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This month, a special Nature Cell Biology issue on cell polarity casts a spotlight on this dynamic and evolving area of cell biology with a series of specially commissioned Reviews, Perspectives, Commentaries and News & Views articles.

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Editorial

Helical twister storms world p265

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-265


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Commentary

Focus on cell polarity

Spontaneous cell polarization: undermining determinism pp267 - 270

Roland Wedlich-Soldner & Rong Li

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-267

It is widely observed that eukaryotic cells can polarize spontaneously in the absence of pre-established asymmetric cues. This phenomenon indicates that the principle of self-organization may be central to the establishment of cell polarity. Modelling work, as well as recent experimental data from several organisms, suggests that a combination of local positive feedback loops and global inhibitors could result in robust cell symmetry breaking through amplification of minute, stochastic variations.


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News and Views

Focus on cell polarity

Viral spread through protoplasmic kiss pp271 - 272

Michael Dustin

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-271

Cajal described the neural synapse as a "protoplasmic kiss", and this metaphor applies equally well to the immunological synapse. Viruses are masters at co-opting the machinery of the immune response and, remarkably, the retrovirus HTLV-1 (human T lymphotrophic virus 1) seems to use an immunological-synapse-like structure to conceal viral spread.


Focus on cell polarity

A lethal giant kinase in cell polarity pp273 - 274

Nicholas J. Justice & Yuh Nung Jan

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-273

The coordinated action of several conserved multiprotein complexes establishes polarity in an asymmetrically dividing cell. How apically localized cues affect the basal distribution of proteins has remained unclear. However, new studies provides a direct link between the two poles, showing that the apical Par6–aPKC complex directly regulates Lethal giant larvae (Lgl).


Focus on cell polarity

Cdc42 & GSK-3: signals at the crossroads pp275 - 277

Adrian Harwood & Vania M. M. Braga

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-275

Cell polarity is regulated by independent pathways that are controlled by Wnt- or Cdc42-mediated signalling. Now, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3), an established component of the Wnt pathway, is shown to interact with Par6–protein kinase C zeta (PKCzeta), a complex that transduces Cdc42 signals. This exciting result suggests a potential point of conversion between these previously distinct pathways.


Focus on cell polarity

Leading the pack p277

Alison Schuldt

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-277


Anti-silencing from the core: a histone H2A variant protects euchromatin pp278 - 280

Marc Hild & Renato Paro

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-278

To coordinate the coding complexity of the eukaryotic genome, mechanisms have evolved that protect active genes from silent chromatin structures such as heterochromatin. Although post-translational modifications of histone tails can regulate chromatin states, a new report now demonstrates that the composition of the nucleosome itself is also important for maintaining chromatin states.


Focus on cell polarity

TES of the focal adhesions p279

Sarah Greaves

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-279


A retention factor keeps death at bay pp281 - 283

Steven F. Nothwehr & Jean-Claude Martinou

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-281

Apoptosis is a carefully orchestrated series of events that allows cells to be eliminated without damaging their neighbours. Regulation is essential, as too much apoptosis can contribute to neurodegenerative disorders, whereas too little can result in cancer. Two reports in this issue now demonstrate that Ku70, a protein previously shown to function in DNA repair, has an important role in regulating apoptotic events.


Focus on cell polarity

Axonal polarization: selective delivery and retention p282

Sowmya Swaminathan

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-282


Cell of the month: Allocasuarina verticillata shoots expressing GFP p284

Sergio Svistoonoff

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-284


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Book Reviews

Systems biology and elephants p285

John Aitchison & Benno Schwikowski review Foundations of Systems Biology by Hiroaki Kitano

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-285


Zebragenetics p286

Christine Thisse reviews Pattern Formation in Zebrafish by Lilianna Solnica-Krezel

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-286


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Reviews

Focus on cell polarity

Polarized epithelial membrane traffic: conservation and plasticity pp287 - 293

Keith Mostov, Tao Su & Martin ter Beest

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-287


Focus on cell polarity

Yeasts make their mark pp294 - 299

Fred Chang & Matthias Peter

doi:10.1038/ncb0403-294


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Articles

A polarity complex of mPar-6 and atypical PKC binds, phosphorylates and regulates mammalian Lgl pp301 - 308

Pamela J. Plant, James P. Fawcett, Dan C.C. Lin, Amy D. Holdorf, Kathleen Binns, Sarang Kulkarni & Tony Pawson

doi:10.1038/ncb948


A new link between the c-Abl tyrosine kinase and phosphoinositide signalling through PLC-bold gamma1 pp309 - 319

Rina Plattner, Brenda J. Irvin, Shuling Guo, Kevin Blackburn, Andrius Kazlauskas, Robert T. Abraham, John D. York & Ann Marie Pendergast

doi:10.1038/ncb949


Ku70 suppresses the apoptotic translocation of Bax to mitochondria pp320 - 329

Motoshi Sawada, Weiyong Sun, Paulette Hayes, Konstantin Leskov, David A. Boothman & Shigemi Matsuyama

doi:10.1038/ncb950


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Letters

Islet beta-cell secretion determines glucagon release from neighbouring alpha-cells pp330 - 335

Hisamitsu Ishihara, Pierre Maechler, Asllan Gjinovci, Pedro-Luis Herrera & Claes B. Wollheim

doi:10.1038/ncb951


Identification of the ubiquitin–protein ligase that recognizes oxidized IRP2 pp336 - 340

Koji Yamanaka, Haruto Ishikawa, Yuzuru Megumi, Fuminori Tokunaga, Masato Kanie, Tracey A. Rouault, Isao Morishima, Nagahiro Minato, Koichiro Ishimori & Kazuhiro Iwai

doi:10.1038/ncb952


Human CENP-I specifies localization of CENP-F, MAD1 and MAD2 to kinetochores and is essential for mitosis pp341 - 345

Song-Tao Liu, James C. Hittle, Sandra A. Jablonski, Michael S. Campbell, Kinya Yoda & Tim J. Yen

doi:10.1038/ncb953


Building a cell cycle oscillator: hysteresis and bistability in the activation of Cdc2 pp346 - 351

Joseph R. Pomerening, Eduardo D. Sontag & James E. Ferrell, Jr

doi:10.1038/ncb954


Cytoprotective membrane-permeable peptides designed from the Bax-binding domain of Ku70 pp352 - 357

Motoshi Sawada, Paulette Hayes & Shigemi Matsuyama

doi:10.1038/ncb955


Exocytosis of single chromaffin granules in cell-free inside-out membrane patches pp358 - 362

Gregor Dernick, Guillermo Alvarez de Toledo & Manfred Lindau

doi:10.1038/ncb956


PKCepsilon is a permissive link in integrin-dependent IFN-bold gamma signalling that facilitates JAK phosphorylation of STAT1 pp363 - 369

Johanna Ivaska, Lisardo Bosca & Peter J. Parker

doi:10.1038/ncb957


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