Volume 17 Issue 5, May 2016

Two new methods for nascent RNA sequencing show that, in yeast, splicing can occur surprisingly quickly following intron synthesis by RNA polymerase II.

SIRT6-mediated deacetylation of H3K18ac is important for inhibiting pericentric transcription to prevent cellular defects associated with cancer and ageing.

Recognition of the innovative nature of the Beadle and Tatum experiment of mutation induction followed by selection has faded in the decades since; Bernard Strauss explains why.

Binding of SH2 domains to membrane lipids is crucial for spatiotemporal regulation of phosphotyrosine signalling cascades.

Adult muscles contain quiescent stem cells, known as satellite cells, which are activated upon injury, enabling muscle repair and replenishment of the stem cell pool. Recent studies have shed light on the molecular circuitry regulating satellite cell fate decision and the impairment of this circuitry during degenerative muscle diseases and ageing.

Mammalian cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) have non-canonical, cell cycle-independent functions in processes such as transcription and DNA damage repair. Through these and other activities, they regulate cell death, differentiation, the immune response and metabolism.

Vertebrate cell volume is controlled to maintain homeostasis. Volume adjustment is achieved by regulating transmembrane transport of ions and small organic osmolytes through diverse transporters and channels (including volume regulated anion channels (VRACs)), which are also implicated in other physiological processes such as metabolite transport and apoptosis, as well as in pathology.

Signalling from the nucleus to mitochondria (NM signalling) is crucial for regulating mitochondrial function and ageing. It is initiated by nuclear DNA damage and controls genomic and mitochondrial integrity. Pharmacological modulation of NM signalling holds promise for improving lifespan and healthspan.

To celebrate almost 50 years from the discovery of tubulin, six eminent researchers reflect on how the field of microtubule research has advanced over the past five decades, discuss impacts on clinical translation, and provide their thoughts on what key questions need to be addressed in the near future.