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Volume 5 Issue 4, April 2003

Epithelial MDCK cells grown in a collagen gel form three-dimensional cysts, lined by a monolayer of polarized epithelial cells. Single confocal sections of the crosssection of these epithelial cell cysts are shown. In most cells, the typical apicobasal polarization of epithelial cells is retained, with the Golgi (shown in green) located just beneath the apical surface and above the nucleus (blue). Actin is shown in red. Cover design: James McQuat

Volume 5 Issue 4

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Editorial

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Commentary

  • 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.

    • Roland Wedlich-Soldner
    • Rong Li
    Commentary
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News & Views

  • 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.

    • Michael Dustin
    News & Views

  • 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).

    • Nicholas J. Justice
    • Yuh Nung Jan
    News & Views

  • 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 ζ (PKCζ), a complex that transduces Cdc42 signals. This exciting result suggests a potential point of conversion between these previously distinct pathways.

    • Adrian Harwood
    • Vania M. M. Braga
    News & Views

  • 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.

    • Marc Hild
    • Renato Paro
    News & Views

  • 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.

    • Steven F. Nothwehr
    • Jean-Claude Martinou
    News & Views
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Book Review

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Review Article

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Article

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Letter

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Focus

  • This section contains all of the material on cell polarity published in Nature Cell Biology to date. This includes News and Views, Review articles, and, of course, original research papers. View the original focus issue from April 2003.

    Focus
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