NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 10 April 2011
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Neuroscience: Learning to see
Chemical Biology: Antimicrobials from all sides
Methods: Simplifying stem cell culture
Geoscience: Tropical Pacific warms West Antarctica
Immunology: Inflammation drives diabetes
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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PLEASE CITE THE SPECIFIC NATURE JOURNAL AND WEBSITE AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO THE APPROPRIATE JOURNAL’S WEBSITE.
[1] Neuroscience: Learning to see
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2795
On regaining their sight, congenitally blind children are initially unable to visually recognize an object that they have previously only touched, reports a study published this week in Nature Neuroscience. These results suggest that, in a sense, we must learn to see: people learn the correspondence between how objects look and how they feel, and this ability is not innate.
Richard Held and his colleagues studied a group of eight- to 17-year-old patients treated by Project Prakash, a humanitarian and scientific effort to treat curable blindness in India, where, like in many developing countries, medical services are often inadequate. All of the participants had been blind from birth because of congenital cataracts or an opaque cornea—the usually transparent front of the eye. After cataract removal or a corneal transplant, these participants were asked to feel a building brick, and then asked to match the brick they had felt with one of two bricks they were shown. Though this task is easy for most people, these patients were unable to correctly match the blocks they felt to what they only saw.
However, when some of these children were tested as little as five days later, their performance had improved substantially.
Author contact:
Richard Held (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 253 1434; E-mail: heldd(at)neco.edu
[2] Chemical Biology: Antimicrobials from all sides
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.556
A library of antimicrobial compounds that could fight bacterial infections resistant to present therapies is reported online this week in Nature Chemical Biology.
Many small molecules naturally produced by bacteria can serve as antimicrobial agents, and the identification of the enzymes that make these compounds can make it much easier to make large quantities of the compounds or—if the enzymes are used in a slightly different way—can yield highly related compounds that may still be effective drugs.
Tsung-Lin Li and colleagues investigate an enzyme needed to make a glycopeptide antibiotic similar to teicoplanin and vancomycin. By gaining insights into the steps used by the enzyme to alter the glycopeptide substrate, the authors are able to create a library of new compounds, some of which show good antimicrobial activity in cellular assays and in mice.
Author contact:
Tsung-Lin Li (Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taiwan)
Tel: +886 2 27871235; E-mail: tlli(at)gate.sinica.edu.tw
[3] Methods: Simplifying stem cell culture
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1593
A simplified and chemically defined culture system for growing human pluripotent stem cells is reported this week in Nature Methods. Such methods are important for standardizing results reported from different laboratories as well as for eventual clinical use of these cells.
Working with pluripotent stem cells remains part science, part almost art, since these cells are highly sensitive to culture conditions: if they are not treated correctly, they die or lose their ‘stemness’. Much effort in the past years has gone into defining the relevant components in the complex cocktail that permits these cells to grow in the culture dish.
James Thomson and colleagues report a systematic dissection of stem cell culture media to define its minimal constituents. In a painstaking combinatorial study, they winnow the necessary ingredients in the liquid culture medium down to just eight key components, all of which are chemically defined. Together with a defined surface coating, they show that this medium permits long-term culture of human ES cells as well as efficient derivation and long term culture of human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from fresh biopsies.
Author contact:
James A. Thomson (Morgridge Institute for Research, Madison, WI, USA)
Tel: +1 608 314 4346; E-mail: jthomson(at)morgridgeinstitute.org
[4] Geoscience: Tropical Pacific warms West Antarctica
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1129
Recent winter warming in continental West Antarctica is caused by rising sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean, suggests a study online this week in Nature Geoscience. This warming in West Antarctica is linked to tropical Pacific temperatures through changes in the atmospheric circulation.
Eric Steig and colleagues analysed observations of surface temperature from Antarctica and the global oceans along with atmospheric circulation data to identify the influence of Pacific sea surface temperatures on atmospheric dynamics, which brings warmer air to West Antarctica during the winter. They also perform climate model simulations to confirm this relationship between the climate in the tropics and high latitudes.
Author contact:
Eric Steig (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)
Tel: +1 206 685 3715; E-mail: steig(at)uw.edu
[5] Immunology: Inflammation drives diabetes
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2022
Obesity can trigger an inflammatory response from immune cells, which can then lead to metabolic diseases, such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, reports an study published online this week in Nature Immunology. The findings show how the immune system can directly contribute to a common metabolic disease and highlights that targeting inflammation may be a useful therapeutic intervention.
A molecular complex inside cells, called the inflammasome, plays an important role in immunity by triggering inflammation in response to a wide variety of harmful agents ranging from bacteria to asbestos. Jenny Ting and colleagues now find that palmitate, a fatty acid common in a high fat diet, triggers activation of the inflammasome. Palmitate-triggered inflammation is also responsible for interfering with the insulin sensitivity of liver cells – a major feature of type 2 diabetes.
Author contact:
Jenny Ting (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA)
Tel: +1 919 966 2662; E-mail: jenny_ting(at)med.unc.edu
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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)
[6] Ancestral polyploidy in seed plants and angiosperms
DOI: 10.1038/nature09916
[7] A system for the continuous directed evolution of biomolecules
DOI: 10.1038/nature09929
[8] Functional specificity of local synaptic connections in neocortical networks
DOI: 10.1038/nature09880
[9] A diverse range of gene products are effectors of the type I interferon antiviral response
DOI: 10.1038/nature09907
[10] CPEB and two poly(A) polymerases control miR-122 stability and p53 mRNA translation
DOI: 10.1038/nature09908
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[11] Spatiotemporal manipulation of auxin biosynthesis in cotton ovule epidermal cells enhances fiber yield and quality
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1843
[12] Amelioration of sepsis by inhibiting sialidase-mediated disruption of the CD24-SiglecG interaction
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1846
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[13] Auxin triggers a genetic switch
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2212
[14] Meiotic homologue alignment and its quality surveillance are controlled by mouse HORMAD1
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2213
[15] Mechanoreception in motile flagella of Chlamydomonas
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2214
[16] During autophagy mitochondria elongate, are spared from degradation and sustain cell viability
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2220
[17] RNF146 is a poly(ADP-ribose)-directed E3 ligase that regulates axin degradation and Wnt signalling
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2222
[18] TFG-1 function in protein secretion and oncogenesis
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2225
NATURE CHEMISTRY (http://www.nature.com/nchem)
[19] Nanocrystal bilayer for tandem catalysis
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1018
[20] Interfacial synthesis of hollow metal–organic framework capsules demonstrating selective permeability
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1026
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE (http://www.nature.com/nclimate)
[21] A town called Bygdaby
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1085
[22] In search of a black swan
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1091
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[23] A framework for variation discovery and genotyping using next-generation DNA sequencing data
DOI: 10.1038/ng.806
[24] The Arabidopsis lyrata genome sequence and the basis of rapid genome size change
DOI: 10.1038/ng.807
[25] High conservation of transcription factor binding and evidence for combinatorial regulation across six Drosophila species
DOI: 10.1038/ng.808
NATURE GEOSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/ngeo)
[26] Recycled gabbro signature in hotspot magmas unveiled by plume–ridge interactions
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1121
[27] Yo-yo subduction recorded by accessory minerals in the Italian Western Alps
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1124
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[28] The E3 ligase Itch is a negative regulator of the homeostasis and function of hematopoietic stem cells
DOI: 10.1038/ni. ni.2021
NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[29] Controlled drop emission by wetting properties in driven liquid filaments
DOI: 10.1038/nmat2998
[30] Three-dimensional flexible and conductive interconnected graphene networks grown by chemical vapour deposition
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3001
[31] Localized surface plasmon resonances arising from free carriers in doped quantum dots
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3004
NATURE MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[32] Molecular modeling, organ culture and reverse genetics for a newly identified human rhinovirus C
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2358
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[33] A parallel microfluidic flow cytometer for high content screening
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1595
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[34] Controlling electrical percolation in multicomponent carbon nanotube dispersions
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.40
[35] Hydrogen production from formic acid decomposition at room temperature using a Ag–Pd core–shell nanocatalyst
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.42
[36] Quantification of protein interactions and solution transport using high-density GMR sensor arrays
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.45
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[37] SFRPs act as negative modulators of ADAM10 to regulate retinal neurogenesis
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2794
[38] Structural basis for the role of inhibition in facilitating adult brain plasticity
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2799
[39] A new subtype of progenitor cell in the mouse embryonic neocortex
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2807
NATURE PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[40] Strong-laser-induced quantum interference
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1960
[41] Role of electron physics in the development of turbulent magnetic reconnection in collisionless plasmas
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1965
[42] Cavity-aided magnetic resonance microscopy of atomic transport in optical lattices
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1967
[43] Vertical-current-induced domain-wall motion in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with low current densities
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1968
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[44] Common architecture of nuclear receptor heterodimers on DNA direct repeat elements with different spacings
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2054
[45] DNA binding alters coactivator interaction surfaces of the intact VDR/RXR complex
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2046
[46] ERK and PDE4 cooperate to induce Raf isoform switching in melanoma
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2022
[47] Structural basis for antigenic peptide precursor processing by the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase ERAP1
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2021
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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: 27
AUSTRIA
Vienna: 24, 25
BELGIUM
Ghent: 24
Leuven: 20
CANADA:
Quebec: 40
CHINA
Chongqing: 11
Hefei: 11
Shanghai: 6
Shenyang: 30
FRANCE
Illkirch: 44
Palaiseau: 43
Paris: 14, 46
GERMANY
Cologne: 24
Dresden: 14
Goettingen: 18
Hamburg: 44
Kiel: 26
Mainz: 34
Neuherberg: 24
Postdam: 26
Tuebingen: 13, 24
GREECE
Aghia Paraskevi: 47
INDIA
New Delhi: 1
ITALY
Padova: 16
Torino: 27, 43
JAPAN
Aichi: 15
Ibaraki: 15, 43
Kanagawa: 24, 40, 43
Kawaguchi: 40
Nagoya: 15
Okazaki: 38, 40
Osaka: 19
Tokyo: 15, 38
NETHERLANDS
Eindhoven: 34
Tilburg: 1
Utrecht: 34
PORTUGAL
Coimbra: 16
RUSSIA
Moscow: 43
SINGAPORE
Singapore: 37
SPAIN
Barcelona: 14, 24, 29, 37
Bellaterra: 37
Madrid: 37
SWITZERLAND
Geneva: 16
TAIWAN
Hsinchu: 2
Taichung: 2
Taipei: 2, 47
UNITED KINGDOM
Cambridge: 38
Edinburgh: 14
London: 8
Loughborough: 13
Oxford: 29, 35
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Alabama
Huntsville: 24
California
Berkeley: 19, 31, 42
Davis: 12
Irvine: 24
La Jolla: 18, 41
Los Angeles: 24
San Francisco: 39
Santa Barbara: 3
Stanford: 26
Walnut Creek: 24
Colorado
Boulder: 42
Connecticut
New Haven: 28
Florida
Gainesville: 6
Jupiter: 45
Georgia
Athens: 6
Atlanta: 47
Illinois
Chicago: 24
Indiana
Indianapolis: 45
Maryland
Baltimore: 32
Massachusetts
Boston: 23, 33, 47
Cambridge: 1, 7, 17, 23, 24
Chestnut Hill: 19
Worcester: 10, 47
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 12
East Lansing: 47
Missouri
Kansas City: 25
St Louis: 6
New Jersey
Princeton: 24
New Mexico
Las Cruces: 11
Los Alamos: 41
New York
Ithaca: 24
New York: 9, 14
Yorktown Heights: 36
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: 5
Ohio
Columbus: 12
Oregon
Corvallis: 24
Portland: 24
Pennsylvania
University Park: 6
Rhode Island
Providence: 28
South Carolina
Clemson: 6
Columbia: 28
Tennessee
Knoxville: 6
Texas
College Station: 26, 45
Utah
Salt Lake City: 24
Washington
Seattle: 4
Wisconsin
Madison: 3, 18, 32
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: r.twinn(at)nature.com
Neda Afsarmanesh (Nature New York)
Tel: +1 212 726 9231; E-mail: n.afsarmanesh(at)us.nature.com
Ruth Francis (Head of Press, Nature, London)
Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: r.francis(at)nature.com
For media inquiries relating to editorial content/policy for the Nature Research Journals, please contact the journals individually:
Nature Biotechnology (New York)
Michael Francisco
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Tel: +44 20 7843 4656; E-mail: cellbio(at)nature.com
Nature Chemical Biology (Boston)
Carrie Meggs
Tel: +1 617 475 9241, E-mail: chembio(at)us.nature.com
Nature Chemistry (London)
Stuart Cantrill
Tel: +44 20 7014 4018; E-mail: s.cantrill(at)nature.com
Nature Climate Change (London)
Olive Heffernan
Tel: +44 20 7014 4009; E-mail: nclimate(at)nature.com
Nature Genetics (New York)
Myles Axton
Tel: +1 212 726 9324; E-mail: natgen(at)us.nature.com
Nature Geoscience (London)
Heike Langenberg
Tel: +44 20 7843 4042; E-mail: h.langenberg(at)nature.com
Nature Immunology (New York)
Laurie Dempsey
Tel: +1 212 726 9372; E-mail: immunology(at)us.nature.com
Nature Materials (London)
Vincent Dusastre
Tel: +44 20 7843 4531; E-mail: materials(at)nature.com
Nature Medicine (New York)
Juan Carlos Lopez
Tel: +1 212 726 9325; E-mail: medicine(at)us.nature.com
Nature Methods (New York)
Hugh Ash
Tel: +1 212 726 9627; E-mail: methods(at)us.nature.com
Nature Nanotechnology (London)
Peter Rodgers
Tel: +44 20 7014 4019; Email: p.rodgers(at)nature.com
Nature Neuroscience (New York)
Kalyani Narasimhan
Tel: +1 212 726 9319; E-mail: neurosci(at)us.nature.com
Nature Photonics (Tokyo)
Oliver Graydon
Tel: +81 3 3267 8776; E-mail: o.graydon(at)natureasia.com
Nature Physics (London)
Alison Wright
Tel: +44 20 7843 4555; E-mail: a.wright(at)nature.com
Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (New York)
Sabbi Lall
Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: nsmb(at)us.nature.com
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