10 December 2009 Volume 462 Number 7274, pp 699 - 818
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It has never been as easy to make discoveries beyond the
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EDITORIALS
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A question of integrity p699
Iran's institutions must investigate allegations of scientific
plagiarism as a matter of urgency.
doi:10.1038/462699a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=229&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
A slippery slope p699
Animal-research policies should be guided by moral consensus, not
by arbitrary decisions.
doi:10.1038/462699b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=228&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
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Animal perception: When 'wit' is not 'wet' p700
doi:10.1038/462700a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=328&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Climate science: Carbon sink limits p700
doi:10.1038/462700b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=330&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Drug delivery: Into the tumour p700
doi:10.1038/462700c
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=332&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Immunology: Worms begone! p700
doi:10.1038/462700d
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=334&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Physics: Electron turnstiles p700
doi:10.1038/462700e
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=336&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Neuroscience: Hub neurons synch brain pp700-701
doi:10.1038/462700f
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=338&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Planetary science: Titan's tub p701
doi:10.1038/462701a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=340&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Microbiology: Malaria adapts to host p701
doi:10.1038/462701b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=342&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Chemistry: Fuel cells' future p701
doi:10.1038/462701c
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=344&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Evolution: Bird feeder effects p701
doi:10.1038/462701d
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=345&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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JOURNAL CLUB
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Journal club p701
Katherine H. Freeman
doi:10.1038/462701e
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=353&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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NEWS
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News briefing: 10 December 2009 pp702-703
The week in science
doi:10.1038/462702a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=15&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Plagiarism scandal grows in Iran pp704-705
Investigation finds more cases of duplication in publications
co-authored by ministers and senior officials.
Declan Butler
doi:10.1038/462704a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=16&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Exoplanet claim bites the dust p705
Ground-based astrometry dealt a blow as planet found not to exist.
Katharine Sanderson
doi:10.1038/462705a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=17&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Primate study halted by US university pp706-707
Officials fear violent reprisals from a reinvigorated animal-rights
movement.
Brendan Borrell
doi:10.1038/462706a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=19&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Culture clash at Australian synchrotron pp706-707
Science and business leaders go to war at premier facility.
Stephen Pincock
doi:10.1038/462706b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=20&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
'Killer application' for protein synthesis is retracted p707
Lost lab notes hamper attempts to repeat crucial experiment.
Erika Check Hayden
doi:10.1038/462707a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=21&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Cattle disease faces total wipeout p709
Rinderpest goes the way of smallpox.
Natasha Gilbert
doi:10.1038/462709a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=22&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Centre turns away from healing herbs p711
US research hub on complementary and alternative medicine shifts
towards symptom management.
Meredith Wadman
doi:10.1038/462711a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=23&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Israel weighs up new funding agency p712
Top scientists say that basic biomedical research is flagging.
Haim Watzman
doi:10.1038/462712a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=79&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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NEWS FEATURES
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Copenhagen: the scientists' view pp714-715
The United Nations Climate Change Conference is mainly a political
affair but it has drawn hundreds of scientists to the Danish capital.
Jeff Tollefson finds out what they hope to gain.
doi:10.1038/462714a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=80&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Emerging disease: Looking for trouble pp717-719
How do you persuade philanthropists to pay $1 million for every
pathogenic human virus you discover? Anjali Nayar talks to
'virus hunter' Nathan Wolfe in Cameroon to find out.
Anjali Nayar
doi:10.1038/462717a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=77&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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CORRESPONDENCE
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Emissions: Canada should not be isolating itself p720
David Suzuki
doi:10.1038/462720a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=348&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Emissions: taking a collaborative lead will work better p720
Xufeng Zhu
doi:10.1038/462720b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=350&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Need for religions to promote values of conservation p720
Matthew Hall, John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker
doi:10.1038/462720c
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=359&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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OPINION
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Time to future-proof plants in storage p721
Seed banks must collect and condition their holdings of wild species
so that they can thrive in landscapes transformed by climate change,
say Jeffrey Walck and Kingsley Dixon.
doi:10.1038/462721a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=361&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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BOOKS AND ARTS
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A guide to the day of big data pp722-723
Michael Nielsen enjoys a rich and stimulating collection of essays
on the way in which massive computing power is changing science,
from astronomy to zoology.
Michael Nielsen reviews The Fourth Paradigm: Data-Intensive
Scientific Discovery by Tony Hey, Stewart Tansley and Kristin Tolle
doi:10.1038/462722a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=354&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
How to get your message across p723
Gia Milinovich reviews Don't Be Such A Scientist: Talking Substance
in an Age of Style by Randy Olson
doi:10.1038/462723a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=357&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Third physics opera for Philip Glass p724
Jay M. Pasachoff and Naomi Pasachoff review Kepler by
doi:10.1038/462724a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=366&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
In Retrospect: Kepler's Astronomia Nova p725
Jack J. Lissauer explains how the great astronomer's insight into
planetary orbits is still revealing new views of the Universe four
centuries on -- from extrasolar Earths to black holes.
Jack J. Lissauer reviews Astronomia Nova by Johannes Kepler
doi:10.1038/462725a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=368&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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NEWS AND VIEWS
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Developmental biology: Asymmetry with a twist pp727-728
In snails, manipulating the orientation of cells in the early embryo
alters the left–right asymmetry of the shell and body. These findings
refine the search for the symmetry-breaking event in this and other
animals.
Nipam H. Patel
doi:10.1038/462727a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=363&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Gamma-ray bursts: Magnetism in a cosmic blast pp728-729
Astronomers know little about [gamma]-ray bursts other than that they
are the most energetic explosions in the Universe. The latest
observations indicate that large-scale magnetism contributes to their
power.
Maxim Lyutikov
doi:10.1038/462728a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=285&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
50 & 100 years ago p729
doi:10.1038/462729b
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=287&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Neuroscience: Excitatory view of a receptor pp729-731
Ion channels opened by glutamate mediate fast cell-to-cell information
transfer in the nervous system. The structure of a full-length
tetrameric glutamate receptor is both confirmatory and revelatory.
Lonnie P. Wollmuth and Stephen F. Traynelis
doi:10.1038/462729a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=288&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Earth science: The enigma of D'' pp731-732
A phase transition of Earth's most abundant mineral occurs at
pressures and temperatures corresponding to those thought to exist
just above Earth's core. New experiments shed light on this
enigmatic D'' region.
Kanani K. M. Lee
doi:10.1038/462731a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=289&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Immunology: Dendritic-cell genealogy pp732-733
The differing origins of gut dendritic cells — white blood cells that
modulate immune responses — may explain how the intestinal immune
system manages to destroy harmful pathogens while tolerating beneficial
bacteria.
Sophie Laffont and Fiona Powrie
doi:10.1038/462732a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=280&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Structural biology: Molecular coin slots for urea pp733-734
Membrane-bound protein channels that allow only urea to pass through
are vital to the kidney's ability to conserve water. Crystal
structures show that the channels select urea molecules by passing
them through thin slots.
Mark A. Knepper and Joseph A. Mindell
doi:10.1038/462733a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=281&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Obituary: Qian Xuesen (1911–2009) p735
Founder of China's missile and space programme.
Jane Qiu
doi:10.1038/462735a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=282&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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NEWS AND VIEWS Q&A
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Systems chemistry: Molecular networks come of age pp736-738
The advent of sophisticated analytical tools enables the collective
behaviour of networks of interacting molecules to be studied. The
emerging field of systems chemistry promises to allow such networks
to be designed to perform complex functions, and might even shed
light on the origins of life.
Jonathan R. Nitschke
doi:10.1038/462736a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=283&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS ARISING
----------------------
Evidence for escape from adaptive conflict? pE1
Todd Barkman and Jianzhi Zhang
doi:10.1038/nature08663
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=292&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=293&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Des Marais & Rausher reply ppE2-E3
David L. Des Marais and Mark D. Rausher
doi:10.1038/nature08664
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=295&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=313&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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ARTICLES
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Cancer-associated IDH1 mutations produce 2-hydroxyglutarate pp739-744
Mutations in the enzyme cytosolic isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1)
are commonly found in glioblastomas, a major subset of primary human
brain cancers. However, only a single copy of the gene is mutated,
suggesting that the mutation does not result in a simple loss of
function. Here, IDH1 mutations are shown to act in a gain-of-function
manner, resulting in a new ability of the enzyme to catalyse
[alpha]-ketoglutarate to R(-)-2-hydroxyglutarate, an onco-metabolite.
Lenny Dang et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08617
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=315&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=308&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
X-ray structure, symmetry and mechanism of an AMPA-subtype glutamate
receptor pp745-756
The majority of excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous
system is mediated by ionotropic glutamate receptors, which function
by opening a transmembrane ion channel upon binding of glutamate.
However, despite this crucial role in neurobiology, the architecture
and atomic structure of an intact isotropic glutamate receptor are
unknown. The X-ray crystal structure of the rat GluA2 receptor in
complex with a competitive antagonist is now reported and analysed.
Alexander I. Sobolevsky, Michael P. Rosconi and Eric Gouaux
doi:10.1038/nature08624
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=310&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=304&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Crystal structure of a bacterial homologue of the kidney urea
transporter pp757-761
Specialized urea transporters have evolved to achieve rapid and
selective urea permeation in the mammalian kidney, a process
ultimately necessary for water re-absorption. Here, the X-ray
crystal structure of a functional urea transporter from the
bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris is presented and analysed; the
results establish that the urea transporter operates by a
channel-like mechanism and reveal the physical and chemical basis
of urea selectivity.
Elena J. Levin, Matthias Quick and Ming Zhou
doi:10.1038/nature08558
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=306&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=300&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Encounter and extrusion of an intrahelical lesion by a DNA repair
enzyme pp762-766
In living systems, the repair of genotoxic damage requires that the
lesion first be detected in an excess of undamaged DNA. A base-excision
DNA repair enzyme, MutM, is now captured and structurally elucidated
at the stage of initial encounter with a damaged nucleobase within a
DNA duplex. By combining structural biology and computational modelling,
the pathway by which this encounter causes the damaged nucleobase to be
extruded from the DNA duplex is defined.
Yan Qi et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08561
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=302&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=322&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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LETTERS
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Ten per cent polarized optical emission from GRB 090102 pp767-769
The nature of the jets and the role of magnetic fields in gamma-ray
bursts (GRBs) remain unclear. There are two possible models, one of
which suggests that magnetic fields are critical; to distinguish
between these models the degree of polarization in early-time emission
must be measured. The early optical emission from GRB 090102 is now
reported to be polarized at 10 [plusmn] 1 per cent, indicating the
presence of large-scale fields originating in the expanding fireball.
I. A. Steele et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08590
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=143&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=137&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
A connection between star formation activity and cosmic rays in the
starburst galaxy M82 pp770-772
Cosmic rays are believed to be mainly accelerated by the winds and
supernovae of massive stars, although definite evidence for this is
lacking. The active regions of starburst galaxies have exceptionally
high rates of star formation, and therefore should produce cosmic rays
that interact with interstellar gas and radiation to produce diffuse
[gamma]-rays. The detection and analysis of >700-GeV [gamma]-rays from
M82, the prototype small starburst galaxy, now links cosmic-ray
acceleration to star formation activity.
V. A. Acciari et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08557
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=140&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=131&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Disordered, quasicrystalline and crystalline phases of densely packed
tetrahedra pp773-777
All hard, convex shapes pack more densely than spheres, although for
tetrahedra this was demonstrated only very recently. Here, tetrahedra
are shown to pack even more densely than previously thought.
Thermodynamic computer simulations allow the system to evolve naturally
towards high-density states, showing that a fluid of hard tetrahedra
undergoes a first-order phase transition to a dodecagonal quasicrystal,
and yielding the highest packing fractions yet observed for tetrahedra.
Amir Haji-Akbari et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08641
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=133&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=127&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Catastrophic flood of the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity
crisis pp778-781
5.33 million years ago, in an event known as the Zanclean flood, Atlantic
waters refilled a mostly desiccated Mediterranean Sea which had become
disconnected from the world's oceans; however, the nature, abruptness
and evolution of this flood remain poorly constrained. Using borehole
and seismic data and a model study, it is now suggested that 90 per
cent of the water was transferred in a short period of a few months to
two years, with peak rates of sea level rise in the Mediterranean
possibly reaching more than 10 metres per day.
D. Garcia-Castellanos et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08555
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=129&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=124&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Thickness and Clapeyron slope of the post-perovskite boundary pp782-785
Seismic detectability of the boundaries and convection in the mantle
is strongly influenced by the thicknesses and Clapeyron slopes of
mantle phase boundaries. The unusually large positive Clapeyron slope
found for the boundary between perovskite and post-perovskite
(the 'pPv boundary') would destabilize high-temperature anomalies in
the lowermost mantle, in disagreement with the seismic observations.
Here, new studies of the thickness and Clapeyron slope of the pPv
boundary shed light on this matter.
Krystle Catalli, Sang-Heon Shim and Vitali Prakapenka
doi:10.1038/nature08598
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=123&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=126&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Reproductive skew and selection on female ornamentation in social
species pp786-789
Male animals are typically more elaborately ornamented than females,
probably because females make more of an energetic investment in
raising young. However, this generality may not apply in cooperatively
breeding vertebrates, where the energetic load is similar in males
and females. The socially diverse African starlings are now used to
study this issue, revealing that where intrasexual competition among
females may be intense, female trait elaboration is selected for.
Dustin R. Rubenstein and Irby J. Lovette
doi:10.1038/nature08614
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=88&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=89&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Chiral blastomere arrangement dictates zygotic left–right asymmetry
pathway in snails pp790-794
Most animals display internal and/or external left-right asymmetry.
The gastropod Lymnaea stagnalis has both sinistral and dextral snails
within a species; the chirality is hereditary, but the gene(s) and
mechanisms for handedness-determination are not yet identified.
In L. stagnalis, the chiral blastomere arrangement at the eight-cell
stage is now shown to determine left-right asymmetry throughout
development, acting upstream of the Nodal signalling pathway.
Reiko Kuroda, Bunshiro Endo, Masanori Abe and Miho Shimizu
doi:10.1038/nature08597
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=91&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=92&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry of microbial organic nutrient acquisition
in soil and sediment pp795-798
The atomic ratio of carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus can be used to describe
biota in terms of elemental composition, and this stoichiometry is
fundamental for understanding the production dynamics and biogeochemical
cycles of ecosystems. Heterotrophic microbial communities from
terrestrial soils and fresh-water sediments are now shown to share a
common functional stoichiometry in relation to organic nutrient
acquisition, reflecting the similar scaling relationships of four
key ecoenzymes.
Robert L. Sinsabaugh, Brian H. Hill and Jennifer J. Follstad Shah
doi:10.1038/nature08632
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=82&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=85&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Cold-induced silencing by long antisense transcripts of an Arabidopsis
Polycomb target pp799-802
Here, the link between non-coding RNA and chromatin regulation is
investigated through analysis of FLC -- a regulator of flowering time
in Arabidopsis and a target of several chromatin pathways. FLC is
silenced by prolonged cold in a Polycomb-mediated process called
vernalization. Upregulation of long non-coding antisense transcripts
covering the entire FLC locus are now suggested to have an early role
in the cold-induced silencing mechanism.
Szymon Swiezewski, Fuquan Liu, Andreas Magusin and Caroline Dean
doi:10.1038/nature08618
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=86&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=87&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Long-range oncogenic activation of Igh–c-myc translocations by the
Igh 3' regulatory region pp803-807
Lymphomas often contain translocations that link c-myc to the
immunoglobulin heavy chain locus (encoded by Igh), but the nature of
the elements that activate oncogenes within such translocations is
unknown. Transgenic mice with Igh 3' regulatory region (Igh3' RR)
sequences fused to c-myc are predisposed to B lymphomas. Here, the
oncogenic role of the Igh3' RR is investigated by inactivating it in
two distinct mouse models for B-cell lymphoma with Igh-c-myc
translocations.
Monica Gostissa et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08633
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=212&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=211&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Paradox of mistranslation of serine for alanine caused by AlaRS
recognition dilemma pp808-812
Alanyl-tRNA synthetases (AlaRSs) may confuse glycine or serine with
alanine, potentially causing mistranslation and thus profound
functional consequences, with serine posing a bigger challenge than
glycine. AlaXps -- free-standing, genome-encoded editing proteins --
represent one editing checkpoint to prevent this from occurring. Nine
crystal structures, together with kinetic and mutational analysis,
now show how AlaXps solve the serine misactivation problem.
Min Guo et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08612
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=206&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=199&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
----------------------
NATUREJOBS
----------------------
Region
Bay watch p814
The San Francisco Bay area has long been a hub for cutting-edge
technologies. Now it is one of the nation's leaders in clean-energy
research.
Corinna Wu reports.
doi:10.1038/nj7274-814a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=207&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
----------------------
FUTURES
----------------------
In the recovery room p818
The advance of science.
Eric Brown
doi:10.1038/462818a
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=200&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
----------------------
Advance Online Publication
----------------------
09 December 2009
Phylogenies reveal new interpretation of speciation and the Red Queen
Chris Venditti, Andrew Meade and Mark Pagel
doi:10.1038/nature08630
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=196&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=197&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Preventing the return of fear in humans using reconsolidation update
mechanisms
Daniela Schiller et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08637
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=204&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=205&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Time-reversal symmetry breaking and spontaneous Hall effect without
magnetic dipole order
Yo Machida et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08680
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=201&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=203&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Preparation and detection of a mechanical resonator near the ground
state of motion
T. Rocheleau et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08681
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=188&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=184&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Stomagen positively regulates stomatal density in Arabidopsis
Shigeo S. Sugano et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08682
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=185&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=172&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Neuroscience: Editing out fear
Retrieving a memory initiates a window of vulnerability for that memory.
Simple behavioural methods can modify distressing memories during this
window, eliminating fear reactions to traumatic reminders.
Gregory J. Quirk and Mohammed R. Milad
doi:10.1038/nature08767
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=175&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
06 December 2009
Identification of an aggression-promoting pheromone and its receptor
neurons in Drosophila
Liming Wang and David J. Anderson
doi:10.1038/nature08678
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=177&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=179&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Large, rare chromosomal deletions associated with severe early-onset
obesity
Elena G. Bochukova et al.
doi:10.1038/nature08689
Abstract: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=182&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
Article: http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=183&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
=========================== ADVERTISEMENT ===========================
Memory: Forego the fear
A drug free, non-invasive method for semi-permanently blocking
the return of fear memories in humans is reported in this week's
Nature. The finding may have important implications for the
clinical treatment of fear-related disorders.
http://links.ealert.nature.com/ctt?kn=31&m=34476728&r=MjA1NTkxMDA2MAS2&b=2&j=NjIxNjY3MTYS1&mt=1&rt=0
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