In This Issue - pv

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-v

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Learning science like a scientist - p503

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-503

Successful science education requires a knowledgeable teacher, a challenging curriculum, and teaching methods that actively engage students in a learning process that evokes the scientific method.

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The inorganic side of chemical biology - pp504 - 507

Stephen J Lippard

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-504

Bioinorganic chemistry remains a vibrant discipline at the interface of chemistry and the biological sciences. Metal ions function in numerous metalloenzymes, are incorporated into pharmaceuticals and imaging agents, and inspire the synthesis of catalysts used to achieve many chemical transformations.

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Flipping the safety catch of procaspase-3 - pp509 - 510

Alan G Porter

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-509

Caspase-3 is a central player in the orchestration of apoptotic cell death. A newly identified compound selectively activates caspase-3, has proapoptotic activity against transformed cells and retards the growth of procaspase-3–rich tumors.

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See also: Article by Putt et al.

Cyclization of natural products - pp511 - 512

Sarah E O'Connor

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-511

Enzymatic cyclization of the linear polyketide chain to form a macrolactone is a key step in the biosynthesis of type I polyketide natural products. Structural biology and inhibitor design were used to gain insight into the mechanism and specificity of this enzymatic process.

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See also: Letter by Giraldes et al. | Letter by Akey et al.

Breaking the silence in Friedreich's ataxia - pp512 - 513

Richard Festenstein

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-512

A histone deacetylase inhibitor seems to restore the transcriptional activity of a silenced gene by overcoming heterochromatin effects, thereby offering a potential treatment for the neurodegenerative disease Friedreich's ataxia.

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See also: Article by Herman et al.

Engineering a multipurpose catalyst - pp514 - 515

Romas J Kazlauskas

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-514

D-Amino acids can be useful building blocks for pharmaceuticals, but synthesizing them at a low cost remains challenging. A good catalyst for generating unnatural D-amino acids has been created by expanding the substrate range of a highly specific dehydrogenase.

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How complex is a complex? - pp515 - 516

Julie A Leary

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-515

New advances in mass spectrometry allow researchers to determine the way multiple protein subunits are assembled spatially. This approach can reveal topology and provide information on the interacting proteins of the 19S proteasome.

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Research Highlights - p517

doi:10.1038/nchembio1006-517

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