Cell biology articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Antibodies that block the Wnt inhibitors sclerostin and DKK- 1 enhance bone formation and fracture repair. Here the authors show these monospecific antibodies induce compensatory mechanisms that limit efficacy, and have designed a sclerostin/DKK-1 bispecific antibody that promotes superior fracture repair in rodents and bone formation in primates.

    • Monica Florio
    • , Kannan Gunasekaran
    •  & Michael S. Ominsky

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In vertebrate embryos, Wnt/β-catenin signaling induces an organizer area guiding the formation of body axes and inducing extra axes upon transplantation. Here, Kraus et al. show that Wnt ligands also induce an organizer in a sea anemone, indicating that the organizer dates back over 600 million years.

    • Yulia Kraus
    • , Andy Aman
    •  & Grigory Genikhovich

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The CsrA protein binds to and represses translation of certain bacterial mRNAs. Here, Dugar et al. show for the human pathogen Campylobacter jejunithat the major flagellin mRNA acts as both a target and a regulatory 'sponge' for CsrA, and is localized at the cell poles in a translation-dependent manner.

    • Gaurav Dugar
    • , Sarah L. Svensson
    •  & Cynthia M. Sharma

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Loss-of-function approaches are fundamental for dissecting the roles played by genes but methods to simultaneously perturb several proteins in the same mammalian cell are scarce. Here the authors harness the plant auxin and jasmonate hormone-degradation pathways and RNAi technology, to control the levels of two proteins and validate its application in stem cells.

    • Ran Brosh
    • , Iryna Hrynyk
    •  & Ihor R. Lemischka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Migrating cells display dynamic morphologies that are coordinated by signalling pathways. Here the authors identify a lateral signalling pathway, comprised of the planar cell polarity protein Pk1 and Arhgap21/23, that regulates fluctuations in cell shape during productive cell migration.

    • Liang Zhang
    • , Valbona Luga
    •  & Jeffrey L. Wrana

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Orai channels are well known to mediate store-operated calcium entry. Here authors show that in neurons of the Drosophilaflight circuit, Septin 7 acts as a negative regulator of Orai channels, surprisingly, by modulating store-independent calcium entry through Orai.

    • Bipan Kumar Deb
    • , Trayambak Pathak
    •  & Gaiti Hasan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Proteins SBP1 and MAHRP1 of the human malaria parasite are required for sequestration of infected red blood cells in major organs. Here, De Niz et al. identify homologous proteins in the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei, showing that they play similar roles and supporting the usefulness of malaria mouse models.

    • Mariana De Niz
    • , Ann-Katrin Ullrich
    •  & Tobias Spielmann

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In the developing heart, blood flow transmits mechanical signals to progenitor cells that ultimately leads to valve formation. Here, the authors identify the origin of the valve progenitor cells and fibronectin1bas a transcriptional target of the mechanotransduced signals responsible for valve formation.

    • Emily Steed
    • , Nathalie Faggianelli
    •  & Julien Vermot

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How human labour is initiated in the presence of high circulating progesterone is still unclear. Here, the authors show that during a reduction in myometrial nuclear progesterone levels, there is an increased transcription of the key labour gene, Cx43, mediated by unliganded progesterone receptor A.

    • Lubna Nadeem
    • , Oksana Shynlova
    •  & Stephen Lye

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The spectraplakin protein ACF7 binds to actin at focal adhesions and targets microtubule plus ends to focal adhesions, promoting their disassembly. Here the authors reveal that ACF7 is phosphorylated by Src/FAK, and this regulates actin binding and focal adhesion dynamics in vitro and in vivo.

    • Jiping Yue
    • , Yao Zhang
    •  & Xiaoyang Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    While non-canonical, Atg5/Atg7-independent autophagy has been reported to occur, molecular details of alternative autophagy pathways remain unknown. Here, the authors report that the protein TRIM31 mediates alternative autophagy in intestinal cells, which protects against pathogenic bacteria.

    • Eun A. Ra
    • , Taeyun A. Lee
    •  & Boyoun Park

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Sensory hair cells from the mammalian inner ear do not regenerate. Here, the authors induce direct hair cell formation from mouse embryonic stem cells using a three-dimensional culture system and observe differentiation of Type I and Type II vestibular hair cells and establishment of synapses with neurons.

    • Xiao-Ping Liu
    • , Karl R. Koehler
    •  & Jeffrey R. Holt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Circadian rhythms synchronize important biological processes, and are thought to primarily be entrained by environmental cycles in light and temperature, with little or no role for social interactions. Here, Fuchikawa et al. show that social cues among honeybees can entrain these rhythms even in the presence of conflicting light-dark cycles.

    • Taro Fuchikawa
    • , Ada Eban-Rothschild
    •  & Guy Bloch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cell labelling in a non-invasive and genetic engineering-free manner is crucial to cell biology applications. Here the authors develop cell labelling via photobleaching (CLaP), that uses laser illumination to label individual cells for genomics, cell-tracking, flow cytometry or ultra-microscopy.

    • Loïc Binan
    • , Javier Mazzaferri
    •  & Santiago Costantino

  • Article
    | Open Access

    KRas is frequently mutated in multiple cancer types; identifying drugs to treat such cancers is a good therapeutic strategy. Here, the authors perform a synthetic lethal screen in mice and show that inhibiting Plk1 and ROCK results in the inhibition of tumour growth by increasing expression of the tumour suppressor p21.

    • Jieqiong Wang
    • , Kewen Hu
    •  & Mingyao Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Learning and memory depend on the structural and functional plasticity of synapses. Reinhard et al. show that the calcium sensor Copine-6 is required for memory, controls spine structure by regulating Rac signalling, and through its modulation of actin, supports hippocampal LTP.

    • Judith R. Reinhard
    • , Alexander Kriz
    •  & Markus A. Ruegg

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The molecular alterations driving anti-androgen resistance in prostate cancer are unclear. Here, the authors show, using a network-based approach, that inhibition of the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway is necessary to develop resistance and that increasing the activity of the pathway enhances the anti-androgen response.

    • Akash K. Kaushik
    • , Ali Shojaie
    •  & Arun Sreekumar

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The posterior signalling centre (PSC) in Drosophilalarva regulates blood cell differentiation but it is unclear how this is controlled. Here, the authors show that Slit/Robo signalling from the vascular system regulates PSC morphology and function, in turn, regulating blood cell differentiation.

    • Ismaël Morin-Poulard
    • , Anurag Sharma
    •  & Michèle Crozatier

  • Article
    | Open Access

    ISG15 is a ubiquitin-like protein which has important immune-related functions in mice and humans. Here the authors demonstrate that, unlike in mice, human ISG15 stabilizes UPS18 and that ISG15-deficient human cells are more resistant to viral infection.

    • Scott D. Speer
    • , Zhi Li
    •  & Dusan Bogunovic

  • Article
    | Open Access

    MRTF and TAZ are mechanosensitive transcriptional coactivators, but how they functionally interact is not clear. Here the authors show that MRFT and TAZ exhibit multilevel crosstalk in expression, transport and transcriptional activity; furthermore, TAZ confers sensitivity to TGFβ activation of the smooth muscle actin promoter.

    • Pam Speight
    • , Michael Kofler
    •  & András Kapus

  • Article
    | Open Access

    ABHD5 is a co-activator of lipolysis. Here the authors show that in tumour-associated macrophages ABHD5 inhibits ROS-dependent induction of C/EBPɛ, which transcriptionally activates spermidine synthase, and that blocking ABHD5 delays colorectal cancer growth in mice by inhibiting spermidine production.

    • Hongming Miao
    • , Juanjuan Ou
    •  & Houjie Liang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is unclear how the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) pathways interact with other signals in intestinal epithelial cells. Here, the authors show that upon loss of Erk1/2, or pharmacological inhibition of MEK1/2, the ERK5 pathway is upregulated to maintain epithelial cell proliferation.

    • Petrus R. de Jong
    • , Koji Taniguchi
    •  & Eyal Raz

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Basolateral recycling and transcytotic pathways in epithelial cells are defined by specific markers, however the apical recycling pathway is poorly understood. Perez Bay et al. show that Megalin is a marker for this pathway, which intersects with the other routes in shared perinuclear recycling endosomes.

    • Andres E. Perez Bay
    • , Ryan Schreiner
    •  & Enrique J. Rodriguez-Boulan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The transcription factor CHOP/GADD153 regulates apoptosis in response to the unfolded protein response. Here the authors show that CHOP/GADD153 regulates the expression of miR-216b, which targets c-Jun and sensitizes cells to ER stress-dependent apoptosis.

    • Zhenhua Xu
    • , Yiwen Bu
    •  & J. Alan Diehl

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Mutations in proteins that localize to primary cilia cause devastating diseases, yet the primary cilium is a poorly understood organelle. Here the authors use interaction proteomics to identify a network of human ciliary proteins that provides new insights into several biological processes and diseases.

    • Karsten Boldt
    • , Jeroen van Reeuwijk
    •  & Kathy Williamson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Phytochromes regulate plant responses to environmental light conditions but despite extensive research the initial events in phytochrome signaling remain uncertain. Here, Shin et al. provide evidence that phytochrome phosphorylates target proteins via kinase activity in the N-terminal core domain.

    • Ah-Young Shin
    • , Yun-Jeong Han
    •  & Jeong-Il Kim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Research on the interactions between the gut microbiota and human cells would greatly benefit from improved in vitro models. Here, Shah et al. present a modular microfluidics-based model that allows co-culture of human and microbial cells followed by 'omic' molecular analyses of the two cell contingents.

    • Pranjul Shah
    • , Joëlle V. Fritz
    •  & Paul Wilmes

  • Article
    | Open Access

    ADAM17 is a member of the ‘Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase’ family of proteases, that cleaves transmembrane substrates from the surfaces of cells. Here the authors show that surface exposure of phosphatidylserine is required for ADAM17 sheddase activity, possibly by directing the protease to its substrates.

    • Anselm Sommer
    • , Felix Kordowski
    •  & Karina Reiss

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3) is known to play a role in nociception, but its role in low threshold neurosensory mechanotransduction is unclear. Here, the authors target ASIC3 expression in dorsal root ganglion parvalbumin positive neurons and find ASIC3 contributes to dynamic proprioception responses.

    • Shing-Hong Lin
    • , Yuan-Ren Cheng
    •  & Chih-Cheng Chen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pancreatic β cells can be generated from pluripotent stem cells. Here, the authors show that human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with type 1 diabetes can be differentiated into β-like cells that have no detectable differences compared with cells from non-diabetic individuals.

    • Jeffrey R. Millman
    • , Chunhui Xie
    •  & Douglas A. Melton

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current dyes for second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging strongly fluoresce, limiting their application. Here the authors develop a SHG-specific dye, Ap3, that partitions into cell membranes, displays sensitivity to membrane potential and has virtually no fluorescence emission at SHG imaging wavelengths.

    • Mutsuo Nuriya
    • , Shun Fukushima
    •  & Tatsuo Arai

  • Article
    | Open Access

    F1FO ATP synthase is a critical enzyme for the maintenance of mitochondrial function. Here the authors demonstrate that loss of the F1FO-ATP synthase subunit OSCP and the interaction of OSCP with Aβ peptide in Alzheimer’s disease patients and mouse models lead to F1FO-ATP synthase deregulation and disruption of synaptic mitochondrial function.

    • Simon J. Beck
    • , Lan Guo
    •  & Heng Du

  • Article
    | Open Access

    14-3-3 proteins regulate several signalling pathways but often act redundantly; however, the molecular mechanisms behind such redundancy are unclear. Here, the authors show that 14-3-3 proteins regulate two interacting components of Tor signalling in Drosophila, Tctp and Rheb, disrupting organ development.

    • Thao Phuong Le
    • , Linh Thuong Vuong
    •  & Kwang-Wook Choi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    How the shape of the sternum is regulated is unclear. Here, the authors identify the Dchs1-Fat4-planar cell polarity pathway as controlling cell orientation and cell intercalation of mesenchymal cells that form skeletal condensations for the mouse sternum, which defines the relative dimensions of the sternum.

    • Yaopan Mao
    • , Anna Kuta
    •  & Philippa Francis-West

  • Article
    | Open Access

    A cellular protease, SPP, participates in production of the mature core protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Here, the authors show in mouse models that SPP inhibition reduces viral propagation and pathogenesis via proteasomal degradation of the immature core protein mediated by the E3 ubiquitin ligase TRC8.

    • Sayaka Aizawa
    • , Toru Okamoto
    •  & Yoshiharu Matsuura

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Current viral gene delivery systems are limited in the amount of foreign DNA they can deliver to cells. Here the authors develop MultiPrime, a baculovirus-based vector system capable of multigene delivery into a wide variety of cells, and use Multiprime for genome engineering by CRISPR/Cas9.

    • Maysam Mansouri
    • , Itxaso Bellon-Echeverria
    •  & Philipp Berger

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Wnt/β-catenin signalling directs several developmental processes and is aberrantly activated in several cancers. Here the authors implicate Tankyrase—previously shown to target the scaffolding protein Axin for proteolysis—in early Wnt signalling by promoting the interaction between Axin and the Wnt co-receptor LRP6.

    • Eungi Yang
    • , Ofelia Tacchelly-Benites
    •  & Yashi Ahmed

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Cells delay completion of cytokinesis when chromatin is trapped at the intercellular bridge. Here, Petsalaki and Zachos report that Cdc-like kinases (Clks) 1, 2 and 4 localize to the midbody and phosphorylate the mitotic kinase Aurora B, imposing the abscission checkpoint to prevent premature abscission and chromatin breakage.

    • Eleni Petsalaki
    •  & George Zachos

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