EMBO reports Table of Contents for 1 April 2014; Vol. 15, No. 4

April 2014 | Volume 15, Number 4 Submit Table of Contents Editorial Hot off the Press Science & Society Reviews Scientific Reports Erratum Volume 15, Number 4 Editorial A Global Academy of Sciences Do scientists speak with one voice? Obviously we have a diversity of opinions, but when it comes to expert advice, it would surely be far more efficient if everyone had just one port of call, a Global Academy of Sciences. Howy Jacobs Published online 02.04.2014 Hot off the Press Myc and differentiation: going against the current A study in this issue reveals an unexpected neurogenic function of MYC in the intact‐polarized chick neural tube. It shows that Myc represses Notch signaling and promotes asymmetric neurogenic cell divisions. Antonio Iavarone and Anna Lasorella Published online 10.03.2014 When Mad met Bub Two recent studies in EMBO reports identify a new role for Mad1 in the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), which prevents cells from dividing until all chromosomes are attached to the spindle. These findings are integrated into an updated model of SAC activation. Katharina Overlack, Veronica Krenn, and Andrea Musacchio Published online 21.02.2014 Science & Society Drugs and placebos: what's the difference?: Understanding the molecular basis of the placebo effect could help clinicians to better use it in clinical practice The placebo effect is well known from clinical trials but often misunderstood. Neuroscientists are picking apart the neurological pathways involved in the hopes of using placebos to enhance clinical practice. Fabrizio Benedetti Published online 17.03.2014 Biomedical research's unpaid debt: NIH's initiative to support and implement fairer competition for minority students is a welcome step to redress the exploitation of African Americans by science African Americans suffered exploitation and discrimination in biomedical research long after the abolition of slavery and still face inequalities in research today. The NIH has begun to redress these historical and present‐day injustices. Winston E Thompson, Roland A Pattillo, Jonathan K Stiles, and Gerald Schatten Published online 20.03.2014 Exposure, effects, and public health challenges: An interview with Linda Birnbaum, Director of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Services An interview with Linda S. Birnbaum, Director of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), about the evolution of toxicology to address new health issues. Published online 12.03.2014 Spinning the web of open science: Social networks for scientists and data sharing, together with open access, promise to change the way research is conducted and communicated Numerous social networks that cater specifically to scientists seek to improve the way science is done by using the Internet to enhance communication and cooperation among researchers. Andrea Rinaldi Published online 20.03.2014 Tropical diseases and the poor: Neglected tropical diseases are a public health problem for developing and developed countries alike Neglected tropical diseases are not confined to developing countries; they also hit the poor and disenfranchised in developed nations. Philip Hunter Published online 20.03.2014 Reviews Neurogenesis during development of the vertebrate central nervous system This review discusses recent insights into the mechanisms that regulate vertebrate embryonic neurogenesis, including asymmetric cell division, transcriptional and epigenetic regulation, and signaling pathways. Judith TML Paridaen and Wieland B Huttner Published online 17.03.2014 “Ubiquitylation: mechanism and functions” Review series: Regulation of stem cell function by protein ubiquitylation Stem cells integrate environmental signals to control differentiation and self‐renewal. The crucial role that ubiquitin has in regulating stem cell fate and behavior is analyzed in this Review, as well as how alterations in these processes initiate tumorigenesis. Alexandros Strikoudis, Maria Guillamot, and Iannis Aifantis Published online 20.03.2014 Scientific Reports MYC proteins promote neuronal differentiation by controlling the mode of progenitor cell division This study reveals an unexpected role for MYC in the control of stemness versus differentiation of neural stem cells in vivo and shows that Myc represses Notch signaling and promotes asymmetric neurogenic cell divisions. Nikolay Zinin, Igor Adameyko, Margareta Wilhelm, Nicolas Fritz, Per Uhlén, Patrik Ernfors, and Marie Arsenian Henriksson Published online 05.03.2014 TBC1D5 and the AP2 complex regulate ATG9 trafficking and initiation of autophagy How membranes are remodeled during autophagosome formation is not well understood. This study shows that the RabGAP protein TBC1D5 and the AP2 complex contribute to the correct sorting of ATG9‐containing vesicles during autophagy initiation. Doris Popovic and Ivan Dikic Published online 06.03.2014 The expression level of small non‐coding RNAs derived from the first exon of protein‐coding genes is predictive of cancer status The expression of small non‐coding RNAs encoded within the first exon of genes can be used to efficiently identify cancer samples and classify patients into subgroups of different survival. Such pan‐cancer association is the first link between these RNAs and disease. Athanasios Zovoilis, Andrew J Mungall, Richard Moore, Richard Varhol, Andy Chu, Tina Wong, Marco Marra, and Steven JM Jones Published online 17.02.2014 Transcriptional properties and splicing of the flamenco piRNA cluster This study reveals new insights into primary biogenesis of piRNAs. flamenco, the main somatic piRNA cluster in Drosophila, is transcribed by RNA polymerase II in a Cubitus interruptus‐dependent manner. The long single‐stranded RNA precursor is alternatively spliced before being processed into piRNAs. Coline Goriaux, Sophie Desset, Yoan Renaud, Chantal Vaury, and Emilie Brasset Published online 20.02.2014 The transcription factor FBI‐1 inhibits SAM68‐mediated BCL‐X alternative splicing and apoptosis The oncogenic transcription factor FBI‐1 regulates alternative splicing by preventing the splicing regulator SAM68 from binding to BCL‐X mRNA. This increases anti‐apoptotic BCL‐X isoform expression and cell survival. Pamela Bielli, Roberta Busà, Savino M Di Stasi, Manuel J Munoz, Flavia Botti, Alberto R Kornblihtt, and Claudio Sette Published online 10.02.2014 FIP5 phosphorylation during mitosis regulates apical trafficking and lumenogenesis This study shows that epithelial lumen formation is regulated by FIP5 phosphorylation, which inhibits its interaction with SNX18 during metaphase and anaphase, ensuring that the transport of apical endocytic carriers happens only after the formation of the AMIS. Dongying Li, Anthony Mangan, Louis Cicchini, Ben Margolis, and Rytis Prekeris Published online 03.03.2014 Toll‐like receptor 9 protects non‐immune cells from stress by modulating mitochondrial ATP synthesis through the inhibition of SERCA2 TLR9 signalling has recently been shown to protect cardiomyocytes and neurons from stress by modulating energy metabolism. This study shows that it does so by inhibiting SERCA2 activity and thus the Ca2+ transfer between SR/ER and mitochondria. Yasunori Shintani, Hannes CA Drexler, Hidetaka Kioka, Cesare MN Terracciano, Steven R Coppen, Hiromi Imamura, Masaharu Akao, Junichi Nakai, Ann P Wheeler, Shuichiro Higo, Hiroyuki Nakayama, Seiji Takashima, Kenta Yashiro, and Ken Suzuki Published online 07.03.2014 Meristem‐specific expression of epigenetic regulators safeguards transposon silencing in Arabidopsis Repetitive DNA sequences are prone to be activated in plant embryonic tissues. Reinforced silencing in the shoot apical meristem is shown here to prevent their expression in post‐embryonic tissues. Tuncay Baubec, Andreas Finke, Ortrun Mittelsten Scheid, and Ales Pecinka Published online 20.02.2014 Erratum EU Life revives funding debate Philip Hunter Published online 02.04.2014   Unsubscribe from or edit your subscription for this service. Or by mail: Customer Service * 425 Broadway St * Redwood City, CA 94063 * U.S.A. Copyright © 2014 by the European Molecular Biology Organisation.