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Mitosis in vertebrates involves nuclear-envelope breakdown and dispersal. On completion of chromatid segregation, disassembled nuclear-envelope components are reused to form nuclear membranes in the two daughter cells, and the endoplasmic reticulum membrane seems to make a key contribution to this process.
The class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI(3)KC3) is part of a key complex regulating autophagy. How this complex mechanistically contributes to autophagosome formation remains largely unknown. The BAR-domain-containing protein Bif-1/endophilin B1, commonly associated with the control of membrane curvature, has been identified as a new interacting partner for PI(3)KC3, suggesting the complex plays an active part in the regulation of membrane dynamics during autophagy.
The transcription factor Hand1 is required for cell-fate determination during placental development. Recent work shows that release of Hand1 from the nucleolus controls differentiation of trophoblast stem cells into trophoblast giant cells, and this switch is controlled by the antagonistic activities of HICp40 and Polo-like kinase-4 (Plk4).
Juggling the demands of a career and a family is a challenge that confronts many researchers. Are universities doing enough to help academics cope with these often-conflicting commitments?