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By questioning the very nature of how ion channels, brains and societies form and function, Nobel laureate Jean-Marie Lehn has changed our understanding of the chemical basis of self-organization.
Nitric oxide–mediated production of cyclic guanosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cGMP) is a crucial signal transduction pathway that controls a wide array of biological functions. A new layer of complexity in mammalian cell regulation is revealed by the discovery of a redox-active nitrated cGMP derivative with the ability to post-translationally modify protein thiol residues by S-guanylation.
A phosphorothioate modification of DNA has been identified in bacteria. This first observed alteration of the DNA phosphate backbone opens many questions about the mechanism of sulfur incorporation and the function of this modification.
A recently characterized 'M-box' genetic switch from bacteria is proposed to directly sense cellular Mg2+ levels through the conformation of its newly synthesized RNA. This Mg2+-sensing riboswitch controls transcription termination in front of a Mg2+ transporter gene, thus introducing a new and direct level of genetic regulation to metal ion homeostasis.
The C12 'earthy' odorant geosmin is derived from the C15 metabolite farnesyl diphosphate. Metabolic transformation now seems to be catalyzed by a bifunctional protein having two operatively independent sesquiterpene synthase domains. The domains are catalytically linked through the passive diffusion of a C15 alcohol product of the N-terminal catalytic domain to the C-terminal catalytic domain for the final steps of geosmin formation.
An emerging view is that high-fidelity metal selection by the proteins involved in metal homeostasis is pivotal to ensure that the correct metals bind to nascent metalloproteins. A new study demonstrates that the AztA zinc exporter performs this function by using tandem metal-binding domains to entrap some of the wrong metals in nonproductive complexes.
A continual commitment to exploring new scientific territory has led Pamela Silver on an oscillating path from physics and engineering to molecular biology and now to the development of engineering principles in the creation of cellular metrics.
A fully synthetic three-component vaccine has been shown to induce high titers of antibodies against the mucin Tn antigen of human cancer cells. The vaccine's superior properties are a result of the covalent incorporation of a ligand for Toll-like receptors and the presentation of the vaccine in a liposome format.
Monitoring nutritional sufficiency is essential in optimizing bacterial survival strategies. Recent studies find that nutrient sensing is delocalized over many cell components. Adding to the complexity, some metabolite pools and cellular components contribute to more than one signal transduction pathway and to housekeeping functions.
