Table of contents
From The Editors
p547 | doi:10.1038/nrm2001
Research Highlights
MicroRNA: Silence of the P bodies
p549 | doi:10.1038/nrm1992
Cytoskeleton: Measuring growth
p550 | doi:10.1038/nrm1990
Mechanisms of disease: VAV proteins get busy
p550 | doi:10.1038/nrm1996
Webwatch
Recipes for results
p550 | doi:10.1038/nrm1998
In brief
DNA replication | DNA repair | Morphogenesis | Nuclear Transport
p551 | doi:10.1038/nrm2000
Cytoskeleton: A modifier of motility
p552 | doi:10.1038/nrm1991
Cancer: p53 turns on the energy switch
p552 | doi:10.1038/nrm1997
Nuclear transport: Active on the spot
p553 | doi:10.1038/nrm1993
Cell signalling: Asymmetry in action
p554 | doi:10.1038/nrm1989
Technology Watch
Detecting dynamics | Seeing inside
p554 | doi:10.1038/nrm1999
Stem cells: Nanog: the gift of choice
p555 | doi:10.1038/nrm1994
Neurotransmission: Clamping down on exocytosis
p555 | doi:10.1038/nrm1995
Reviews
Breaking barriers to transcription elongation
Abbie Saunders, Leighton J. Core & John T. Lis
p557 | doi:10.1038/nrm1981
Recent studies have challenged the view that transcription is predominantly regulated at the level of RNA polymerase II recruitment to promoters. Transcription is also regulated at the level of elongation by factors that act directly upon RNA polymerase II or that manipulate the chromatin environment.
Retrograde transport from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network
Juan S. Bonifacino & Raul Rojas
p568 | doi:10.1038/nrm1985
A subset of intracellular transmembrane proteins such as acid-hydrolase receptors, as well as extracellular toxins such as Shiga toxin, undergoes retrograde transport from endosomes to the trans-Golgi network. Recent studies have begun to provide insights into the molecular machinery involved.
Giant proteins that move DNA: bullies of the genomic playground
Nicholas R. Cozzarelli, Gregory J. Cost, Marcelo Nöllmann, Thierry Viard & James E. Stray
p580 | doi:10.1038/nrm1982
Proteins that move and manipulate DNA share certain properties that are crucial for the preservation of the genetic material. Such proteins are often large and multimeric, they require energy to enforce the reaction directionality, they move stochastically and their activity changes DNA topology.
Article series: Mechanisms of disease
Regulation of cardiac hypertrophy by intracellular signalling pathways
Joerg Heineke & Jeffery D. Molkentin
p589 | doi:10.1038/nrm1983
The use of mouse models has provided a wealth of data regarding the molecular mechanisms that control cardiac hypertrophy, ventricular remodelling and heart failure. Many of the signalling components involved are potential therapeutic targets for treating various forms of heart disease.
Bacterial elicitation and evasion of plant innate immunity
Robert B. Abramovitch, Jeffrey C. Anderson & Gregory B. Martin
p601 | doi:10.1038/nrm1984
Plant-pathogenic bacteria use several virulence strategies to infect their hosts. Recent developments have dissected the sophisticated molecular mechanisms that are used by bacterial pathogens to interfere with pathogen-recognition receptor-mediated defences and to manipulate important plant processes to promote pathogenesis.
Perspectives
Opinion
Non-coding-RNA regulators of RNA polymerase II transcription
James A. Goodrich & Jennifer F. Kugel
p612 | doi:10.1038/nrm1946
Several non-coding RNAs that regulate eukaryotic mRNA transcription have recently been discovered. Their mechanisms of action and biological roles are extremely diverse, which indicates that, so far, we have only had a glimpse of this new class of regulatory factor.
Innovation
Proteome chips for whole-organism assays
Li A. Kung & Michael Snyder
p617 | doi:10.1038/nrm1941
Protein-chip technology is a powerful tool for high-throughput assays of protein profiling, protein–DNA interactions and enzyme activity. Improvements in the technology, such as the construction of whole-proteome arrays in yeast, could lead to the description of comprehensive interaction maps in many organisms.
