NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 05 October 2008
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
· Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Nature: Crick hypothesis vindicated
Materials: Silicon solar cells bent on success
Genetics: The genetic origins of cleft lip
Geoscience: Wedged between plates
Neuroscience: Linking schizophrenia to neuronal changes
Genetics: Gene mutation in retinitis pigmentosa
Physics: Magnetization switching using only spin
Genetics: Risk factors for ulcerative colitis
· Mention of papers to be published at the same time with the same embargo
· Geographical listing of authors
PDFs of all the papers mentioned on this release can be found in the relevant journal’s section of http://press.nature.com. Press contacts for the Nature journals are listed at the end of this release.
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[1] Nature: Crick hypothesis vindicated
Two groups of brain cells together help to filter visual information before it reaches the brain’s higher processing regions, a Nature paper suggests. The study offers a mechanism for visual attention shifts and provides support for a hypothesis that was put forward by Francis Crick nearly 25 years ago.
The eye is bombarded with a vast array of visual information, and in order to make sense of our environment, attention needs to be focused on particular parts by boosting activity in relevant cells in the cortex. Kerry McAlonan and colleagues show that attention modulates visual signals before they even reach the cortex by triggering increased activity in a brain area called the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). At the same time, attention decreases neuronal activity in an adjacent cell group called the thalamic reticular nucleus, which is known to make inhibitory connections onto LGN.
On the basis of the anatomy, Crick had proposed that “if the thalamus is the gateway to the cortex, the reticular complex might be described as the guardian of the gateway.” The reciprocal activity demonstrated here between the two cell groups finally offers support for this idea.
Author contact:
Kerry McAlonan (National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA)
Tel: +1 301 496 1141; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Materials: Silicon solar cells bent on success
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2287
A lightweight, silicon-based solar cell that can be installed on curved surfaces such as fabrics could be used for a broad range of applications. A paper online this week in Nature Materials describes the new device, one of the most efficient flexible solar cells designed so far.
In earlier designs, flexible solar cells were either made from inefficient organic materials or used thick inorganic films, for example of silicon, which had limited flexibility. John Rogers and colleagues make use of a transfer printing approach, where ultrathin, and therefore highly pliable, silicon components are lifted from a silicon wafer and transferred onto a polymer substrate, to make centimetre-scale solar cells. This approach combines the benefits of flexibility with the good light-absorption of silicon. The transfer printing technique itself is versatile and could be applied to a broad range of materials and device designs.
Author contacts:
John Rogers (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA)
Tel: +1 217 244 4979; E-mail: [email protected]
[3] Genetics: The genetic origins of cleft lip
DOI: 10.1038/ng.242
The first common genetic variant strongly associated with cleft lip has been identified in a study published online this week in Nature Genetics. The finding highlights a previously unknown developmental pathway underlying the origin of this birth defect.
Cleft lips or palates occur in approximately 1 of every 700 live births, and are characterized by facial abnormalities. Jeffrey Murray and colleagues previously showed that mutations in the gene IRF6 are associated with a rare clefting disorder called Van der Woude syndrome, although the specific variant that is responsible for the cleft remained unknown. They now identify a genetic variant associated with risk of the more common, nonsydnromic form of cleft lip. This variant promotes expression of IRF6 in the mouse embryo at sites where the facial areas fuse, and is activated by another gene product involved in facial development, AP-2alpha.
Although evidence is mounting that ‘regulatory’ variants have an important role in the genetic basis of common, complex disorders, the variant identified in this study is one of the first clear examples.
Author contact:
Jeffrey Murray (University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA)
Tel: +1 319 335 6897; E-mail: [email protected]
[4] Geoscience: Wedged between plates
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo318
A fragment of the Pacific tectonic plate beneath Tokyo may be the source of recurring large earthquakes in this region, according to research published online this week in Nature Geoscience. The fragment is jammed between the various tectonic plates that interact there, increasing friction between the plates and setting the stage for earthquakes.
Shinji Toda and colleagues found the discrete fragment by analysing the location and distribution of hundreds of thousands of past earthquakes that have occurred beneath central Japan. They suggest that the fragment broke off the Pacific plate as a result of the resistance of large submarine volcanoes that were present on the plate as it subducted.
The identification of this fragment further complicates the tectonic picture of central Japan, which sits at the boundary of several tectonic plates.
Author contact:
Shinji Toda (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan)
Tel: +81 298 61 3743; E-mail: [email protected]
[5] Neuroscience: Linking schizophrenia to neuronal changes
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2204
Alterations in neuronal development and connectivity may contribute to the psychiatric and cognitive symptoms seen in patients with a chromosomal mutation linked to schizophrenia. A study published online this week in Nature Neuroscience now provides some clues to understanding the neuronal consequences of these mutations.
12% of schizophrenia cases in Caucasian populations are associated with small deletions in chromosome 22. About 30% of people with a particular microdeletion in this chromosome develop schizophrenia and many of them also have cognitive deficits.
Maria Karayiorgou and colleagues recreated this microdeletion in mice and studied neurons from the hippocampus. They report that the neurons carrying the microdeletion show reduced numbers of neuronal contacts and stunted dendrite growth. They also link these deficits to the loss of a specific enzyme that is lost with the microdeletion. This enzyme is responsible for adding fatty acid groups to certain proteins.
These findings point to alterations in neuronal proteins (specifically, a particular process called palmitoylation) as important contributors to the disease.
Author contact:
Maria Karayiorgou (Columbia University, New York, NY, USA)
Tel: +1 212 568 4189; E-mail: [email protected]
[6] Genetics: Gene mutation in retinitis pigmentosa
DOI: 10.1038/ng.241
Scientists have found mutations in a gene that account for a significant number of cases of retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary disorder of the retina that leads to visual impairment, and in some cases, blindness.
Twenty-six regions of the genome have been implicated in retinitis pigmentosa, although each accounts for only a small percentage of cases. Online this week in Nature Genetics, Shomi Bhattacharya and colleagues identify six different mutations in a gene called EYS – the largest gene expressed in the eye – in families of different ancestral origins, suggesting that this is the first ‘major’ gene reported for the disorder.
Of particular interest, EYS is one of only four genes associated with human disease whose counterparts are disrupted or absent from rodent genomes. In the compound eyes of insects, it is strictly associated with a particular kind of retinal architecture, and the authors suggest that it may have a similar role in preserving the reliability of the light-responsive cells in the human retina. This finding should lead to a better understanding of retinitis pigmentosa and possible new targets for treatment.
Author contact:
Shomi Bhattacharya (Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK)
Tel: +44 207 608 6826; E-mail: [email protected]
[7] Physics: Magnetization switching using only spin
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1095
Reversible switching of magnetization — a key element of magnetic information storage — can be implemented by using only the spin of electrons, without needing to move their charges as well, shows a study online this week in Nature Physics. This technique could lead to novel, low-energy electronic devices.
Traditional electronics uses the charges of electrons for transporting, storing and processing information. In addition to charge, electrons also possess a property known as spin, which can also perform such functions, but because of the difficulties in producing spin-only currents, most applications still rely on the transport of both spin and charge. However, YoshiChika Otani and co-workers have now managed to create intense pure spin currents, which offer potential advantages such as reduced heating and faster operation.
Author contact:
YoshiChika Otani (University of Tokyo and RIKEN, Chiba, Japan)
Tel: +81 4 7136 3488, E-mail: [email protected]
[8] Genetics: Risk factors for ulcerative colitis
DOI: 10.1038/ng.221
Scientists have discovered Genetic variants that predispose people to the common inflammatory bowel disease ulcerative colitis, according to a study published online this week in Nature Genetics.
Ulcerative colitis is a common inflammatory disorder of the intestine. Although individuals with first-degree relatives who are affected are known to be at higher risk, the individual genes involved have not been established. Stefan Schreiber and colleagues carried out the first genome-wide association study of colitis and report several variants that increase risk of the disease. Most interestingly, the scientists found a variant immediately alongside the gene encoding interleukin 10, a factor secreted by a range of cells of the immune system. The administration of interleukin 10 to individuals with colitis has been reported to have a positive effect in initial studies, although this potential therapy has not been assessed more thoroughly.
The authors propose that clinical trials should be carried out to test how effective interleukin 10 is in treating ulcerative colitis.
Author contact:
Stefan Schreiber (Christian-Albrechts-University, Kiel, Germany)
Tel: +49 431 597 2350; E-mail: [email protected]
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Items from other Nature journals to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo:
Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature)
[9] A fasting inducible switch modulates gluconeogenesis via activator/coactivator exchange
DOI: 10.1038/nature07349
[10] A key role for autophagy and the autophagy gene Atg16l1 in mouse and human intestinal Paneth cells
DOI: 10.1038/nature07416
[11] Loss of the autophagy protein Atg16L1 enhances endotoxin-induced IL-1b production
DOI: 10.1038/nature07383
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[12] Formation of stress granules inhibits apoptosis by suppressing stress-responsive MAPK pathways
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1791
[13] Tethering by lamin A stabilizes and targets the ING1 tumour suppressor
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1792
[14] Epigenetic restriction of embryonic cell lineage fate by methylation of Elf5
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1786
[15] Actin-driven chromosomal motility leads to symmetry breaking in mammalian meiotic oocytes
DOI: 10.1038/ncb1788
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[16] Constitutional 11p15 abnormalities, including heritable imprinting center mutations, cause nonsyndromic Wilms tumor
DOI: 10.1038/ng.243
[17] Regulation of a remote Shh forebrain enchancer by the Six3 homeoprotein
DOI: 10.1038/ng.230
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[18] CCR9 expression defines tolerogenic plasmacytoid dendritic cells able to suppress acute graft-versus-host disease
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1658
[19] Phosphorylation-dependent interaction between antigenic peptides and MHC class I: a molecular basis for the presentation of transformed self
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1660
[20] CEACAM1 inhibits Toll-like receptor 2–triggered antibacterial responses of human pulmonary epithelial cells
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1661
[21] The actin regulator coronin 1A is mutant in a thymic egress–deficient mouse strain and in a patient with severe combined immunodeficiency
DOI: 10.1038/ni.1662
Nature MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[22] Molecular mimicry in pauci-immune focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis
DOI: 10.1038/nm.1874
[23] The succinate receptor GPR91 in neurons plays a major part in retinal angiogenesis
DOI: 10.1038/nm.1873
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[24] High-speed, miniaturized fluorescence microscopy in freely moving mice
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1256
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[25] Integration of photonic and silver nanowire plasmonic waveguides
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.281
Nature NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[26] A neural code for three-dimensional object shape in macaque inferotemporal cortex
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2202
[27] Is action potential threshold lowest in the axon?
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2203
[28] Pharmacological REM sleep suppression paradoxically improves rather than impairs skill memory
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2206
NATURE PHOTONICS (http://www.nature.com/nphoton)
[29] Coupling of quantum-dot light emission with a three-dimensional photonic-crystal nanocavity
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2008.202
Nature PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[30] Amplification and squeezing of quantum noise with a tunable Josephson metamaterial
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1090
[31] Wigner crystallization in a quasi-three-dimensional electronic system
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1094
Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[32] Insights into interferon regulatory factor activation from the crystal structure of dimeric IRF5
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1496
[33] Phosphorylation of APOBEC3G by protein kinase A regulates its interaction with HIV-1 Vif
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1497
[34] The H3K36 demethylase Jhdm1b/Kdm2b regulates cell proliferation and senescence through p15Ink4b
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.1499
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GEOGRAPHICAL LISTING OF AUTHORS
The following list of places refers to the whereabouts of authors on the papers numbered in this release. The listing may be for an author's main affiliation, or for a place where they are working temporarily. Please see the PDF of the paper for full details.
AUSTRALIA
Canberra: 21, 27
AUSTRIA
Vienna: 22
BELGIUM
Leuven: 8
CANADA:
Calgary: 13
Montreal: 31
Ottawa: 3
Quebec: 23
DENMARK
Copenhagen: 3
Lyngby: 22
Odense: 3
EGYPT
Cairo: 13
FRANCE
Montpellier: 16
Paris: 6, 23
Rennes: 17
GERMANY
Berlin: 20
Borstel: 21
Essen: 20
Kiel: 8
Lubeck: 28
Munich: 20
Saarbrucken: 8
GREECE
Athens: 8
ITALY
Lecce: 29
JAPAN
Chiba: 7
Hyogo: 11
Kyoto: 33
Osaka: 11, 33
Saitama: 7, 11
Tokyo: 10, 11, 12, 29, 33
Tsukuba: 4
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam: 8
Groningen: 8
Rotterdam: 3
NORWAY
Bergen: 3
Oslo: 8
SPAIN
Seville: 6
SWEDEN
Malmo: 20
SWITZERLAND
Basel: 28
UNITED KINGDOM
Aberdeen: 22
Birmingham: 16, 19
Bristol: 8
Cambridge: 6, 14, 16
Dundee: 3
Edinburgh: 3
Glasgow: 16
Leeds: 16
Liverpool: 16
London: 6, 8, 16
Manchester: 16
Newcastle: 16
Oxford: 6, 16
Sheffield: 16
Southampton: 16
Sutton: 16
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Berkeley: 3
La Jolla: 9, 22
Menlo Park: 4
Oakland: 4
Palo Alto: 18
San Francisco: 21
Stanford: 18, 24
Colorado
Boulder: 30
Florida
Gainesville: 13
Tallahassee: 31
Illinois
Evanston: 2
Urbana: 2
Iowa
Iowa City: 3
Louisiana
New Orleans: 21
Maryland
Baltimore: 9, 26
Bethesda: 1, 3, 17
Massachusetts
Boston: 10, 17
Cambridge: 9
Worcester: 32
Mississippi
Jackson: 32
Missouri
Kansas City: 15
St Louis: 10
New Jersey
Murray Hill: 31
New York
New York: 5, 31
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: 21, 34
Durham: 3
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: 17
Pittsburgh: 3
Tennessee
Memphis: 17
Texas
Houston: 23
Virginia
Charlottesville: 19
Washington
Seattle: 25
PRESS CONTACTS…
For media inquiries relating to embargo policy for all the Nature Research Journals:
Rachel Twinn (Nature London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4658; E-mail: [email protected]
Katherine Anderson (Nature New York)
Tel: +1 212 726 9231; E-mail: [email protected]
Ruth Francis (Head of Press, Nature, London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: [email protected]
For media inquiries relating to editorial content/policy for the Nature Research Journals, please contact the journals individually:
Nature Cell Biology (London)
Bernd Pulverer
Tel: +44 20 7843 4892; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Genetics (New York)
Orli Bahcall
Tel: +1 212 726 9311; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Geoscience (London)
Heike Langenberg
Tel: +44 20 7843 4042; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Immunology (New York)
Laurie Dempsey
Tel: +1 212 726 9372; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Materials (London)
Alison Stoddart
Tel: +44 20 7843 4593; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Medicine (New York)
Juan Carlos Lopez
Tel: +1 212 726 9325; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Methods (New York)
Hugh Ash
Tel: +1 212 726 9627; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Nanotechnology (London)
Peter Rodgers
Tel: +44 20 7014 4019; Email: [email protected]
Nature Neuroscience (New York)
Kalyani Narasimhan
Tel: +1 212 726 9319; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Photonics (Tokyo)
Oliver Graydon
Tel: +81 3 3267 8776; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Physics (London)
Alison Wright
Tel: +44 20 7843 4555; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (New York)
Michelle Montoya
Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: [email protected]
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