Volume 14 Issue 11, November 2013

Specific nuclear pore complex proteins mediate processing of RNA polymerase III-generated transcripts.

Cytoplasmic RNA granules control the timing of cyclin B1 translation in oocytes.

The 2013 Nobel Prize for discoveries in vesicle traffic.

JNK activation inhibits Warts and LATS to increase Yorkie and YAP activity.

TERRAs form RNA-DNA hybrids at telomeres that maintain telomere length in the absence of telomerase.

The commitment of a cell to proliferation or quiescence is determined at the end of the previous cell cycle and directly regulated by p21.

Cyclin A destabilizes kinetochore-microtubule attachments during prometaphase to ensure faithful chromosome segregation.

The discovery of tubulin modification by Tyr.

It was widely accepted that cytoplasmic actin operates as filaments and nuclear actin is mainly monomeric. Recent progress in the field, including the association of actin filament assembly proteins with nuclear functions and the first direct visualizations of polymerized nuclear actin, forces us to rethink this issue.

In addition to their roles in chromatin regulation, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being characterized as regulators of diverse cell biological processes, including post-transcriptional control, organization of scaffolds and cell signalling. These findings add weight to the notion that lncRNAs provide a flexible resource for rapid cellular control.

Fuelled by ATP hydrolysis, dyneins generate force and movement on microtubules in a wealth of biological processes. A model for the mechanochemical cycle of dynein is emerging, in which nucleotide-driven flexing motions within the AAA+ ring of dynein alter the affinity of its microtubule-binding 'stalk' and reshape its mechanical element to generate movement.

Receptor-interacting protein (RIP1) is a key upstream regulator of signalling pathways that lead to either inflammation or cell death by apoptosis or necroptosis. Recent evidence indicates that the decision between these pathways is regulated by the ubiquitylation and deubiquitylation of RIP1, which determines its interaction with various ubiquitin-binding proteins.

It is becoming clear that the stem cells from the mammalian epidermis are more heterogeneous than previously anticipated, comprising populations with specific properties and lineage preferences. There is also evidence of crosstalk between epidermal stem cells and surrounding cell populations to ensure their survival and homeostasis.