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Volume 4 Issue 10, October 2008

Drug-induced domino effect. Using mass spectrometry, Kwon et al. (p 602) looked at the effects of the antibiotic trimethoprim on the intermediates in folate metabolism. Trimethoprim inhibition of the intended target, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), resulted in the accumulation of the enzyme substrate, dihydrofolate, which had the unexpected effect of inhibiting folylpoly-γ-glutamate synthetase (FP-γ-GS), another enzyme in the folate pathway (see also News and Views by Brown on p 581). Trimethoprim, DHFR, dihydrofolate and FP-γ-GS are shown on dominoes. Cover art by Erin Boyle based on images provided by Yun Kyung Kwon and Eugene Melamud.

Editorial

  • 'Data not shown' is an outdated caveat that obscures the transparency of a scientific report and weakens the peer review process.

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Commentary

  • Undergraduate research experiences help retain students in science majors and prepare our workforce for increasingly competitive jobs. Course-based approaches to research and inquiry allow educators to reach larger numbers of students and provide an entry into further research experiences.

    • Gabriela C Weaver
    • Cianán B Russell
    • Donald J Wink
    Commentary
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News & Views

  • Metallothioneins sequester cadmium and surplus atoms of copper and zinc to prevent aberrant metal-catalyzed reactions. The identification of a 'cryptic' copper metallothionein in the bacterium that causes tuberculosis suggests that bacterial metallothioneins may be more widespread than previously suspected.

    • Nigel J Robinson
    News & Views
  • Adaptation of muscle to endurance exercise training involves the coordinated expression of genes involved in oxidative metabolism, resulting in increased endurance. A recent study shows that small-molecule activators of two pathways thought to transduce these effects can enhance the effects of training, or even substitute for it.

    • Keith Baar
    • D Grahame Hardie
    News & Views
  • The strigolactones, a known class of plant metabolites, have now been shown to constitute the long-sought hormone that suppresses lateral branch formation. These hormones are synthesized from a carotenoid precursor in the roots and transported to the shoots.

    • Eran Pichersky
    News & Views
  • Sugar binding by a variety of biomolecules is generally assumed to rely on hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions. A new study shows that arene-carbohydrate interactions are enthalpically driven through nontraditional C-H···π type hydrogen bonds.

    • Chad Tatko
    News & Views
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