Corrigendum     Corrigendum: Delivery of therapeutic agents by nanoparticles made of grapefruit-derived lipids Qilong Wang, Xiaoying Zhuang, Jingyao Mu, Zhong-Bin Deng, Hong Jiang, Lifeng Zhang, Xiaoyu Xiang, Baomei Wang, Jun Yan, Donald Miller and Huang-Ge Zhang 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3358 Biological Sciences  Biotechnology  Medical research        Latest Erratum     Erratum: TRF1 is a stem cell marker and is essential for the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells Ralph P. Schneider, Ianire Garrobo, Miguel Foronda, Jose A. Palacios, Rosa M. Marión, Ignacio Flores, Sagrario Ortega and Maria A. Blasco 06 September 2013 | doi: 10.1038/ncomms3309 Biological Sciences  Cell biology  Developmental biology        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 | 75 Varick Street, 9th Floor | New York | NY 10013-1917 | 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.