NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 24 April 2011
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
· Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Nature: Detecting weighty antihelium nuclei
Chemical Biology: Old drugs as new antibiotics
Neuroscience: Mate selection: it’s a matter of taste
Immunology: Neuroinflammatory driver
Medicine: Entry cofactors for HCV
And finally…Nature: A queen in the making
· 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: Detecting weighty antihelium nuclei
DOI: 10.1038/nature10079
The heaviest antinucleus observed to date has been detected by the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory. A report by the STAR Collaboration, appearing online this week in Nature, describes the detection of anti-alpha-particles (that is, antimatter helium-4 nuclei, also known as anti-alpha). These findings could provide a benchmark for possible future observations of anti-alpha in the cosmos.
Ernest Rutherford identified the alpha-particle a century ago; its antimatter counterpart — consisting of two antiprotons and two antineutrons — has not been observed to date. Aihong Tang and colleagues use a high-energy accelerator of heavy nuclei to produce and study antimatter. They detect anti-alpha in yields consistent with expectations from thermodynamic and coalescent nucleosynthesis production models. From these observations, the researchers measure the anti-alpha rate in nuclear reactions, which could give an indication of the production rate of even heavier antimatter nuclei.
Author contact:
Aihong Tang (Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, USA)
Tel: +1 631 344 8332; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Chemical Biology: Old drugs as new antibiotics
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.559
An alternative way to re-use existing antibiotics, by combining them with other non-antibiotic drugs, is presented in a paper published online this week in Nature Chemical Biology. These findings could bring new life to existing antibiotics.
Bacterial infections are increasingly resistant to currently available drugs, making the identification of new ways to kill unwanted microbes increasingly important.
Eric Brown, Gerard Wright and colleagues tested combinations of known drugs used to treat Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and inflammatory diseases, amongst other indications, with antibiotics to look for cases where the combination works better than the single drugs alone. They identify a number of cases where a non-antibiotic drug can somehow weaken bacterial cells, allowing the proven antibiotics to kill the bacteria. In particular, they report that loperamide – sold as Imodium to treat diarrhea – can ‘sensitize’ cells to a variety of tetracycline antibiotics by interfering with normal membrane function, an unexpected role for this molecule.
Author contacts:
Eric Brown (McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada)
Tel: +1 905 525 9140 x22392; E-mail: [email protected]
Gerard Wright (McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada)
Tel: +1 905 525 9140 x20230; E-mail: [email protected]
[3] Neuroscience: Mate selection: it’s a matter of taste
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2800
Male fruit flies use a protein receptor found on taste-sensing neurons to detect pheromones from potential adversaries reports a paper published online this week in Nature Neuroscience. This study provides further evidence that animals use a hierarchy of pheromone detection to guide social behaviour.
As with most animals relying on sexual reproduction, male Drosophila need to distinguish between potential female mates and potential male competitors. David Anderson and colleagues found that normal male flies show increased male-male courtship behaviour and decreased aggression toward other mutant males lacking a particular pheromone even if those mutant males had normal levels of other odorants. Male flies that lacked a particular receptor for taste in their bitter-sensing neurons were more likely to “court” other males than treat them as adversaries.
This work suggests that taste pheromones likely preside over smell-based signals to direct male-male aggression behaviour in fruit flies.
Author contact:
David Anderson (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA)
Tel: +1 626 395 6821; E-mail: [email protected]
[4] & [5] Immunology: Neuroinflammatory driver
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2027
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2031
A cell-signaling molecule is essential for the signaling that leads to neuroinflammation in an animal model of multiple sclerosis, reports two studies published online in Nature Immunology.
Immune cells that attack the central nervous system (CNS) underlie autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Groups led by Burkhard Becher and Abdolmohamad Rostami show activated T cells that are capable of recognizing “self” myelin proteins, found around axons, infiltrate the brain tissue and secrete the cell-signaling molecule GM-CSF in response to another inflammatory mediator called interleukin 23 (IL-23). GM-CSF perpetuates the neuroinflammation process by instructing other immune cells to produce more IL-23. Mice whose T cells cannot produce GM-CSF did not develop neuroinflammation, thus GM-CSF is responsible for disease manifestation in this experimental model.
This scenario suggests feed-forward loop of IL-23 and GM-CSF driving the pathogenic encephalitogenic immune response. Whether GM-CSF drives neuroinflammation in MS remains unknown, but the current findings highlight the potential that IL-23 and GM-CSF might serve a similar role in human disease.
Author contacts:
Burkhard Becher (University of Zurich, Switzerland) Author paper [4]
Tel: +41 44 635 3701; E-mail: [email protected]
Abdolmohamad Rostami (Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA) Author paper [5]
Tel: +1 215 955 8100; E-mail: [email protected]
[6] Medicine: Entry cofactors for HCV
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2341
Two receptors that act as cellular cofactors for liver cell entry of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are reported in a study published this week in Nature Medicine. The research suggests that approved inhibitors of these receptors may have utility as antivirals.
HCV causes a chronic liver disease that frequently resists therapy and predisposes infected individuals to hepatocellular carcinoma. More than 170 million individuals worldwide are infected with HCV and new treatment options are needed.
Thomas Baumert and colleagues now report that two receptor tyrosine kinases, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2), are cellular cofactors involved in entry of HCV into liver cells. Using approved inhibitors of EGFR and EphA2, the authors show that they can impede HCV replication in vitro and in a mouse model of HCV infection. They propose that blocking the receptor tyrosine kinases interferes with fusion of the virus with the cell membrane.
Author contact:
Thomas Baumert (Université de Strasbourg, France)
Tel: +33 3 68 85 37 03; E-mail: [email protected]
[7] And finally…Nature: A queen in the making
DOI: 10.1038/nature10093
The active ingredient in royal jelly — a nutrient that causes honeybee larvae to develop into queens — is a previously identified protein called royalactin, reports a paper in Nature this week. The results may provide insights into eusociality and the evolution of bees and other social insects.
A female honeybee (Apis mellifera) larva can develop into a worker or a queen — queens have larger bodies, develop more quickly and live much longer than workers. This dimorphism is based on the consumption of royal jelly, a nutrient secreted by worker bees, rather than on genetic differences, but the active ingredient in royal jelly and the mechanisms driving queen development have remained unclear.
Masaki Kamakura reports that royalactin, a 57-kDa protein, induces the differentiation of female honeybee larvae into queens. Through experiments in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), the author shows that royalactin activates p70 S6 kinase and increases the activity of MAP kinase, which are thought to be responsible for the increased body size and faster development time of queen bees, respectively. These actions, which are mediated via the EGFR signalling pathway, produced queen-like phenotypes in the flies.
Author contact:
Masaki Kamakura (Toyama Prefectural University, Japan)
Tel: +81 766 56 7500; 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)
[8] Spin crossover and iron-rich silicate melt in the Earth’s deep mantle
DOI: 10.1038/nature09940
[9] Substrate-modulated gating dynamics in a Na1-coupled neurotransmitter transporter Homologue DOI: 10.1038/nature09971
[10] Structure of the spliceosomal U4 snRNP core domain and its implication for snRNP biogenesis
DOI: 10.1038/nature09956
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[11] Accelerated clinical discovery using self-reported patient data collected online and a patient-matching algorithm
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1837
[12] Parallel on-chip gene synthesis and application to optimization of protein expression
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1847
[13] Metabolic labeling of RNA uncovers principles of RNA production and degradation dynamics in mammalian cells
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1861
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[14] Spatial regulation of Dia and Myosin-II by RhoGEF2 controls initiation of E-cadherin endocytosis during epithelial morphogenesis
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2224
[15] Exocyst function is regulated by effector phosphorylation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2226
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio)
[16] Antitoxin MqsA helps mediate the bacterial general stress response
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.560
NATURE CHEMISTRY (http://www.nature.com/nchem)
[17] Core@shell bimetallic nanoparticle synthesis via anion coordination
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1030
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[18] Variants modulating the transcription rate of a chromosome domain encompassing PLAG1 control bovine stature
DOI: 10.1038/ng.814
[19] Use of whole genome sequencing to estimate the mutation rate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis during latent infection
DOI: 10.1038/ng.811
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[20] Modulation of cytokine receptors by IL-2 broadly regulates differentiation into helper T cell lineages
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2030
|NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[21] Bioinspired molecular co-catalysts bonded to a silicon photocathode for solar hydrogen evolution
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3008
[22] Structure formation in active networks
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3009
Nature MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[23] Ablation of Fmrp in adult neural stem cells disrupts hippocampus-dependent learning
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2336
[24] GDF-15 is an inhibitor of leukocyte integrin activation required for survival after myocardial infarction in mice
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2354
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[25] Next-generation sequencing to generate interactome datasets
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1597
[26] Adaptive informatics for multi-factorial and high content biological data
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1600
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[27] Band-like transport, high electron mobility and high photoconductivity in all-inorganic nanocrystal arrays
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.46
[28] Virus-templated self-assembled single-walled carbon nanotubes for highly efficient electron collection in photovoltaic devices
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.50
[29] Enhanced magneto-optical effects in magnetoplasmonic crystals
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.54
[30] The effect of sedimentation and diffusion on cellular uptake of gold nanoparticles
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.58
Nature NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[31] Mechanism of CaMKII regulation of AMPA receptor gating
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2804
[32] Reelin, Rap1 and N-cadherin orient the migration of multipolar neurons in the developing neocortex
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2816
[33] Initiation and completion of female reproductive maturation in the absence of kisspeptin/GPR54 signaling
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2818
[34] Ca2+ activated Cl- currents are dispensable for olfaction
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2821
NATURE PHOTONICS (http://www.nature.com/nphoton)
[35] Kerr combs with selectable central frequency
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.50
[36] Coherent sampling of active mode-locked terahertz quantum cascade lasers and frequency synthesis
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.49
[37] Ultralow-threshold electrically pumped quantum-dot photonic-crystal nanocavity laser
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.51
[38] Resonant enhancement of the zero-phonon emission from a colour centre in a diamond cavity
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.52
Nature PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[39] Controlled near-field enhanced electron acceleration from dielectric nanospheres with intense few-cycle laser fields
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1983
[40] Microscopic polarization in bilayer graphene
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1988
Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[41] Conformational changes in immunoglobulin E contribute to its uniquely slow dissociation rate from receptor FceRI
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2044
[42] Min protein patterns emerge from rapid rebinding and direct membrane interaction of MinE
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2037
***************************************************************************************************************
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.
BELGIUM
Liege: 18
BRAZIL
Sao Paulo: 1
CANADA:
Calgary: 38
Edmonton: 38
Hamilton: 2
Mississauga: 3
Toronto: 25
CHINA
Beijing: 1
Hefei: 1
Lanzhou: 1
Shandong: 1
Shanghai: 1
Wuhan: 1
CROATIA
Zagreb: 1
CZECH REPUBLIC
Prague: 1
DENMARK
Copenhagen: 31
Lyngby: 21
FRANCE
Illkirch: 6
Lyon: 6
Marseille: 14
Nantes: 1
Paris: 36
Strasbourg: 6
GERMANY
Berlin: 34, 39
Dortmund: 29
Dresden: 42
Frankfurt: 1
Freising: 26
Garching: 22, 39
Hamburg: 33
Hannover: 6, 24
Muenster: 24
Munich: 1
Rostock: 39
Saarbruecken: 42
INDIA
Bhubaneswar: 1
Chandigarh: 1
Jaipur: 1
Jammu: 1
Kolkata: 1
Mumbai: 1, 29
ISRAEL
Jerusalem: 13
ITALY
Verona: 24
JAPAN
Kanagawa: 8
Nagoya: 8
Tokyo: 8
Toyama: 7
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam: 1, 39
Rotterdam: 23
NEW ZEALAND
Hamilton: 18
RUSSIA
Dubna: 1
Moscow: 1, 29
Protvino: 1
St Petersburg: 29
SAUDI ARABIA
Riyadh: 39
SOUTH KOREA
Pusan: 1
Seoul: 30
SWITZERLAND
Geneva: 4
Zurich: 4
TAIWAN
Hsinchu: 8
UNITED KINGDOM
Birmingham: 6
Cambridge: 10
Edinburgh: 2
Glasgow: 6
Harwell: 41
Horsham: 41
Leeds: 36
London: 24, 41
Oxford: 17, 41
Reading: 17
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Berkeley: 1, 3, 8, 37
Davis: 1
Los Angeles: 1
Menlo Park: 21
Palo Alto: 38
Pasadena: 3, 35
Santa Barbara: 41
Stanford: 21, 37
Connecticut
New Haven: 1, 15
Georgia
Atlanta: 23, 31, 39
Illinois
Argonne: 1, 27
Chicago: 1, 12, 27
Indiana
Bloomington: 1
Valparaiso: 1
West Lafayette: 1
Kansas
Manhattan: 39
Kentucky
Lexington: 1
Maryland
Annapolis: 1
Baltimore: 31
Bethesda: 20
College Park: 40
Gaithersburg: 40
Massachusetts
Boston: 10, 19, 25, 26
Cambridge: 1, 11, 13, 19, 26, 28
Charlestown: 6
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 15
Detroit: 1
East Lansing: 1
Missouri
St Louis: 30
Nebraska
Omaha: 1
New Mexico
Albuquerque: 23
New York
Ithaca: 25
New York: 3, 9, 25
Upton: 1
North Carolina
Durham: 12
Ohio
Columbus: 1
Kent: 1
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: 5
Pittsburgh: 19
University Park: 1
Rhode Island
Providence: 16
Texas
Austin: 1
College Station: 1, 3, 16, 19
Dallas: 23
Houston: 1, 23
Virginia
Norfolk: 1
Washington
Seattle: 1, 32, 38
Wisconsin
Milwaukee: 5
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]
Neda Afsarmanesh (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 Biotechnology (New York)
Michael Francisco
Tel: +1 212 726 9288; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Cell Biology (London)
Sowmya Swaminathan
Tel: +44 20 7843 4656; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Chemical Biology (Boston)
Carrie Meggs
Tel: +1 617 475 9241, E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Chemistry (London)
Stuart Cantrill
Tel: +44 20 7014 4018; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Climate Change (London)
Olive Heffernan
Tel: +44 20 7014 4009; E-mail: [email protected]
Nature Genetics (New York)
Myles Axton
Tel: +1 212 726 9324; 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)
Vincent Dusastre
Tel: +44 20 7843 4531; 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)
Sabbi Lall
Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: [email protected]
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