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Summaries of newsworthy papers include In charge of biosensing, Fountain of youth and Finding co-dependent genes in fission yeast

NATURE AND THE NATURE RESEARCH JOURNALS PRESS RELEASE For papers that will be published online on 23 September 2007 This press release is copyrighted to the Nature journals mentioned below. This press release contains: · Summaries of newsworthy papers: In charge of biosensing – Nature Nanotechnology Catching bird flu in a droplet – Nature Medicine Fountain of youth – Nature Immunology Finding co-dependent genes in fission yeast – Nature Methods · 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. Warning: This document, and the Nature journal papers to which it refers, may contain information that is price sensitive (as legally defined, for example, in the UK Criminal Justice Act 1993 Part V) with respect to publicly quoted companies. Anyone dealing in securities using information contained in this document, or in advance copies of a Nature journal’s content, may be guilty of insider trading under the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934. PICTURES: To obtain artwork from any of the journals, you must first obtain permission from the copyright holder (if named) or author of the research paper in question (if not). NOTE: Once a paper is published, the digital object identifier (DOI) number can be used to retrieve the abstract and full text from the journal web site (abstracts are available to everyone, full text is available only to subscribers). To do this, add the DOI to the following URL: http://dx.doi.org/ (For example, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng730). For more information about DOIs and Advance Online Publication, see http://www.nature.com/ng/aop/. PLEASE CITE THE SPECIFIC NATURE JOURNAL AND WEBSITE AS THE SOURCE OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS. IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO THE APPROPRIATE JOURNAL’S WEBSITE. **************************************NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY*********************************** (http://www.nature.com/nnano) [1] In charge of biosensing (N&V) DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.293 A scanning probe microscope capable of detecting changes in the electrical charge on a surface is described in a report online this week in Nature Nanotechnology. This technique offers a rapid and sensitive way to sense biological targets, such as DNA and proteins. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is named after Lord Kelvin who investigated how charge is generated when two different materials are brought into close contact. Although KPFM is an established method that has been used to detect biomolecules in microarrays, Angela Belcher and Asher Sinensky have now applied it to measure binding events at the nanoscale. By considering much smaller feature sizes than previously studied, this development has increased both the speed and sensitivity of the technique. The authors patterned single strands of DNA, which are negatively charged, onto gold substrates and measured their KPFM response. When complementary ‘target’ DNA strands were captured on the surface, the charge density in a given area was doubled and easily detected with KPFM. In this way, Sinensky and Belcher demonstrate the selective sensing of DNA sequences taken from the genes of anthrax and malaria. Author contact: Angela Belcher (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA) Tel: +1 617 252 1163; E-mail: belcher@mit.edu Albena Ivanisevic (Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA) Tel: +1 765 496 3676; E-mail: albena@purdue.edu N&V author Other papers from Nature Nanotechnology to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo: [2] A virus-based single-enzyme nanoreactor DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.299 [3] Nanopatterning the electronic properties of gold surfaces with self-organized superlattices of metallic nanostructures DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2007.301 *******************************************Nature MEDICINE******************************************** (http://www.nature.com/naturemedicine) [4] Catching bird flu in a droplet DOI: 10.1038/nm1634 Detecting bird flu may soon get a whole lot easier, according to a report online in Nature Medicine this week. Juergen Pipper and colleagues describe a cheap, fast and effective droplet-based system for detecting the H5N1 virus directly from a throat swab sample in less than 30 minutes. The method could also be adapted to other viruses such as SARS, AIDS and hepatitis B. In the event of a flu epidemic, its rapid containment would depend on the prompt identification of the first cases. But as routine surveillance may be problematic in countries with limited public health resources, low-cost, easy-to-use detection assays would be are advantageous. The new system uses droplets that contain particles to automatically isolate, purify and concentrate viral RNA. The method is as sensitive as other available tests, but over one hundred times faster and even cheaper. In addition, it may be applicable not only to the flu virus, but could be adapted to other infectious agents, and to other bodily fluids like blood, urine or saliva. Author contact: Juergen Pipper (Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Singapore) Tel: +65 6824 7157; E-mail: jpipper@ibn.a-star.edu.sg Other papers from Nature Medicine to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo: [5] Adaptive immune cells temper initial innate responses DOI: 10.1038/nm1633 [6] In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of acute brain inflammation using microparticles of iron oxide DOI: 10.1038/nm1631 *******************************************NATURE IMMUNOLOGY ************************************ (http://www.nature.com/natureimmunology) [7] Fountain of youth DOI: 10.1038/ni1513 Researchers have identified the cells that provide an essential survival factor to newly created immune cells according a report published online in Nature Immunology this week. White blood cells known as T lymphocytes are born in the thymus and these cells are required to fight off viral and other infections. Upon leaving the thymus these cells prowl throughout the body seeking out potential foreign agents; however, the survival of these cells depends on periodic visits to lymph nodes, where they can ‘recharge’ by receiving a chemical signal called interleukin 7 (IL-7). It was known for many years that IL-7 provides ‘survival’ signals to these naive T cells, but what actually produced IL-7 proved elusive. Sanjiv Luther and colleagues identify specialized ‘fibroblastic reticular cells’ found in lymph nodes and spleen as the source of IL-7. These cells make chemical signals that direct T cells to them and supply the essential IL-7 that prevents T cells from dying, thereby allowing them to continue to recirculate throughout the body searching for enemies. Author contact: Sanjiv Luther (University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland) Tel: +41 21 692 5678; E-mail: sanjiv.luther@unil.ch ********************************************NATURE METHODS****************************************** (http://www.nature.com/nmeth) [8] Finding co-dependent genes in fission yeast DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1098 A method for the rapid and large-scale generation of double mutants in a popular yeast strain to determine which genes are functionally dependent on each other is published online this week in Nature Methods. Yeast is a simple unicellular organism but it comes in many different species that are only very distantly related on an evolutionary scale. The two main species used for research are budding and fission yeast – the former being very popular with geneticists for ease of handling, the latter being of interest because it is more closely related to higher eukaryotes. Yeast, being a single cell organism, is ideal for the screening of genes that together are essential for survival of the cell. These interaction screens are done in yeast cells with a haploid genome - consisting of only one set of chromosomes – where each cell has mutations in two genes. If the combination of the two genes is required the yeast will die. By generating all possible combinations of gene pairs, a map of genetic interaction can be drawn. These screens are already widely used in budding yeast, but the difficulty in generating haploid double mutants in fission yeast have prevented their application in this species. Nevan Krogan and colleagues now present a strategy to target genes of interest in fission yeast and select for haploid double-mutant cells. By investigating the pairs of all genes linked to a certain biological process they can draw a comprehensive map of the genes involved in this process. Comparing the genetic maps in both of these yeast species will shed light on biological pathways that were conserved or diverged during evolution. Author contact: Nevan Krogan (University of California, San Francisco) Tel: +1 415 476 3068; E-mail: krogan@cmp.ucsf.edu Other papers from Nature Methods to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo: [9] Low- to high-throughput analysis of telomerase modulators with Telospot DOI: 10.1038/nmeth1099 *************************************************************************************************************** Items from other Nature journals to be published online at the same time and with the same embargo: Nature (http://www.nature.com/nature) [10] Functional architecture of the retromer cargo-recognition complex DOI: 10.1038/nature06216 [11] Protein-based peptide-bond formation by aminoacyl-tRNA protein transferase DOI: 10.1038/nature06167 NATURE PHOTONICS (http://www.nature.com/nphton) [12] Slow guided surface plasmons at telecom frequencies DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2007.174 NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/nchembio) [13] Chemical genetic interrogation of natural variation uncovers a molecule that is glycoactivated DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2007.32 [14] Sortagging: a versatile method for protein labeling DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.2007.31 Nature PHYSICS (http://www.nature.com/naturephysics) [15] Impurity-stabilized solid 4He below the solidification pressure of pure helium DOI: 10.1038/nphys727 [16] Single-photon bus connecting spin-wave quantum memories DOI: 10.1038/nphys726 [17] Is the outer Solar System chaotic? DOI: 10.1038/nphys728 NATURE MATERIALS (http://www.nature.com/naturematerials) [18] Intrinsic ripples in graphene DOI: 10.1038/nmat2011 [19] The control of human mesenchymal cell differentiation using nanoscale symmetry and disorder DOI: 10.1038/nmat2013 Nature BIOTECHNOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology) [20] Computational design of antibody-affinity improvement beyond in vivo maturation DOI: 10.1038/nbt1336 [21] Renal clearance of quantum dots DOI: 10.1038/nbt1340 NATURE GENETICS (http://www.nature.com/naturegenetics) [22] The role of site accessibility in microRNA target recognition DOI: 10.1038/ng2135 [23] The imprinted gene Magel2 regulates normal circadian output DOI: 10.1038/ng2114 Nature NEUROSCIENCE (http://www.nature.com/natureneuroscience) [24] Epidermal growth factor signaling induces behavioral quiescence in C. elegans DOI: 10.1038/nn1981 NATURE CELL BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/naturecellbiology) [25] Nucleolar release of Hand1 acts as a molecular switch to determine cell fate DOI: 10.1038/ncb1633 [26] Bif-1 interacts with Beclin 1 through UVRAG and regulates autophagy and tumorigenesis DOI: 10.1038/ncb1634 [27] Inhibition of Crm1–p53 interaction and nuclear export of p53 by poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation DOI: 10.1038/ncb1638 [28] Prometaphase APCcdh1 activity prevents non-disjunction in mammalian oocytes DOI: 10.1038/ncb1640 [29] Akt phosphorylation regulates the tumour-suppressor merlin through ubiquitination and degradation DOI: 10.1038/ncb1641 [30] Protein arginine-methyltransferase-dependent oncogenesis DOI: 10.1038/ncb1642 Nature STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (http://www.nature.com/natstructmolbiol) [31] Myosin-V makes two Brownian 90° rotations per 36-nm step DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1298 [32] A conserved motif in Argonaute-interacting proteins mediates functional interactions through the Argonaute PIWI domain DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1302 [33] Synaptotagmin activates membrane fusion through a Ca2+-dependent trans interaction with phospholipids DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1305 [34] Structural features of small RNA precursors determine Argonaute loading in Caenorhabditis elegans DOI: 10.1038/nsmb1308 *************************************************************************************************************** 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. CANADA Alberta: 23 Toronto: 13, 25 CHINA Beijing: 5 Hong Kong: 30 CZECH REPUBLIC Prague: 4 FRANCE Lyon: 9 Montepellier: 10 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy: 3 GERMANY Goettingen: 33 Heidelberg: 32 ISRAEL Rehovot: 22 JAPAN Chiba: 11 Ibaraki: 11, 27 Osaka: 31 Shiga: 27 Tokyo: 11, 31 NETHERLANDS Amsterdam: 12 Eindhoven: 2 Nijmegen: 2, 18 The Hague: 34 Utrecht: 34 Wageningen: 2 SINGAPORE Singapore: 4, 23 SWEDEN Huddinge: 8 SWITZERLAND Basel: 32 Epalinges: 7, 9 Fribourg: 15 Geneva: 9 Lausanne: 9, 15 Zurich: 32 UNITED KINGDOM Belfast: 30 Glasgow: 19 London: 30 Newcastle: 28 Oxford: 6 Southampton: 19 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA California Irvine: 17 La Jolla: 23 Pasadena: 24 Riverside: 13 San Francisco: 7, 8 Stanford: 30 Florida Tampa: 26, 27 Georgia Atlanta: 29 Illinois Chicago: 5 Louisiana New Orleans: 27 Maryland Baltimore: 4 Bethesda: 10 Frederick: 23 Massachusetts Boston: 21 Cambridge: 1, 14, 16, 20, 21 Missouri St Louis: 23, 29 New York New York: 22 PRESS CONTACTS… For media inquiries relating to embargo policy for all the Nature Research Journals: Katherine Anderson (Nature London) Tel: +44 20 7843 4502; E-mail: k.anderson@nature.com Ruth Francis (Senior Press Officer, Nature, London) Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail: r.francis@nature.com For media inquiries relating to editorial content/policy for the Nature Research Journals, please contact the journals individually: Nature Biotechnology (New York) Peter Hare Tel: +1 212 726 9284; E-mail: biotech@natureny.com Nature Cell Biology (London) Bernd Pulverer Tel: +44 20 7843 4892; E-mail: cellbio@nature.com Nature Chemical Biology (Boston) Andrea Garvey Tel: +1 617 475 9241, E-mail: chembio@boston.nature.com Nature Genetics (New York) Orli Bahcall Tel: +1 212 726 9311; E-mail: natgen@natureny.com Nature Immunology (New York) Laurie Dempsey Tel: +1 212 726 9372; E-mail: immunology@natureny.com Nature Materials (London) Fabio Pulizzi Tel: +44 20 7014 4024; E-mail: materials@nature.com Nature Medicine (New York) Juan Carlos Lopez Tel: +1 212 726 9325; E-mail: medicine@natureny.com Nature Methods (New York) Allison Doerr Tel: +1 212 726 9393; E-mail: methods@natureny.com Nature Nanotechnology (London) Peter Rodgers Tel: +44 20 7014 4019; Email: p.rodgers@nature.com Nature Neuroscience (New York) Sandra Aamodt (based in California) Tel: +1 530 795 3256; E-mail: neurosci@natureny.com Nature Photonics (Tokyo)) Oliver Graydon Tel: +81 3 3267 8776; E-mail: o.graydon@natureasia.com Nature Physics (London) Alison Wright Tel: +44 20 7843 4555; E-mail: a.wright@nature.com Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (New York) Michelle Montoya Tel: +1 212 726 9326; E-mail: nsmb@natureny.com About Nature Publishing Group Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, dedicated to serving the academic, professional scientific and medical communities. 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