NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE
For papers that will be published online on 19 June 2011
This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below.
This press release contains:
Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Materials: Targeting tumours through nanoparticles that scout, broadcast and recruit
Geoscience: Marginal temperature benefits from forest regrowth
Climate Change: Tell-tale signs of tipping
Climate Change: A push from pathogens
And finally…Neuroscience: Flies learn to smell friend from foe
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] Materials: Targeting tumours through nanoparticles that scout, broadcast and recruit
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3049
A nanoparticle-based system that uses communicative signal amplification—such as found in insect swarming—to target tumours in vivo is reported online this week in Nature Materials. The system operates autonomously and directs the accumulation of over 40-times-higher doses of an anti-cancer drug to tumours in mice, compared with non-communicating controls.
The nanoparticle system, reported by Sangeeta N. Bhatia and colleagues, consists of ‘signalling’ modules that scout for tumours and of ‘receiving’ modules loaded with drugs. Once the signalling nanoparticles locate a tumour, they harness the coagulation cascade—a complex process by which blood forms clots—to broadcast tumour location to the clot-targeting, receiving modules circulating in the blood. These then swarm towards the tumour and deliver the drugs. A single treatment using this communicating system showed prolonged inhibition of the growth of mouse-implanted human carcinoma relative to the modules in isolation.
“Although long-term studies are necessary before considering this system for clinical applications …, it promises enormous potential in the improvement of targeted cancer diagnosis and therapy,” says Younan Xia and colleagues in an accompanying News & Views.
Author contacts:
Sangeeta N. Bhatia (Harvard-MIT division of Health Sciences and Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 324 0221; E-mail: [email protected]
Younan Xia (Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA) N&V author
Tel: +1 314 935 8328; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Geoscience: Marginal temperature benefits from forest regrowth
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1182
The temperature benefits resulting from realistic efforts to replace cropland with forests are small, according to a study published online in Nature Geoscience. The researchers conclude that afforestation is not a substitute for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Nations considers the conversion of croplands or marginal lands into forests — known as afforestation — as one of the key climate change mitigation strategies available to governments.
Vivek Arora and Alvaro Montenegro used an Earth system numerical model to examine the potential of five afforestation scenarios to reduce warming between 2081 and 2100. They found the temperature benefits would be minimal; even the unrealistic scenario of converting 100% of the area now occupied by croplands to forest reduces warming by only around 0.45 °C.
Author contacts:
Vivek Arora (Environment Canada, Victoria, Canada)
Tel: + 1 250 363 8246; E-mail: [email protected]
Alvaro Montenegro (St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, Canada)
Tel: +1 902 867 2145; E-mail: [email protected]
[3] Climate Change: Tell-tale signs of tipping
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1143
Early warning systems of approaching climate tipping points are possible in principle and could considerably reduce risks to society, reports a review published online in this week in Nature Climate Change.
A tipping point occurs when a relatively small external change forces an apparently disproportionate response in a system, shifting it from one stable state to another. In society such change can be marked by civil unrest; in climate systems it is marked by physical impacts, such as dieback of the Amazon rainforest or melting of the Greenland ice sheet. Predicting tipping points, such that early warning becomes feasible, has proved elusive.
Tim Lenton considers recent scientific progress on the early warning of climate tipping points, focusing on statistical techniques for detecting the change in a system, such as a sluggish response to disturbance or increased variance, as well as the research needed to develop early warning systems.
In a related feature article, Mason Inman looks at the progress that scientists are making in detecting abrupt change in ecological systems. Small-scale changes, such as the point at which a lake becomes unproductive, could be easier to prevent, and new studies — drawing on both computer models and field data — offer encouraging signs that detecting changes at this level is possible and may scale-up to other systems. If so, then scientists will be one step closer to identifying vulnerable systems and stopping regime shifts before they happen.
Author contacts:
Tim Lenton (University of Exeter, UK)
Tel: +44 1392 724608; E-mail: [email protected]
Mason Inman (freelance journalist, based in California) Feature article author
Tel: +1 415 508 4493; E-mail: [email protected]
[4] Climate Change: A push from pathogens
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1142
Plant disease in an Arctic tundra ecosystem can alter and even reverse the effects of a changing climate on the carbon balance by changing plant composition, reports a study published online this week in Nature Climate Change.
Climate change can affect plant growth directly, but also indirectly through its influence on predation and disease. Plant growth in turn affects carbon storage, but how much carbon will be released in response to future climate is still highly uncertain.
Johan Olofsson and colleagues undertook a seven-year study into the effects of increased snow cover on tundra plant communities in Sweden. Despite the fact that plant growth was favoured by the insulating effects of increased snow cover in experimental plots, plant biomass decreased over the seven-year study owing to an outbreak of a parasitic fungus, Arwidssonia empetri. The disease killed the majority of the shoots of the dominant plant species, Empetrum hermaphroditum, after six years of increased snow cover, and significantly reduced instantaneous carbon exchange immediately afterwards.
Author contact:
Johan Olofsson, (Umea University, Sweden)
Tel: +46 90 786 6712; E-mail: [email protected]
[5] And finally…Neuroscience: Flies learn to smell friend from foe
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2836
Aggressive behavior displayed by one male fruit fly to another male fly is dependent on their previous social encounter and pheromone detection, reports a study published online this week in Nature Neuroscience.
Yi Rao and colleagues found that pre-exposure to male pheromones dampens male fruit fly aggression. At first, a male fly that detects another male’s odor will be aggressive, but this response is normally reduced after social grouping of male flies. The authors found that the initial aggression is caused by the pheromone activating one type of olfactory receptor, but that over time, a different receptor is activated and causes a decrease in aggressive behavior.
These results help explain the regulation of aggression in fruit flies, and suggest a potential chemical method to reduce this type of behavior in other animals. They also show that the same pheromone can cause two different behaviors depending on the duration and social context of pheromone exposure.
Author contact:
Yi Rao (Peking University, Beijing, China)
Tel: +86 10 6275 1850; 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)
[6] Intravenous gammaglobulin suppresses inflammation through a novel TH2 pathway
DOI: 10.1038/nature10134
[7] A forty-kilodalton protein of the inner membrane is the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
DOI: 10.1038/nature10230
[8] Integrative genomics identifies MCU as an essential component of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
DOI: 10.1038/nature10234
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology)
[9] A pipeline that integrates the discovery and verification of plasma protein biomarkers reveals candidate markers for cardiovascular disease
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1899
[10] A targeted proteomics–based pipeline for verification of biomarkers in plasma
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1900
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[11] Differential requirement for the dual functions of b-catenin in embryonic stem cell self-renewal and germ layer formation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2260
[12] Inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3 alleviates Tcf3 repression of the pluripotency network and increases embryonic stem cell resistance to differentiation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2267
[13] Opposing effects of Tcf3 and Tcf1 control Wnt stimulation of embryonic stem cell self-renewal
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2283
[14] RasGRF suppresses Cdc42-mediated tumour cell movement, cytoskeletal dynamics and transformation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2271
[15] Heterochromatin boundaries are hotspots for de novo kinetochore formation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2272
[16] Willin and Par3 cooperatively regulate epithelial apical constriction through a PKC-mediated ROCK phosphorylation
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2274
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio)
[17] A screen for regulators of survival of motor neuron protein levels
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.595
NATURE CHEMISTRY (http://www.nature.com/nchem)
[18] Nitrenium ions as ligands for transition metals
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1068
[19] An efficient synthesis of loline alkaloids
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1072
[20] Synthesis of 3-O-sulfonated heparan sulfate octasaccharides that inhibit the herpes simplex virus type 1 host–cell interaction
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1073
[21] Gateway synthesis of daphnane congeners and their protein kinase C affinities and cell-growth activities
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1074
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE (http://www.nature.com/nclimate)
[22] Crop-climate models need an overhaul
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1152
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[23] Exome sequencing identifies MAX mutations as a cause of hereditary pheochromocytoma
DOI: 10.1038/ng.861
[24] Identification of common variants influencing risk of the tauopathy progressive supranuclear palsy
DOI: 10.1038/ng.859
[25] CTCF-mediated functional chromatin interactome in pluripotent cells
DOI: 10.1038/ng.857
[26] A genetic interaction network of five genes for human polycystic kidney and liver diseases defines polycystin-1 as the central determinant of cyst formation
DOI: 10.1038/ng.860
NATURE GEOSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/ngeo)
[27] Chinese stalagmite delta18O controlled by changes in the Indian monsoon during a simulated Heinrich event
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1169
[28] Up-dip rupture of the 2004 Sumatra earthquake extended by thick indurated sediments
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1176
[29] Geochemical fluxes from low-temperature hydrothermal vents influenced by subsurface biosphere
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1183
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[30] Perforin pores in the endosomal membrane trigger the release of endocytosed granzyme B into the cytosol of target cells
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2050
[31] Inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 regulates neutrophil function in innate immunity by inhibiting phosphatidylinositol-(3,4,5)-trisphosphate signaling
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2052
NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[32] Atomic layer-deposited tunnel oxide stabilizes silicon photoanodes for water oxidation
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3047
[33] Linear coupling of alignment with transport in a polymer electrolyte membrane
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3048
[34] Supramolecular spin valves
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3050
[35] Giant Rashba-type spin splitting in bulk BiTeI
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3051
NATURE MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[36] Alpha cells secrete acetylcholine as a non-neuronal paracrine signal priming human beta cell function
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2371
[37] Broad antigenic coverage induced by viral cDNA library-based vaccination cures established tumors
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2390
[38] Loss of JAK2 regulation via VHL-SOCS1 E3 ubiquitin heterocomplex underlies Chuvash polychythemia
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2370
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[39] Single-molecule transport across an individual biomimetic nuclear pore complex
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.88
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[40] Glia instruct developmental neuronal remodeling through TGF-beta signaling
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2833
[41] Mushroom body efferent neurons responsible for aversive olfactory memory retrieval in Drosophila
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2846
[42] Imaging analysis of clock neurons: light buffers the wake-promoting effect of dopamine
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2860
NATURE PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[43] Dynamical d-wave condensation of exciton–polaritons in a two-dimensional square-lattice potential
DOI: 10.1038/nphys2012
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[44] Integrating energy calculations with functional assays to decipher the specificity of G protein–RGS protein interactions
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2068
[45] Eisosome-driven plasma membrane organization is mediated by BAR domains
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2080
[46] Misregulation of miR-1 processing is associated with heart defects in myotonic dystrophy
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2067
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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
Victoria: 24
AUSTRIA
Vienna: 11, 24
BELGIUM
Antwerp: 24
Leuven: 11
CANADA:
Antigonish: 2
Edmonton: 30
Toronto: 24, 38
Vancouver: 24
Victoria: 2
CHINA
Beijing: 5
DENMARK
Taastrup: 22
Tjele: 22
FINLAND
Helsinki: 2
Mikkeli: 22
Rovaniemi: 4
FRANCE
Eggenstein: 34
Grenoble: 34
Illkirch: 46
Lyon: 46
Orsay: 41
Paris: 24, 41, 46
Strasbourg: 34
GERMANY
Bergisch-Gladbach: 12
Freiburg: 12, 15
Giessen: 24
Goettingen: 24
Martinsried: 41, 45
Munich: 19
Munster: 1
Tuebingen: 24
Wurzburg: 24, 43
INDONESIA
Bandung: 28
Jakarta: 28
ISRAEL
Haifa: 18
Rehovot: 18
ITALY
Brescia: 24
Florence: 23
Foggia: 23
Ispra: 27
Milan: 23, 24
Milano: 24
Padova: 23
Padua: 7
Rome: 24
Venice: 24
JAPAN
Atsugi: 43
Higashi: 35
Hiroshima: 35
Kashiwa: 35
Kobe: 16
Kyoto: 16
Osaka: 46
Tokyo: 35, 41, 43
Tsukuba: 35
KOREA
Pohang: 36
MEXICO
Mexico: 12
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam: 24
Delft: 39
Rotterdam: 24
NORWAY
Bergen: 27
PORTUGAL
Porto: 15
SINGAPORE
Singapore: 25
SOUTH KOREA
Daejeon: 1
SPAIN
Badajoz: 23
Barcelona: 24
Granada: 23
Leon: 23
Madrid: 23, 24
Pamplona: 24
Santander: 14
SWEDEN
Stockholm: 24, 36
Umea: 4
Uppsala: 4
SWITZERLAND
Basel: 39
Geneva: 30
TAIWAN
Hsinchu: 20
Taipei: 20
UNITED KINGDOM
Cambridge: 12
Durham: 4
Leeds: 37
London: 12, 14, 24, 37
Manchester: 24
Norwich: 3
Oxford: 45
Sandwich: 12
Southampton: 28
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Arizona
Sun City: 24
California
La Jolla: 1, 38
Los Angeles: 24
San Diego: 1, 43
Santa Barbara: 1
Stanford: 21, 32, 43
Walnut Creek: 25
Connecticut
New Haven: 26, 45
Florida
Jacksonville: 24
Jupiter: 24
Miami: 24, 36
Georgia
Atlanta: 29
Illinois
Chicago: 13
Kentucky
Louisville: 24
Maryland
Baltimore: 31
Bethesda: 24
Massachusetts
Boston: 8, 9, 17, 30, 31
Cambridge: 1, 8, 13, 17, 29
Waltham: 42
Worcester: 40
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 24
Minnesota
Minneapolis: 40, 46
Rochester: 37
New Jersey
New Brunswick: 24
Parsippany: 17
New York
New York: 6
North Carolina
Chapel Hill: 38, 44
Ohio
Cleveland: 24
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia: 10, 24, 38
Pittsburgh: 17, 24
Texas
Austin: 28
Houston: 24
Virginia
Ashburn: 40, 41
Blacksburg: 33
Washington
Seattle: 10, 11, 24, 29
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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