This press release contains:
Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Geoscience: 3.4-billion-year-old sulphur-metabolizing microbes
Cell Biology: A system to study cells with cancer stem cell properties
Climate Change: Cryptic biodiversity crash
Climate Change: Calcifiers cover up
Geoscience: Evolution of plants influenced river shape
Mention of papers to be published at the same time
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] Geoscience: 3.4-billion-year-old sulphur-metabolizing microbes
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1238
The fossils of 3.4-billion-year-old microbes that used sulphur compounds for energy have been found in rocks from Western Australia, reports a paper published online in Nature Geoscience.
David Wacey, Martin Brasier and colleagues analysed microstructures present in rocks from the Strelley Pool Formation in Western Australia, and determined that they were the fossils of ancient microbes.
The fossils were associated with tiny crystals of pyrite – a mineral composed of iron and sulphur. The isotopic composition of the sulphur suggests that the pyrite was formed as a by-product of cellular metabolism based on sulphate and sulphur.
Author contacts:
David Wacey (University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia)
Tel: +61 86 488 8064; E-mail: [email protected]
Martin Brasier (University of Oxford, UK)
Tel: +44 1865 272040; E-mail: [email protected]
[2] Cell Biology: A system to study cells with cancer stem cell properties
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2308
Terminally differentiated non-cancerous human cells can be reprogrammed in culture to exhibit characteristics usually associated with ‘cancer stem cells’, and promote tumour growth when injected into mice. This experimental method, published online in Nature Cell Biology, could in future be used to study certain tumours.
Experimental evidence indicates that in some tumours cancerous growth is driven by a fraction of cells with specific proliferation characteristics, termed cancer stem cells. The expression of proteins implicated in cancer growth has been shown to induce initially non-tumorigenic differentiated human cells to form tumours in mice. Paola Scaffidi and Tom Misteli find that expression of such proteins induces a small subset of cells to adopt a primitive state with self-renewal properties. These cells also have the ability to generate tumours containing more differentiated cell types when injected into mice. This particular subset of cells therefore shares properties with the cancer stem cells that have been proposed to drive tumorigenesis in some specific cancers. The authors suggest that this in vitro experimental system could be exploited to study such tumours.
Author contact:
Paola Scaffidi (National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA)
Tel: +1 301 435 2664; E-mail: [email protected]
[3] Climate Change: Cryptic biodiversity crash
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1191
Loss of genetic diversity within a species resulting from climate change may be even more severe than biodiversity loss at the species level, according to a paper published online this week in Nature Climate Change. The work suggests that intraspecific patterns of genetic diversity should be considered when estimating the effects of climate change on biodiversity.
Steffen Pauls, Carsten Nowak and colleagues assessed the variability of mitochondrial DNA and modelled the distribution of nine mountain-dwelling aquatic insect species in Europe. They compared a ‘business as usual’ scenario for 2080 with one in which there would be reduced carbon dioxide emissions. Their results suggest that future contractions in the distribution of these species will be accompanied by severe losses of genetic evolutionary lineages and genetic diversity. The projected losses at the genetic level greatly exceed those at the scale of traditionally described species.
Author contacts:
Steffen Pauls (Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany)
Tel: +49 69 75 42 18 84; E-mail: [email protected]
Carsten Nowak (Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre, Frankfurt, Germany)
Tel: +49 6051 6954 3122; E-mail: [email protected]
[4] Climate Change: Calcifiers cover up
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1200
The external organic layers of marine calcifiers may play a large, but previously unappreciated, role in protecting these organisms from the corrosive effects of sea water, according to a paper published online this week in Nature Climate Change.
Using a series of transplantation experiments along natural atmospheric carbon dioxide gradients Riccardo Rodolfo-Metalpa and colleagues show that corals and molluscs are able to calcify and grow at faster than normal rates when exposed to the high carbon dioxide levels that are projected for the next 300 years.
The team suggests that although calcifiers continue to accrete shell or skeleton beneath healthy tissue, there is still risk of exposed shells and skeletons dissolving as pH levels fall, and only those with intact external protective layers remain protected. They also found that the adverse effects of climate change are exacerbated when high temperatures coincide with acidification.
Author contacts:
Ricardo Rodolfo-Metalpa (International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco)
Tel: +37 79 797 7272; E-mail: [email protected]
Jason Hall-Spencer (University of Plymouth, UK)
E-mail: [email protected]
Justin Ries (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA) N&V author
Tel: +1 919 962 0269; E-mail: [email protected]
[5] And finally…Geoscience: Evolution of plants influenced river shape
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1237
The evolution of tree-like plants some 330 million years ago was associated with the first appearance of river floodplains with fixed channels, reports a paper published online in Nature Geoscience.
Neil Davies and Martin Gibling demonstrate that the first appearance of a specific type of river deposit in the rock record, which they call fixed-channel floodplains, occurred after the expansion of tree-like plants. They suggest that the more-complex and deep root systems of these plants, along with the woody debris they created, stabilized river banks and allowed for the development of deep channels and floodplains.
In an accompanying News & Views, Chris Paola writes, “Davies and Gibling have identified a new way in which the evolution of plants has influenced terrestrial rivers.”
Author contacts:
Neil Davies (Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada)
Tel: +1 902 440 9663; E-mail: [email protected]
Martin Gibling (Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada)
Tel: +1 902 494 2355; E-mail: [email protected]
Chris Paola (University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA) N&V author
Tel: +1 612 624 8025; E-mail: [email protected]
Items from other Nature journals to be published online at the same time:
Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature)
[6] Solution structure of aminor and transiently formed state of a T4 lysozyme mutant
DOI: 10.1038/nature10349
[7] Continued clearance of apoptotic cells critically depends on the phagocyte Ucp2 protein
DOI: 10.1038/nature10340
[8] Mutations in UBQLN2 cause dominant X-linked juvenile and adult-onset ALS and ALS/dementia
DOI: 10.1038/nature10353
[9] A stress response pathway regulates DNA damage through b2-adrenoreceptors and b-arrestin-1
DOI: 10.1038/nature10368
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology)
[10] The tumour suppressor L(3)mbt inhibits neuroepithelial proliferation and acts on insulator elements
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2306
[11] aPKC phosphorylates NuMA-related LIN-5 to position the mitotic spindle during asymmetric division
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2315
[12] miRNA-mediated feedback inhibition of JAK/STAT morphogen signalling establishes a cell fate threshold
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2316
[13] DNA-damage response and repair activities at uncapped telomeres depend on RNF8
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2326
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio)
[14] Twisted Schiff-base intermediates and substrate locale revise transaldolase mechanism
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.633
[15] Using simple donors to drive the equilibria of glycosyltransferase-catalyzed reactions
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.638
[16] Multiple ligand-specific conformations of the b2-adrenergic receptor
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.634
NATURE CHEMISTRY (http://www.nature.com/nchem)
[17] The transcription factor FOXM1 is a cellular target of the natural product thiostrepton
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1114
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE (http://www.nature.com/nclimate)
The big squeeze
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1205
NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics)
[18] MicroRNAs can generate thresholds in target gene expression
DOI: 10.1038/ng.905
NATURE GEOSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/ngeo)
[19] Significant role of the North Icelandic jet in the formation of Denmark Strait overflow water
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1234
[20] A path to filled archives
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1248
NATURE IMMUNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology)
[21] The opposing roles of the transcription factor E2A and its antagonist Id3 that orchestrate and enforce the naive fate of T cells
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2086
NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials)
[22] Evolution and control of oxygen order in a cuprate superconductor
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3088
[23] A 3.90V iron-based fluorosulphate material for lithium-ion batteries crystallizing in the triplite structure
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3093
[24] In vivo and in vitro tracking of erosion in biodegradable materials using non-invasive fluorescence imaging
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3095
[25] Interface-induced room-temperature multiferroicity in BaTiO3
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3098
[26] Long-range spin Seebeck effect and acoustic spin pumping
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3099
Nature MEDICINE (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine)
[27] ATGL-mediated fat catabolism regulates cardiac mitochondrial function via PPARalpha and PGC-1
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2439
[28] Host S-nitrosylation inhibits clostridial small molecule-activated glucosylating toxins
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2405
[29] CD8 immunity mediates rAd5 vaccine protection against Ebola virus infection of nonhuman primates
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2447
[30] In vivo detection of Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis by targeting pathogen-specific prothrombin activation
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2423
NATURE METHODS (http://www.nature.com/nmeth)
[31] Site-specific integration and tailoring of cassette design for sustainable gene transfer
DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1674
NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nnano)
[32] Self-assembly of self-limiting monodisperse supraparticles from polydisperse nanoparticles
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.121
[33] Photocurrent mapping of near-field optical antenna resonances
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.131
[34] A single synthetic small molecule that generates force against a load
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.132
[35] Solution-processed core–shell nanowires for efficient photovoltaic cells
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.139
Nature NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience)
[36] Spatial gradients and multidimensional dynamics in a neural integrator circuit
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2888
[37] A new mode of corticothalamic transmission revealed in the GluA4 knockout model of absence epilepsy
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2896
[38] MiR-124a is required for hippocampal axogenesis and retinal cone survival through Lhx2 suppression
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2897
[39] Lateral habenula neurons signal errors in the prediction of reward information
DOI: 10.1038/nn.2902
NATURE PHOTONICS (http://www.nature.com/nphoton)
[40] Quantum communication with Gaussian channels of zero quantum capacity
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.203
[41] Giant broadband nonlinear optical absorption response in dispersed graphene single sheets
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.177
[42] Near-100% Bragg reflectivity of X-rays
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.197
[43] Nanomolding of transparent zinc oxide electrodes for efficient light trapping in solar cells
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.198
[44] Sub-picosecond phase-sensitive optical pulse characterization on a chip
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.199
Nature PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics)
[45] Robust optical delay lines with topological protection
DOI: 10.1038/nphys2063
[46] Tunable laser plasma accelerator based on longitudinal density tailoring
DOI: 10.1038/nphys2071
Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol)
[47] An unusual dimeric structure and assembly for TLR4 regulator RP105-MD-1
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2106
[48] The structural basis of RNA-catalyzed RNA polymerization
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2107
[49] Mechanism of ubiquitylation by dimeric RING ligase RNF4
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2108
[50] Transfer RNA-mediated regulation of ribosome dynamics during protein synthesis
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2098
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
Crawley: 1
Sydney: 4, 44
AUSTRIA
Graz: 27
Vienna: 10, 27
BELGIUM
Liege: 34
Louvain: 34
CANADA:
Halifax: 5
Ottawa: 8
Quebec: 44
Toronto: 6
CHINA
Beijing: 8, 32, 46
Hong Kong: 44
FRANCE
Amiens: 23
Evry: 25
Montpellier: 23
Nouvelle-Caledonie: 4
Orsay: 25
Palaiseau: 25
Paris: 23
Villefranche-sur-mer: 4
GERMANY
Berlin: 25
Bochum: 25
Dresden: 11
Frankfurt am Main: 3:
Freiburg: 36
Gelnhausen: 3
Goettingen: 14
Hamburg: 46
Halle: 14
Heidelberg: 10
Kaiserslautern: 26
Kiel: 20
Landau: 3
Mainz: 3
Martinsried: 36
Tubingen: 12
ICELAND
Akureyri: 19
Reykjavik: 19
ISRAEL
Eilat: 4
Karmiel: 24
Ramay-Gan: 4
ITALY
Ancona: 27
Ischia: 4
Milan: 31
Rome: 22, 44
Trieste: 22
JAPAN
Kyoto: 21, 38
Nagoya: 38
Osaka: 8, 38
Sendai: 26
Tokai: 26
Tokyo: 26
MONACO
Monaco: 4
NETHERLANDS
Amsterdam: 13
Maastricht: 27, 30
Utrecht: 11
NORWAY
Bergen: 19
PORTUGAL
Oeiras: 6
ROMANIA
Cluj: 3
RUSSIA
Troitsk: 42
SINGAPORE
Singapore: 41
SOUTH KOREA
Chonbuk: 8
SPAIN
Barcelona: 24, 30, 31
SWITZERLAND
Neuchatel: 43
UNITED KINGDOM
Cambridge: 17, 25, 41
Canterbury: 23
Dundee: 49
Edinburgh: 34
Glasgow: 8
London: 22
Oxford: 1
Plymouth: 4
St Andrews: 49
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Alabama
Auburn: 30
California
Berkeley: 35, 46
La Jolla: 21, 47
Los Angeles: 28
Pleasanton: 46
Richmond: 31
San Francisco: 36
Santa Barbara: 6
Stanford: 18, 33, 37
Colorado
Florida
Jupiter: 9
Miami: 8
Orlando: 7
Illinois
Argonne: 32, 42
Chicago: 8, 30, 46
Urbana: 50
Maine
Bar Harbor: 37
Maryland
Annapolis: 44
Baltimore: 12
Bethesda: 2, 18, 29, 39, 50
College Park: 45
Fort Detrick: 29
Massachusetts
Boston: 22, 24, 29, 30
Cambridge: 18, 24, 45, 48
Charlestown: 30
Lexington: 24
North Grafton: 28
Woods Hole: 19
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 32
New Jersey
Princeton: 36
New Mexico
Los Alamos: 40
New York
Hawthorne: 24
Ithaca: 36
New York: 18, 36, 50
Yorktown Heights: 40
North Carolina
Charlotte: 8
Durham: 9, 16
Ohio
Cleveland: 28
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: 27
Scranton: 28
Tennessee
Nashville: 8, 30
Texas
Galveston: 28, 29
Virginia
Charlottesville: 7
Fort Belvoir: 29
Washington
Seattle: 6
Wisconsin
Madison: 15
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)
Elissa Bolt
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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