Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Volume 14 Issue 10, October 2007

SNARE proteins are central components of the membrane fusion machinery. Surface forces apparatus experiments between membraneembedded neuronal SNAREs reveal the dynamics and energetics of SNARE assembly across lipid bilayers. The pairing of arms symbolizes the structure and force generated during the association of cognate SNAREs. Computer graphics cover art by Daniel de Fuenmayor.(http://www.fmixlab.com).pp 890-896, News and Views p 880

Volume 14 Issue 10

Subscribe

Editorial

  • Inherited mutations in BRCA genes predispose individuals to breast, ovarian and other forms of cancer. Although emerging data are helping to define the roles of BRCA proteins and their links to inherited forms of these diseases, much is still unknown about the more prevalent sporadically occurring cancers.

    Editorial

    Advertisement

Top of page ⤴

News & Views

  • The high stability of SNARE complexes is probably crucial for their role in membrane fusion, but it has been difficult to measure. A surface-forces apparatus has now been used to measure the stabilization energy of a partially assembled SNARE complex, and the result (35 kBT) is among the highest protein-folding free energies ever observed. Moreover, this approach offers a bright future for further structural and energetic studies of membrane fusion machineries.

    • Josep Rizo
    • Han Dai
    News & Views

  • Prion 'strains', multiple conformations of the same misfolded protein, have captured great interest because of their role in transmission of mad cow disease to humans. Prion strains have also been observed in yeast, where self-propagating protein folds are responsible for inheritable traits. Recent findings reveal an exciting new insight into the structural basis of this phenomenon.

    • Nathan J Cobb
    • Witold K Surewicz
    News & Views

  • Proline isomerization of the p53 transactivation domain has a central role in coordinating kinase signaling pathways that assemble the core p53 transcription complex.

    • Ted R Hupp
    • Malcolm Walkinshaw
    News & Views

  • Through its crucial role in DNA damage recognition and initiation of nucleotide excision repair in mammals, XPC protein represents a first line of defense against carcinogenesis. The recent elucidation of the molecular structure of the yeast XPC homolog Rad4 provides new insights into how eukaryotic cells recognize structurally diverse DNA lesions.

    • Kaoru Sugasawa
    • Fumio Hanaoka
    News & Views
Top of page ⤴

Article

Top of page ⤴

Brief Communication

Top of page ⤴

Addendum

Top of page ⤴

Corrigendum

Top of page ⤴

Search

Advanced search

Quick links