NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 15 May 2011
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Medicine: Modeling malaria superinfection
Geoscience: Net loss of landscape during 2008 Wenchuan earthquake
Cell Biology: Directing the building of blood vessels
Genetics: Exome sequencing for autism
Geoscience: Oxygen oases for tiny animals
Methods: Renewable reagents for detecting human proteins
Physics: Single spins resolved in imaging experiment
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] Medicine: Modeling malaria superinfection
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2368
Pre-existing malaria prevents secondary infection by another Plasmodium strain, the parasite responsible for malaria, by restricting iron availability in the liver of the host. These findings, published online this week in Nature Medicine, may have implications for iron supplementation used to combat anaemia in malaria-endemic regions.
Superinfection by multiple Plasmodium species is not common in very young children in spite of their low level of immunity to the parasite. To understand why, Maria Mota and colleagues modelled Plasmodium superinfection in mice.
They show that above a threshold level of parasites in the blood, the blood stage infection held in check the liver stage development of superinfected parasites by stimulating up-regulation of the host’s hepcidin—the iron regulatory hormone. Increased hepcidin reduced the availability of iron in liver cells, where it is essential for successful development of liver stage parasites. In contrast, iron supplementation increased liver stage development of the superinfected Plasmodium species.
Author contact:
Maria Mota (Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal)
Tel: +351 21 799 9509; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Geoscience: Net loss of landscape during 2008 Wenchuan earthquake
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1154
Landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in China removed more material than was added by the mountain uplift generated by the fault movement reports a paper published online in Nature Geoscience. Shallow earthquakes are considered the primary driver of growth in mountain ranges, but in this case the landslides triggered by the quake seem to have removed more material than was added.
Alex Densmore and colleagues used satellite imagery to assess the amount of material displaced by landslides following the earthquake, and found that it was two to seven times greater than the uplift caused by the fault motion. They conclude that, even if only a fraction of the debris from the landslides is eroded, it will still result in a net loss of material from the region.
Author contact:
Alex Densmore (Durham University, UK)
Tel: +44 191 334 1879; E-mail: [email protected]
[3] Cell Biology: Directing the building of blood vessels
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2232
Distinct signalling cues control the direction of blood vessels growth during development reports a paper published online this week in Nature Cell Biology. This finding could potentially be utilized in the development of drugs to halt blood supply to growing cancer cells.
During vertebrate development, the dorsal aorta and the anterior vein in the heart form a loop that ensures oxygen delivery to the organs. The mature circulation system is expanded and built by sprouting in opposite direction from these primitive blood vessels. Using zebrafish as a model system, Suk-Won Jin and colleagues have found that distinct signalling cues control the direction of blood vessels growth during development.
They note that aortic sprouts grow in one direction in response to the growth factor Vegf-A, a factor which they demonstrate has no influence on sprouts from the anterior vein. The authors also show that anterior vein sprouting in the opposite direction occurs in response to a different signalling pathway directed by the BMP molecule.
Since cancer cells grow their own vascular system to ensure oxygen supply, elucidating the basic mechanisms of blood vessels growth during development could allow scientists to create drugs that specifically cut out blood supply to malignant cells.
Author contact:
Suk-Won Jin (Yale University Medical School, New Haven, CT, USA)
Tel: +1 203 737 2098; E-mail: [email protected]
[4] Genetics: Exome sequencing for autism
DOI: 10.1038/ng.835
Sequencing of the exome—the protein-coding regions of the genome—of individuals with autism spectrum disorders is reported this week in Nature Genetics.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) include a range of mild to severe developmental disorders, including autism and Asperger syndrome.
Evan Eichler and colleagues sequenced the exomes of 20 individuals with non-familial ASD and their parents. They identify 21 de novo mutations, present in the ASD cases but not inherited from their parents. The authors further identify potentially causative mutations for four of the individuals with ASD. This highlights genes that have been implicated in intellectual disability as well as new candidate genes for ASD. These findings also suggest that de novo mutations contribute substantially to the genetic basis of ASD cases with no family history of the disorder.
Author contact:
Evan Eichler (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)
Tel: +1 206 543 9526; E-mail: [email protected]
[5] Geoscience: Oxygen oases for tiny animals
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1142
Mats of microbes containing photosynthetic bacteria create an oasis of oxygen-rich sediments in otherwise low-oxygen lagoons that is exploited by small animals, suggests a paper published online in Nature Geoscience. These conditions may be comparable to those found 555 million years ago when mobile animals first appeared in the fossil record.
Murray Gingras and colleagues analysed microbial mats found in high-salinity, low-oxygen lagoons off the coast of Venezuela. The mats cover patches of the sea floor in the lagoons. They found that oxygen levels were much higher in the mats than in the mat-free areas, although they declined dramatically at nightfall. The lagoon was largely devoid of seafloor animals, with the exception of small burrowing shore crabs and insect larvae that lived only in the mats.
The authors suggest that early mobile animals that lived in seafloor sediments may also have exploited the oxygen-rich conditions associated with microbial mats.
Author contact:
Murray Gingras (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada)
Tel: +1 780 492 1963; E-mail: [email protected]
[6] Methods: Renewable reagents for detecting human proteins
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1607
Systematic ways to generate high-affinity, high-selectivity and renewable binders of human proteins are reported online this week in Nature Methods. These results suggest that a large-scale effort to create renewable reagents to detect all human proteins should be feasible with existing methods and tools.
Antibodies are produced naturally as part of the immune system in animals. For decades, researchers have taken advantage of this process to create specific reagents that work in a similar fashion to antibodies, binding to proteins of interest. Such reagents are extremely important research tools, and are used extensively in the laboratory to detect or isolate a protein of interest from a biological sample. Although thousands of commercially available antibodies exist, their quality varies widely and most of these antibodies are not renewable—their exact compositions differ from batch to batch.
Karen Colwill, Susanne Gräslund and collaborators report the results of a pilot project to evaluate the generation of several types of renewable antibody-like reagents to 20 closely related human proteins. They demonstrated that the renewable reagents could be efficiently produced within a reasonable time frame and had affinities and selectivities on par with traditional antibodies.
Author contacts:
Karen Colwill (Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Toronto, Canada)
Tel: +1 416 586 4800, x3018; E-mail: [email protected]
Susanne Gräslund (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden)
Tel: +46 8 524 868 57; E-mail: [email protected]
[7] Physics: Single spins resolved in imaging experiment
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1999
Magnetic resonance imaging that can locate and resolve individual atoms embedded in a solid material is reported in a paper online this week in Nature Physics. This approach also allows individual spins to be controlled independently of each other, which could be important for technological applications.
Single electron spins have been detected before, but the methods used proved difficult to extend to multi-spin systems. Michael Grinolds and colleagues now demonstrate a magnetic resonance imaging technique that resolves individual spins in three dimensions with nanometre-scale resolution.
Author contact:
Michael Grinolds (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 495 8599; 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] Neural crest regulates myogenesis through the transient activation of NOTCH
DOI: 10.1038/nature09970
[9] Control of visual cortical signals by prefrontal Dopamine
DOI: 10.1038/nature09995
[10] COP1 is a tumour suppressor that causes degradation of ETS transcription factors
DOI: 10.1038/nature10005
[11] Reprogramming transcription by distinct classes of enhancers functionally defined by eRNA
DOI: 10.1038/nature10006
[12] Principles of activation and permeation in an anion-selective Cys-loop receptor
DOI: 10.1038/nature10139
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[13] Dosage suppression genetic interaction networks enhance functional wiring diagrams of the cell
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1855
[14] Assembly of full-length transcripts from RNA-Seq data without a reference genome
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1883
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[15] Basement membrane sliding and targeted adhesion remodels tissue boundaries during uterine–vulval attachment in Caenorhabditis elegans
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2233
[16] A kinase-independent role for Aurora A in the assembly of mitotic spindle microtubules in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2242
[17] The Rho GEFs LARG and GEF-H1 regulate the mechanical response to force on integrins
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2254
[18] Protein kinase A governs a RhoA–RhoGDI protrusion–retraction pacemaker in migrating cells
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2231
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio)
[19] A universal code for RNA recognition by PUF proteins
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.577
[20] Click-generated triazole ureas as ultrapotent, in vivo-active serine hydrolase inhibitors
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.579
NATURE CHEMISTRY (http://www.nature.com/nchem)
[21] The effect of gold loading and particle size on photocatalytic hydrogen production from ethanol over Au/TiO2 nanoparticles
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1048
[22] Water-oxidation catalysis by manganese in a geochemical-like cycle
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1049
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[23] Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies identifies common variants associated with blood pressure variation in east Asians
DOI: 10.1038/ng.834
[24] Identification of an imprinted master trans regulator at the KLF14 locus related to multiple metabolic phenotypes
DOI: 10.1038/ng.833
[25] A genome-wide association study of metabolic traits in human urine
DOI: 10.1038/ng.837
[26] Recessive LAMC3 mutations cause malformations of occipital cortical development
DOI: 10.1038/ng.836
NATURE GEOSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/ngeo)
[27] Young poorly crystalline graphite in the >3.8-Gyr-old Nuvvuagittuq banded iron formation
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1155
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[28] The transcription factor BATF controls the global regulators of class-switch recombination in both B cells and T cells
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2037
NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[29] Fast current-induced domain-wall motion controlled by the Rashba effect
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3020
[30] Tailoring organic heterojunction interfaces in bilayer polymer photovoltaic devices
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3026
[31] Nanoantenna-enhanced gas sensing in a single tailored nanofocus
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3029
NATURE MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[32] Elevated expression of CUEDC2 protein confers endocrine resistance in breast cancer
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2369
[33] Visualizing the innate and adaptive immune responses underlying allograft rejection by two-photon microscopy
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2376
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[34] A quantitative analysis of CLIP methods for identifying binding sites of RNA-binding proteins
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1608
[35] Spectral archives: extending spectral libraries to analyze both identified and unidentified spectra
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1609
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[36] Nonlinear damping in mechanical resonators made from carbon nanotubes and graphene
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.71
[37] Tunable subradiant lattice plasmons by out-of-plane dipolar interactions
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.72
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[38] Position-dependent patterning of spontaneous action potentials in immature cochlear inner hair cells
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2803
[39] Interferon-gamma induces progressive nigrostriatal degeneration and basal ganglia calcification
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2829
[40] Skn-1a (Pou2f3) specifies taste receptor cell lineage
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2820
NATURE PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[41] Liquid–liquid critical point in supercooled silicon
DOI: 10.1038/nphys1993
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[42] Global analysis of parental imprinting in human parthenogenetic induced pluripotent stem cells
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2050
[43] Implications of molecular heterogeneity for the cooperativity of biological macromolecules
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2052
[44] An RNA-induced conformational change required for CRISPR RNA cleavage by the endoribonuclease Cse3
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2043
[45] Recognition and maturation of effector RNAs in a CRISPR interference pathway
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2042
[46] Molecular design principles underlying b-strand swapping in the adhesive dimerization of cadherins
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2051
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***The following paper is for immediate release, though the rest of the above articles on this release remain under embargo until 15 May 1800 London time / 1300 US Eastern time ***
[47] Identification of T helper type 1–like, Foxp3+ regulatory T cells in human autoimmune disease
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2389
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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
Clayton: 8
Melbourne: 22, 23
Perth: 19
AUSTRIA
Innsbruck: 25
BRAZIL
Diadema: 1
Parana: 29
CANADA:
Edmonton: 5, 25, 45
Toronto: 6, 13
CHINA
Beijing: 23, 30, 32
Chengdu: 2
Jinan: 32
Shanghai: 10, 23
FRANCE
Grenoble: 29
Orleans: 2
Paris: 33
Plouzane: 5
GERMANY
Garching: 36
Griefswald: 25
Munich: 25
Neuherberg: 25
Nuthetal: 40
Stuttgart: 31
Tubingen: 38
ICELAND
Reykjavik: 24
INDIA
Bengaluru: 41
ISRAEL
Jerusalem: 14, 42
ITALY
Pavia: 38
JAPAN
Fukuoka: 23
Izumo: 23
Kobe: 16
Nagoya: 23
Nishinomiya: 23
Osaka: 16
Saitama: 30, 40
Sendai: 16
Suita: 23
Tokyo: 23, 30, 40
Toon: 23
Tsukuba: 22
NETHERLANDS
Nijmegen: 4
NEW ZEALAND
Auckland: 21
PORTUGAL
Lisbon: 1
Oeiras: 1
QATAR
Doha: 25
SINGAPORE
Singapore: 23
SOUTH KOREA
Chuncheongbuk-do: 23
SPAIN
Barcelona: 21, 29, 36
SWEDEN
Stockholm: 6
Uppsala: 14
SWITZERLAND
Basel: 18, 34
Geneva: 24
TAIWAN
Taichung: 23
Taipei: 23
TURKEY
Ankara: 26
Istanbul: 26
UNITED KINGDOM
Aberdeen: 21
Brighton: 38
Durham: 2
Edinburgh: 21
Hinxton: 24
London: 24
Oxford: 1, 4, 24
Sheffield: 38
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Berkeley: 31, 44
Davis: 22
Emeryville: 10
La Jolla: 11, 18, 20, 35
San Francisco: 10, 23
Stanford: 9, 43
Colorado
Denver: 5
Connecticut
New Haven: 3, 5, 26, 47
District of Columbia
Washington: 27
Florida
Gainesville: 39
Jacksonville: 39
Illinois
Chicago: 15
Evanston: 37
Louisiana
New Orleans: 23
Maryland
Baltimore: 1, 15
Bethesda: 13, 23
Massachusetts
Boston: 18, 28, 47
Cambridge: 7, 14
Chestnut Hill: 27
Malden: 11
Worcester: 14
Missouri
Kansas City:
St Louis: 23, 28
New Jersey
Princeton: 46
New York
Bronx: 13
Brooklyn: 26
New York: 46
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: 3, 17
Durham: 15
Oregon
Portland: 12
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: 32
Tennessee
Nashville: 3
Texas
Houston: 23, 27
Washington
Richland: 35
Seattle: 4
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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