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The ubiquitin ligase Siah2 targets HIPK2 kinase for degradation during hypoxia. During normoxia, however, the kinase is stable, as phosphorylation of Siah2 by HIPK2 weakens the interaction.
Septins are cytoskeletal proteins that form a ring at the cytokinetic furrow. Now an analogous 'molecular corset' of septins is found to be required for T lymphocyte migration.
A phosphatidylserine-binding protein, MG53, is shown to participate in membrane repair. MG53 recruits vesicles to the repair site in an oxidation dependent manner and MG53-null mice develop progressive myopathy associated with defective membrane repair.
Neurons and cancer cells metabolize glucose extensively. Intracellular gluthatione produced by this metabolic pathway reduces cytochrome c release from mitochondria to increase cell survival.
The circadian clock is synchronized with the environment. In mammals, besides light input mediated by Per genes, little is known about resetting mechanisms. TGF-β and activin reset the clock by acting on the circadian gene Dec1.
The apoptotic inhibitor IAP1 regulates a feedback loop between the caspase Dronc1 and its apoptosome adaptor Apaf1 to maintain low caspase activity in cells that are not destined to die.
Modelling intracellular force variations at cell protrusions suggests that cell adhesion is regulated at the interface between vinculin and integrin and reveals a putative feedback between increases in tension and F-actin assembly.
Human glioblastoma cells release microvesicles containing a diverse set of proteins, miRNAs and mRNAs, which can be taken up by normal host cells that translate the mRNA. Glioma-derived microvesicles carrying the specific tumour markers EGFRvIII and miRNA-21 promote cell proliferation and may serve as a diagnostic tool.
The tumour suppressor p53 is subject to complex regulation and arginine methylation is now shown to provide an additional level of control. The protein arginine methyltransferase (PRMT) 5 is recruited by Strap to methylate p53 in response to DNA damage, governing the p53 response.
The anti-apoptotic regulators XIAP and c-IAPs promote turnover of the cRAF kinase to control cell migration. XIAP binding facilitates ubiquitylation of cRAF through the ubiquitin ligase CHIP.
P-ATPases in plants are typically thought to act at the plasma membrane. In contrast, PH5, a P-type H+ ATPase functions within the vacuolar membrane to control acidification during flower coloration.
Ubiquitin-dependent degradation of Cdc20 by the APC/C ligase is a conserved mechanism essential for maintaining the spindle assembly checkpoint activated by unattached chromosomes.
Quantitative analysis and mathematical modelling show that cortical tension anisotropy at apical cell junctions drives cell neighbour exchanges that are responsible for elongation of Drosophila embryos. This anisotropy depends on myosin II activity.
In an unanticipated cross-talk between the steroid and insulin endocrine systems, the neuroactive steroid pregnenolone sulphate is found to activate the TRPM3 channel, leading to enhanced insulin secretion from pancreatic islets.
This year's Nobel Prizes mark the most significant technological advance in cell biology, GFP et al., as well as two discoveries in virology with major health implications.