Nature Chemical Biology - Current Issue : December 2009 - Vol 5 No 12
- Keys to translation
- Keys to translation
- Mapping microbial interactions
- Primosome mechanisms unraveled
Latest Highlights
Advance online publication
Embracing the curves
Article by GerlachBinding of HIV-1 Nef to host cell membranes is a biphasic process that involves electrostatic curvature-sensitive Nef-lipid interactions followed by a slower formation of an amphipathic helix. Nef action on the membrane may promote curvature and subsequent endocytosis of host-cell proteins.
Focus issue
This special issue contains a collection of articles that discuss our current understanding of protein dynamics and the methods used to study the dynamics individual proteins and their interactions with the larger biological systems where they function.
Advance online publication
Bioinformatic breakdown
Brief Communication by WernerAllantoin catabolism provides nitrogen, carbon and energy for several species, but the biochemical route to these resources in some species was unclear. A multidimensional bioinformatic search across organisms has now led to the identification of two enzymes that complete the degradation pathway.
Advance online publication
Department of corrections
Article by HsiaoErrors in functional annotations can cause significant problems in later research. A new method to identify misannotations by analyzing the genomic context correlations corrects these errors, such as in the reassignment of genes now demonstrated to have roles in leucine and fatty acid degradation.
Advance online publication
A quorum of one
Article by CarnesQuorum sensing is principally a mechanism by which the behaviors of bacterial populations can be coordinated based on cell density. Physically isolating individual bacterial cells revealed that a single bacterium can respond to quorum sensing signals and that this response enhances cell viability.
Current issue
Substrate selection by the ribosome is a complex and subtle process. New research offers insights into both basic questions about the mechanism of selection as well as how to manipulate this process for the construction of novel materials.
Current issue
Culture conditions
Brief Communication by YangBacteria interact with their environment and other species in part by excreting chemical compounds. New research uses thin layer agar culturing of bacterial colonies combined with imaging mass spectrometry to provide spatial and temporal resolution to these chemical interchanges.
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