| | Metabolism: Growth in the fat lane
Analysis of endothelial cells, which are involved in blood-vessel formation, unexpectedly reveals that proliferation in this cell type depends on fatty-acid oxidation to support DNA synthesis.
| Cancer: The complex seeds of metastasis
Analyses of prostate-cancer metastases reveal a complex cellular architecture, and show that secondary sites can be seeded by multiple cell populations derived from both the primary tumour and other metastases.
| Cardiology: Race for healthy hearts
Transplantation experiments in mice reveal that the increased risk of congenital heart disease in the pups of older mothers is not conferred by ageing eggs, but by the mothers' age, and can be mitigated by exercise.
| Materials science: Unique wrinkles as identity tags
Spontaneously generated, random wrinkles of coatings on microscale particles have been found to be analogous to fingerprints — unique patterns with a wavy topography that can serve as unclonable tags for anti-counterfeiting purposes.
| Branch-specific dendritic Ca2+ spikes cause persistent synaptic plasticity
Ca2+ spikes are generated on different dendritic branches in the primary motor cortex of mice performing different motor learning tasks, causing long-lasting potentiation of postsynaptic dendritic spines; inactivation of a population of interneurons disrupts the spatial separation of Ca2+ spikes and persistent dendritic spine potentiation, suggesting that the generation of Ca2+ spikes on different dendritic branches is crucial for storing information in individual neurons.
| Two disparate ligand-binding sites in the human P2Y1 receptor
Two X-ray crystal structures are presented of the human P2Y1 G-protein-coupled receptor, which is an important target for anti-thrombotic drugs; the structures unexpectedly reveal two ligand-binding sites.
| In vivo genome editing using Staphylococcus aureus Cas9
The physical size of the commonly used Cas9 from Streptococcus pyogenes poses challenges for CRISPR-Cas genome editing systems that use the adeno-associated virus as a delivery vehicle; here, smaller Cas9 orthologues are characterized, and Cas9 from Staphylococcus aureus allowed targeting of the cholesterol regulatory gene Pcsk9 in the mouse liver.
| Fatty acid carbon is essential for dNTP synthesis in endothelial cells
This study identifies a crucial role for fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in endothelial cells during angiogenesis, and reveals that fatty-acid-derived carbons are used for the de novo synthesis of nucleotides, and hence FAO stimulates vessel sprouting by increasing endothelial cell proliferation.
| Defining fundamental steps in the assembly of the Drosophila RNAi enzyme complex
The assembly of single Drosophila RNA-induced silencing complexes (RISCs) is reconstituted using seven purified proteins, revealing that chaperones help stabilize the interaction of the protein heterodimer Dicer-2–R2D2 bound to the short interfering RNA with Ago2.
| New cosmogenic burial ages for Sterkfontein Member 2 Australopithecus and Member 5 Oldowan
Isochron burial dating with cosmogenic nuclides 26Al and 10Be shows that the skeleton of the australopithecine individual known as 'Little Foot' is around 3.67 million years old, coeval with early Australopithecus from East Africa; a manuport dated to 2.18 million years ago from the Oldowan tool assemblage conforms with the oldest age previously suggested by fauna.
| Early reprogramming regulators identified by prospective isolation and mass cytometry
Identification of transient early induced pluripotency reprogramming intermediates allows for mechanistic insight into the reprogramming process.
| IL-17-producing γδ T cells and neutrophils conspire to promote breast cancer metastasis
Tumours maximize their chance of metastasizing by evoking a systemic inflammatory cascade in mouse models of spontaneous breast cancer metastasis.
| Reducing the energy cost of human walking using an unpowered exoskeleton
The attachment of a simple, unpowered, mechanical exoskeleton to the foot and ankle results in a net saving of 7% of the metabolic energy expended in human walking.
| Self-similar fragmentation regulated by magnetic fields in a region forming massive stars
Polarimetric observations of magnetic-field orientations in a filamentary molecular cloud forming massive stars shows that the magnetic field strongly affects fragmentation in the region.
| The evolutionary history of lethal metastatic prostate cancer
The subclonal composition of human prostate tumours and their metastases has been mapped by whole-genome sequencing, thus establishing the evolutionary trees behind the development and spread of these cancers; an important observation was that metastases could be re-seeded multiple times, and spread from one tumour to another was frequently seen.
| The maternal-age-associated risk of congenital heart disease is modifiable
Increased maternal age is known to increase the risk of congenital heart disease in offspring; here, this link is investigated by transplanting ovaries between young and old mice, revealing that the maternal-age-associated risk is independent of the age of the ovaries but depends on the age of the mother, and that this risk can be mitigated by maternal genetic background or exercise.
| Corrigendum: Deterministic direct reprogramming of somatic cells to pluripotency
| Corrigendum: Derivation of novel human ground state naive pluripotent stem cells
| | | Brief Communications Arising | | | | PLD3 and sporadic Alzheimer's disease risk
Jean-Charles Lambert, Benjamin Grenier-Boley, Céline Bellenguez et al. | PLD3 variants in population studies
Sven J. van der Lee, Henne Holstege, Tsz Hang Wong et al. | PLD3 in non-familial Alzheimer's disease
Stefanie Heilmann, Dmitriy Drichel, Jordi Clarimon et al. | Cruchaga & Goate reply
Carlos Cruchaga, Alison M. Goate | PLD3 gene variants and Alzheimer's disease
Basavaraj V. Hooli, Christina M. Lill, Kristina Mullin et al. | Cruchaga & Goate reply
Carlos Cruchaga, Alison M. Goate | | Global effects of land use on local terrestrial biodiversity
Analysis of a global data set of local biodiversity comparisons reveals an average 13.6% reduction in species richness and 10.7% reduction in abundance as a result of past human land use, and projections based on these data under a business-as-usual land-use scenario predict further substantial loss this century, unless strong mitigation efforts are undertaken to reverse the effects.
Tim Newbold, Lawrence N. Hudson, Samantha L. L. Hill et al. | Loss of δ-catenin function in severe autism
In severe autism, deleterious variants at conserved residues are enriched in patients arising from female-enriched multiplex families, enhancing the detection of key autism genes in modest numbers of cases.
Tychele N. Turner, Kamal Sharma, Edwin C. Oh et al. | Ferroptosis as a p53-mediated activity during tumour suppression
p53 suppresses expression of SLC7A11, a key component of the cystine/glutamate amino acid transport machinery, leading to inhibition of cystine uptake and promoting ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death.
Le Jiang, Ning Kon, Tongyuan Li et al. | | Primary transcripts of microRNAs encode regulatory peptides
Plant primary microRNA (miRNA) transcripts (pri-miRNAs) are not just a source of miRNAs but can also encode regulatory peptides (miPEPs) that enhance the accumulation, and so the effect, of the corresponding mature miRNAs—an observation that may have agronomical applications.
Dominique Lauressergues, Jean-Malo Couzigou, Hélène San Clemente et al. | Planet heating prevents inward migration of planetary cores
Modelling of planetary formation reveals that asymmetries in the temperature rise associated with accretion produce a torque that counteracts inward migration, suggesting how the conditions for giant-planet formation may arise.
Pablo BenÃtez-Llambay, Frédéric Masset, Gloria Koenigsberger et al. | Orbital-specific mapping of the ligand exchange dynamics of Fe(CO)5 in solution
Mapping the frontier-orbital interactions with atom specificity using X-ray laser-based femtosecond-resolution spectroscopy reveals that spin crossover and ligation determine the sub-picosecond excited-state dynamics of a transition-metal complex in solution.
Ph. Wernet, K. Kunnus, I. Josefsson et al. | Growth and host interaction of mouse segmented filamentous bacteria in vitro
Development of a segmented filamentous bacteria and host cell co-culturing system that supports filamentation, segmentation, and differentiation to release viable infectious intracellular offspring.
Pamela Schnupf, Valérie Gaboriau-Routhiau, Marine Gros et al. | Tel1ATM-mediated interference suppresses clustered meiotic double-strand-break formation
Meiotic recombination is initiated by a fairly uniform distribution of hundreds of DNA double-strand breaks catalysed by the Spo11 protein; here, Tel1 (orthologue of human ATM) is shown to be required for the localized inhibition that prevents double-strand breaks from forming close to one another.
Valerie Garcia, Stephen Gray, Rachal M. Allison et al. | Monolayer semiconductor nanocavity lasers with ultralow thresholds
A miniature laser is reported that uses two-dimensional tungsten diselenide as the active medium, which is placed on a photonic crystal membrane that acts as the laser cavity; the laser emits visible light, with an ultralow pump threshold.
Sanfeng Wu, Sonia Buckley, John R. Schaibley et al. | Osteichthyan-like cranial conditions in an Early Devonian stem gnathostome
A new analysis of a 415-million-year-old fossil fish head originally described as from an early osteichthyan (bony fish) puts it instead as the sister group of the gnathosomes (jawed vertebrates), and suggests that the extinct acanthodians were relatives of cartilaginous fishes.
Sam Giles, Matt Friedman, Martin D. Brazeau | Atomic Hong–Ou–Mandel experiment
The Hong–Ou–Mandel effect—in which two indistinguishable photons that enter a 50:50 beam-splitter are found only as a pair at one of the two outputs, leading to a dip in the coincidence rate of the detectors—is now realized with 4He atoms instead of photons; this opens the way to performing basic quantum-physics experiments with mechanical observables of massive particles.
R. Lopes, A. Imanaliev, A. Aspect et al. | G-protein-independent coupling of MC4R to Kir7.1 in hypothalamic neurons
α-MSH and AgRP, two hypothalamus-derived peptides with opposing actions on the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), modulate neurons driving feeding behaviour; although previous downstream mechanisms of cellular modulation by these peptides have been determined, here α-MSH and AgRP are shown to regulate neural activity by coupling MC4R to Kir7.1 potassium channels and closing or opening them, respectively.
Masoud Ghamari-Langroudi, Gregory J. Digby, Julien A. Sebag et al. | Shape-changing magnetic assemblies as high-sensitivity NMR-readable nanoprobes
A shape-changing sensor made of pairs of magnetic disks spaced by swellable hydrogel material removes all need for optical access by operating in the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) radio-frequency spectrum.
G. Zabow, S. J. Dodd, A. P. Koretsky | Evolution of the snake body form reveals homoplasy in amniote Hox gene function
Traditionally, the vertebral column of snakes was thought to have lost regionalization; Hox regionalization is now shown to be maintained in snakes, suggesting that gradational vertebral column regionalization is primitive to amniotes.
Jason J. Head, P. David Polly | Commensal–dendritic-cell interaction specifies a unique protective skin immune signature
Defined skin commensal bacteria elicit a dermal dendritic-cell-dependent, long-lasting, commensal-specific CD8+ T-cell response that promotes protection against pathogens while preserving tissue homeostasis.
Shruti Naik, Nicolas Bouladoux, Jonathan L. Linehan et al. | Recognition determinants of broadly neutralizing human antibodies against dengue viruses
Human antibodies in complex with the soluble dimeric form of the dengue virus envelope protein E recognize a quaternary epitope and exhibit strong neutralizing activity against all four virus serotypes.
Alexander Rouvinski, Pablo Guardado-Calvo, Giovanna Barba-Spaeth et al. | | | | |
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