14 Membrane remodeling induced by the dynamin-related protein drp1 stimulates bax oligomerization.
Montessuit S, Somasekharan SP et al. (2010) Cell 142: 889-901.
http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674(10)00948-7
13 Cell death by apoptosis is crucial for tissue development and function, and occurs throughout life. Apoptotic cells must be cleared by phagocytic cells, but the mechanisms that regulate cell clearance in vivo remain unclear. A conserved engulfment protein, ELMO1, is shown to be required for the phagocytic clearance of apoptotic germ cells.
Elliott MR. et al. (2010). Nature 467: 333-337.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7313/abs/nature09356.html
12 Disorders caused by abnormal β-globin, such as β-thalassaemia, are the most prevalent inherited disorders worldwide. For treatment, many patients are dependent on blood transfusions; thus far the only cure has involved matched transplantation of haematopoietic stem cells. Here it is shown that lentiviral β-globin gene transfer can be an effective substitute for regular transfusions in a patient with severe β-thalassaemia.
Cavazzana-Calvo M et al. (2010). Nature 467: 318-322.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7313/abs/nature09328.html
11 The uptake of calcium by mitochondria has a central role in cell physiology, and an imbalance can trigger cell death. Now the first protein that is localized to the mitochondrion and is specifically required for calcium uptake has been identified. This protein, mitochondrial calcium uptake 1 (MICU1), represents the founding member of a set of proteins required for high-capacity calcium uptake.
Perocchi F. et al. (2010). Nature 467: 291-296.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v467/n7313/abs/nature09358.html
8 The first viable rat-mouse chimeras demonstrate that rat induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can rescue organ deficiency in mice. Rat iPS cells formed a fully functional pancreas when injected into mouse blastocysts lacking the Pdx1 gene required for pancreas formation.
Kobayashi T . et al. (2010) Cell 142:787-799.
http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674(10)00843-3
7 Uncontrolled extracellular matrix production by fibroblasts in response to tissue injury contributes to fibrotic diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The microRNA, miR-21was upregulated in the lungs of mice with bleomycin-induced fibrosis and also in the lungs of patients with IPF. Administration of miR-21 antisense probes diminished the severity of experimental lung fibrosis in mice, even when treatment was started 5–7 d after initiation of pulmonary injury. Liu et al. (2010
http://jem.rupress.org/content/207/8/1589.abstract
6 A synthetic Mycoplasma mycoides genome transplanted into M. capricolum was able to control the host cell.
Gibson et al. (2010). Science 329:52-56.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/329/5987/52
5 Regulatory Peptides: The ability of small peptides to quickly alter activities of target proteins without elaborate and time-consuming translation of large proteins suggests a niche for these tiny players as temporal switches.
Kondo et al., (2010) Science 329: 336-339
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/329/5989/336?ijkey=746b8c04e593ff3a4796fe7c52792e2481a13726&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
4 The protein Arrestin is able to regulate IGF-1R signaling and longevity.
Palmitessa A and Benovic J.L. (2010). Arrestin and the Multi-PDZ Domain-containing Protein MPZ-1 Interact with Phosphatase and Tensin Homolog (PTEN) and Regulate Caenorhabditis elegans Longevity. 285, 15187-15200.
http://www.jbc.org/content/285/20/15187
3 Caspase activation cleaves tau to initiate tangle formation, then truncated tau recruits normal tau to misfold and form tangles. Soluble tau species, rather than fibrillar tau, may be the critical toxic moiety underlying neurodegeneration.
De Calignon et al. (2010) Nature 464, 1201-1204
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7292/abs/nature08890.html
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