This press release contains:
· Summaries of newsworthy papers:
Medicine: Brain stem cells fight tumors
Geoscience: Delta restoration
Medicine: A new therapeutic target for melanoma
Nature: Constructive applications for bacterial pathogens
Medicine: Dampening immunity to promote bone metastasis
And finally…Biotechnology: Jellyfish mimics
· Geographical listing of authors
[1] Medicine: Brain stem cells fight tumors
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2827
An antitumor pathway in mice and humans involving specific fatty acid molecules, vanilloids, secreted by neural progenitor cells (NPC) is reported in a study published online this week in Nature Medicine.
Neural progenitor cells, found in the juvenile brain, tend to be recruited to brain tumors, and secrete factors that induce death of cancer cells.
Rainer Glass and colleagues identify these secreted factors as vanilloids, and unravel the mechanism by which they protect the brain from tumors. Vanilloids signal through the vanilloid receptor TRPV1, which is highly expressed in malignant gliomas—cancers in the/of the brain—and activate a stress pathway in tumor cells that causes cell death. This tumor suppression effect of young NPCs could be recreated in was in adult mice with brain tumors by treatment with a synthetic vanilloid, called arvanil.
The findings suggest a potentially stronger suppressive effect of endogenous brain molecules on tumors depending on the abundance of NPCs, which may have implications for patients of different ages, and identify vanilloid-TRPV1 signaling as a candidate pathway to be targeted pharmacologically in brain tumors.
Author contact:
Rainer Glass (University of Munich, Germany)
Tel: + 49 89 7095 3148; E-mail: [email protected]
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[2] Geoscience: Delta restoration
DOI 10.1038/ngeo1525
The diversion of sediment-laden waters from the Mississippi River to the Bonnet Carré Spillway during the 2011 flood suggests that river diversions could help build new land along Louisiana’s retreating coastline, reports work published online in Nature Geoscience. The Bonnet Carré Spillway currently diverts floodwaters from the Mississippi River to a nearby lake, and was opened during the 2011 flood to prevent inundation of New Orleans.
Jeffrey Nittrouer and colleagues examined the aerial extent and thickness of sediments deposited in the Bonnet Carré spillway following the 2011 Mississippi River flood. They show that, despite the spillway only siphoning off the uppermost part of the flow, over 30% of the river’s sand load was diverted. They suggest that the location of the spillway relative to the river’s shape caused more sand — essential for building new land — to be carried off the river.
The findings suggest that engineered river diversions can aid in the development of new land.
Author contact:
Jeffrey Nittrouer (University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA)
Tel: +1 206 251 2444; E-mail: [email protected]
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[3] Medicine: A new therapeutic target for melanoma
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2863
A genetic alteration in melanoma cells that subverts tumor suppressive mechanisms and can be targeted with available compounds to inhibit cancer growth is published online this week in Nature Medicine.
Most types of tumors carry frequent alterations that directly affect the function of p53, a crucial protector from oncogenic transformation. But traditionally, mutations in p53 are rare in melanoma, and how these cancer cells overcome p53’s suppression is not well known.
Jean-Christophe Marine and colleagues report that people with melanoma have increased levels of MDM4, a protein that can inactivate p53. Melanoma cells rely on MDM4 to overcome the tumor suppression exerted by p53 and form tumors. A previously developed peptide that disrupts the interaction between MDM4 and p53 and restores p53’s function restricts melanoma growth, suggesting that MDM4 could represent a potential therapeutic target for this deadly human cancer.
Author contact:
Jean-Christophe Marine (Center for Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium)
Tel: +32 163 30 368; E-mail: [email protected]
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[4] Nature: Constructive applications for bacterial pathogens
DOI: 10.1038/nature11259
Bacterial pathogens might have a bad reputation in terms of their association with diseases, but they have certain characteristics that could have useful biotechnological or therapeutic applications. Research in Nature this week shows that bacterial proteins can reprogram signalling in yeast and human immune T cells; the latter can be used in adoptive immunotherapy to treat cancer and chronic infection. Tweaking the signalling in immune cells could help to reduce the risk of adverse side effects such as off-target toxicity.
Although most investigations of pathogen proteins aim to neutralize infectious capabilities, Wendell Lim and colleagues show that these proteins can also be valuable synthetic biology tools. They exploit two bacterial proteins to rewire yeast and mammalian immune cell responses through mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways; these pathways have roles in immune responses and in regulating uncontrolled cell growth associated with cancer. The authors also show that the bacterial proteins can be used to tune or temporarily disable T-cell responses, potentially providing a safety switch for adoptive immunotherapy.
A classic problem with adoptive immunotherapy is how to balance the targeted immune response (for example, towards tumour or chronic infection) with non-specific autoimmune-like side effects. Thus, approaches that can balance therapeutic action against off-target toxicity are attractive.
Author contact:
Wendell Lim (University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA)
Tel: +1 415 502 8080; E-mail: [email protected]
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[5] Medicine: Dampening immunity to promote bone metastasis
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2830
A novel pathway by which metastatic breast cancer cells dampen the body’s immune responses to thrive in bone is published online this week in Nature Medicine.
Belinda Parker and colleagues show that human bone metastasis have decreased amounts of Irf7, a master regulator of interferon responses that typically provide an enhanced immune response, and of its target genes. Deregulation of Irf7 by tumor cells accelerates bone metastasis by invoking the pro-tumorigenic help of myeloid-derived suppressor cells while keeping other anti-tumor immune effectors at bay.
The findings provide a new perspective on how metastatic tumors subvert innate immune responses and suggest the potential benefit of antimetastatic therapies targeting IFN signaling in people with breast cancer.
Author contact:
Belinda Parker (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Research Division, East Melbourne, Australia)
Tel: + 61 402 849 305; E-mail: [email protected]
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[6] And finally…Biotechnology: Jellyfish mimics
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2269
A freely swimming jellyfish replica made from silicone polymer and rat heart cells is reported this week in Nature Biotechnology. The study, which advances a quantitative and system-level approach to tissue engineering, provides new insights into the design of muscular pumps.
Kit Parker, John Dabiri and colleagues began by scrutinizing previous work on how jellyfish swim. They defined three key features of the jellyfish stroke cycle and predicted tissue-engineering approaches that might be able to mimic them. The jellyfish ‘power’ stroke—rapid, symmetric contraction of a compressible bell by a network of electrically active cells—might be copied by electrically stimulating a sheet of rat heart muscle cells. The slow ‘recovery’ stroke might be replicated by growing the rat heart cells on an elastic material that would return to its original shape. Additional in-depth analysis of young jellyfish revealed the local and global patterns of muscle-cell activation that underlie swimming. By varying the shape and muscle architecture of their designs, the authors succeeded in creating millimeter-sized constructs that closely simulate the swimming and feeding behaviors of jellyfish. The quantitative reverse engineering strategy developed in this study may be applicable to tissue engineering in a therapeutic context.
Author contacts:
Kit Parker (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)
Tel: +1 617 495 2850; E-mail: [email protected]
John Dabiri (California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA)
Tel: +1 626 395 6294; E-mail: [email protected]
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Nature
[7] Chromatin organization is a major influence on regional mutation rates in human cancer cells
DOI: 10.1038/nature11273
[8] A biophysical signature of network affiliation and sensory processing in mitral cells
DOI: 10.1038/nature11291
[9] Heterodimeric JAK–STAT activation as a mechanism of persistence to JAK2 inhibitor therapy
DOI: 10.1038/nature11303
[10] Medulloblastoma exome sequencing uncovers subtype-specific somatic mutations
DOI: 10.1038/nature11329
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NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
[11] Full-length mRNA-Seq from single-cell levels of RNA and individual circulating tumor cells
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2282
[12] Associative transcriptomics of traits in the polyploid crop species Brassica napus
DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2302
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NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
[13] Modulation of glutamine metabolism by the PI(3)K–PKB–FOXO network regulates autophagy
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2536
[14] Synaptotagmin-like proteins control the formation of a single apical membrane domain in epithelial cells
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2541
[15] Interaction between BZR1 and PIF4 integrates brassinosteroid and environmental responses
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2545
[16] Brassinosteroid, gibberellin and phytochrome impinge on a common transcription module in Arabidopsis
DOI: 10.1038/ncb2546
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NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
[17] Discovery of glycosyltransferases using carbohydrate arrays and mass spectrometry
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1022
[18] Transient GPI-anchored protein homodimers are units for raft organization and function
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1028
[19] A stand-alone adenylation domain forms amide bonds in streptothricin biosynthesis
DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.1040
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NATURE CHEMISTRY
[20] Selective transformations of complex molecules are enabled by aptameric protective groups
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1402
[21] Dissecting the mechanisms of a class of chemical glycosylation using primary 13C kinetic isotope effects
DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1404
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NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
[22] An extreme climatic event alters marine ecosystem structure in a global biodiversity hotspot
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1627
[23] Emerging Vibrio risk at high latitudes in response to ocean warming
DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1628
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NATURE GENETICS
[24] Fast and accurate genotype imputation in genome-wide association studies through pre-phasing
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2354
[25] Including known covariates can reduce power to detect genetic effects in case-control studies
DOI: 10.1038/ng.2346
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NATURE GEOSCIENCE
[26] Unradiogenic lead in Earth’s upper mantle
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1531
[27] Granular disruption during explosive volcanic eruptions
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1524
[28] Late accretion as a natural consequence of planetary growth
DOI: 10.1038/ngeo1527
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NATURE IMMUNOLOGY
[29] Type II natural killer T cells use features of both innate-like and conventional T cells to recognize sulfatide self antigens
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2371
[30] Recognition of CD1d-sulfatide mediated by a type II natural killer T cell antigen receptor
DOI: 10.1038/ni.2372
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NATURE MATERIALS
[31] Single-crystal organic charge-transfer interfaces probed using Schottky-gated heterostructures
DOI: 10.1038/nmat3383
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Nature MEDICINE
[32] The pulmonary endothelial glycocalyx regulates neutrophil adhesion and lung injury during sepsis
DOI: 10.1038/nm.2843
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NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY
[33] Graphene coating makes carbon nanotube aerogels superelastic and resistant to fatigue
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.118
[34] Nanoscale patterning of complex magnetic nanostructures by reduction with low-energy protons
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.125
[35] A monolithic array of three-dimensional ion traps fabricated with conventional semiconductor technology
DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2012.126
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Nature NEUROSCIENCE
[36] Early involvement of prefrontal cortex in visual bottom up attention
DOI: 10.1038/nn.3164
[37] Alzheimer amyloid-beta oligomer bound to post-synaptic prion protein activates Fyn to impair neurons
DOI: 10.1038/nn.3178
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NATURE PHOTONICS
[38] Transfer-printed stacked nanomembrane lasers on silicon
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2012.160
[39] Maximal energy transport through disordered media with the implementation of transmission eigenchannels
DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2012.159
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Nature PHYSICS
[40] Controlling chemical reactions of a single particle
DOI: 10.1038/nphys2373
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Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
[41] Direct sequencing of Arabidopsis thaliana RNA reveals patterns of cleavage and polyadenylation
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2345
[42] 5-Formylcytosine and 5-carboxylcytosine reduce the rate and substrate specificity of RNA polymerase II transcription
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2346
[43] Crystal structures of the JAK2 pseudokinase domain and the pathogenic mutant V617F
DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2348
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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: 5, 30
Crawley: 22
Joondalup: 22
Melbourne: 3, 5, 30
Parkville: 3, 5
BELGIUM
Brussels: 3, 5
Ghent: 3
Leuven: 3
CANADA:
Kingston: 21
Ottawa: 21
Toronto: 4, 10, 30
CHINA
Hebei: 16
Hefei: 28
Shandong: 17
Tianjin: 17
DENMARK
Copenhagen: 8
FINLAND
Helsinki: 23
Tampere: 43
FRANCE
Clermont Ferrand: 26
Gif-sur-Yvette: 21
Lyon: 3
Montpellier: 26
Orsay: 3
Paris: 8
GERMANY
Berlin: 1
Frankfurt: 1
Heidelberg: 10
Leipzig: 13
Munich: 1
Tubingen: 13
ITALY
Naples: 31
Pozzuoli: 1
JAPAN
Fukui: 19
Ibaraki: 18
Kyoto: 18
Saitama: 18, 31
Sendai: 14
Tokyo: 19
Toyama: 19
NETHERLANDS
Groningen: 14, 20
Leiden: 3
Utrecht: 13
SOUTH KOREA
Seoul: 34, 39
Yongin: 39
SPAIN
Barcelona: 7
Gran Canaria: 22
Madrid: 14
Santiago de Compostela: 23
SWEDEN
Gothenburg: 30
Kista: 38
Lund: 1
Stockholm: 11, 23
SWITZERLAND
Geneva: 31
UNITED KINGDOM
Cambridge: 5, 40
Cardiff: 30
Dundee: 41
Leeds: 26
London: 7, 8
Milton Keynes: 26
Norwich: 12
Oxford: 24, 25, 26
Teddington: 35
Thriplow: 12
Weymouth: 23
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
California
Berkeley: 27
Hayward: 11
La Jolla: 1, 11, 28, 29, 42
Los Angeles: 1, 3
Pasadena: 6
San Diego: 29
San Francisco: 4, 14
Stanford: 10, 15, 16
Colorado
Aurora: 32
Denver: 30, 32
Connecticut
New Haven: 37
District of Columbia
Washington: 28
Georgia
Atlanta: 27
Illinois
Chicago: 24, 42
Evanston: 17, 31
Skokie: 31
Urbana: 2
Louisiana
Norco: 2
Maryland
Baltimore: 5, 32
Bethesda: 3, 14
Camp Springs: 23
College Park: 28
Greenbelt: 22
Massachusetts
Boston: 4, 9, 10, 13
Cambridge: 6, 10, 41
Waltham: 10
Michigan
Ann Arbor: 24
Detroit: 21
New Jersey
New Brunswick: 3
New York
New York: 1, 9, 37, 43
North Carolina
Durham: 16
Winston-Salem: 36
Ohio
Columbus: 17
Oregon
Clackamas: 4
Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh: 33
Texas
Arlington: 38
Houston: 9
Wisconsin
Madison: 38
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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]
Eiji Matsuda (Nature Tokyo)
Tel: +81 3 3267 8751; E-mail: [email protected]
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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)
Kim Tolleson
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)
Rory Howlett
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)
Ray Parker
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)
Michelle Montoya
Tel: +1 212 726 9331; E-mail: [email protected]
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