Search

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells produce type I interferons in response to viral sensing. Here the authors show that amines inhibit these plasmacytoid dendritic cell responses through CXCR4 engagement.

Regeneration of skeletal muscle relies on the function of muscle satellite cells. Here, Le Roux et al. show that the endocytic adaptor protein Numb promotes skeletal muscle regeneration after injury by preventing a p53-dependent senescence of satellite cells and consequent inflammation and fibrosis.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors can respond to imatinib mesylate therapy owing to its inhibitory action on tumor cells as well as off-target effects on NK cells. This report shows that a different frequency of genetically determined expression profiles of isoforms of the NK cell receptor NKp30, which show various functional properties, is associated with GIST and influences survival after imatinib treatment.

Senescence can have beneficial and detrimental impact on cancer progression depending on the cellular context. Here the authors show that NRF2 regulates the senescence phenotype in malignant cells which consequently contribute to glioblastoma progression.

The virus HTLV-1 is thought to pass between cells through synapses formed when infected lymphocytes make contact with other T cells. Isabelle Thoulouze and her colleagues uncover an alternative mechanism for the cell-to-cell transmission of this virus. They show that HTLV-1 virions bud at the plasma membrane and are held at the cell surface in structures reminiscent of bacterial biofilms. When infected lymphocytes make contacts with other cells, the adhesive viral assemblies are rapidly transferred to to the surface of the new lymphocyte, from which the virions mediate a new round of infection.

Combined intraocular injection of an adeno-associated viral vector, encoding an optogenetic sensor, with light stimulation via engineered goggles enables partial recovery of visual function in a blind patient.

Bariatric surgery procedures reduce weight and improve metabolic diseases. Here the authors investigate the effects of Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG) on beta-cell function in mice using in vivo Ca^2 + imaging and show that VSG increases beta-cell function and intra-islet connectivity.

Steve Brown and colleagues report an analysis of 20 phenotyping tests, including 413 data parameters, across 449 mutant mouse alleles. They identify widespread pleiotropy and assign putative functions to genes that lacked previous phenotypic annotation.

There is an urgent need for biomarkers for type 2 diabetes progression that provide a deeper understanding of the disease process. Here, the authors identify biomarkers in three molecular classes, replicate them in other cohorts and explore top protein biomarkers in detail in functional studies.

Brain tissue from patients with focal cortical dysplasia type II (FCDII) exhibits dysmorphic neurons bearing hallmarks of senescence. Treatment with a senolytic drug reduces seizures in an FCDII preclinical mouse model.

The practical rules for the early non-invasive diagnosis of cirrhosis in NAFLD are not well defined. Here, the authors develop and validate two diagnostic tools: a stepwise stratification algorithm including a cirrhosis group, and a risk prediction chart providing a personalized assessment of the individual probability of cirrhosis.

Collective motion arises from the coordination of individuals and entails the adjustment of their respective velocities. Yet, how individuals achieve this coordination is often not understood. For migrating cells and motorized agents, Riedl et al. show that the synchronization of the intrinsic oscillator through nearest neighbour coupling establishes the necessary feedback leading to a uniform speed within the collective.

Evidence for the existence and importance of GPCR dimers and oligomers is mounting, but direct detection of these species has been challenging. The development of improved fluorescent ligands for time-resolved spectroscopy confirms their presence across GPCR families and in native tissue.

Chordoid glioma is a slow growing diencephalic tumor whose mutational landscape is poorly characterized. Here, the authors perform whole-exome and RNA-sequencing and find that 15 of 16 chordoid glioma cases studied harbor the same PRKCA mutation which results in enhanced proliferation.

The satellite virus Sputnik is a parasite that infects the giant Mamavirus and replicates in the virus factory built by Mamavirus, interfering with Mamavirus reproduction.

Plasmodium and Toxoplasma apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is believed to be actively involved in host cell invasion by these parasites. Bargieri et al. now demonstrate that although AMA1 facilitates adhesion, invasion can proceed in the absence of the protein.

The airways of patients with cystic fibrosis are colonized by S. aureus during childhood and by P. aeruginosa in adulthood. Here, Pernet et al. show that P. aeruginosa induces bronchial cells to produce a bactericidal protein sPLA2-IIA that contributes to the decline of S. aureusin the airways.

A rare sub-population of people living with HIV-1 experience long-lasting viral remission after interrupting antiretroviral therapy and are considered post-treatment controllers. Here the authors characterise the humoral immune response to HIV-1 in a cohort of post-treatment controllers.

Verlhac, Terret and colleagues report that softening of the mouse oocyte cortex during meiosis I is needed for spindle migration and positioning. They show that Mos/mAPK signalling triggers myosin II exclusion from the cortex and an Arp2/3-dependent cortical F-actin thickening that contributes to cortical softening.

BRAF mutations occur frequently in melanomas, but patients generally develop resistance to agents targeting mutant BRAF; now, the persistent formation of the translation initiation complex eIF4F has been described as an indicator of multiple mechanisms of resistance that arise in BRAF-mutated tumours and as a promising therapeutic target.

The lipid content of the plasma membrane is dynamically regulated to maintain cellular homeostasis, but the molecular links between membrane stress and sphingolipid synthesis have remained elusive. Walther, Loewith and colleagues report that membrane stretching causes redistribution of Slm proteins, which then promote sphingolipid synthesis through activation of the TORC2–Ypk signalling pathway.