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Highlight research publications

A simple mechanism for complex social behavior.

21468302

Cooperation is fundamental to the success of societies. Although cooperation is beneficial to the group, it is costly to the individual, leading to the rise of cheaters who benefit from the cooperation of others. Here, we identify a simple molecular mechanism regulating cheating strategies in the social amoeba Dictyostelium.

Katie Parkinson, Neil J Buttery, Jason B Wolf, Christopher R L Thompson, (2011) PLoS biology 9(3): e1001039.

A novel regulator of cell sorting in Dictyostelium pattern formation.

21389049

Understanding how cell sorting is regulated during pattern formation is essential to comprehend how 3-demensional cell migration produces such robust patterns during development. Here we describe a novel gene (hfnA) that provides the first mechanistic link between cell signalling, differential gene expression and cell type-specific sorting in Dictyostelium.

Simone L Blagg, Suzanne E Battom, Sarah J Annesley, Thomas Keller, Katie Parkinson, Jasmine M F Wu, Paul R Fisher, Christopher R L Thompson, (2011) Development (Cambridge, England) 138(8): 1583-93.

Unravelling human tropoelastin, solving the mystery of nature’s perfect nanosprings.

21368178

Elastin is the most abundant protein in mammalian elastic tissues and is responsible for their elastic recoil and resilience. We have shown that tropoelastin is a spring-like molecule with a “foot” region to facilitate attachment to cells. Stretching and relaxing experiments showed that tropoelastin had the extraordinary capacity to repeatedly extend to 8-times its initial length and return to its original shape making it a near-perfect spring.

Clair Baldock, Andres F Oberhauser, Liang Ma, Donna Lammie, Veronique Siegler, Suzanne M Mithieux, Yidong Tu, John Yuen Ho Chow, Farhana Suleman, Marc Malfois, Sarah Rogers, Liang Guo, Thomas C Irving, Tim J Wess, Anthony S Weiss, (2011) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(11): 4322-7.

Translational repression controls stem cell fate.

21238926

When a stem cell divides, one daughter remains a stem cell whereas the other differentiates. Using the Drosophila ovary as a model, we have identified two distinct translation repression complexes that function in either the germline stem cell or the differentiating daughter cystoblast cell. We provide molecular detail as to how the cystoblast translation repression complex locks this cell into the differentiating fate.

Robin E Harris, Michael Pargett, Catherine Sutcliffe, David Umulis, Hilary L Ashe, (2011) Developmental cell 20(1): 72-83.

Zebrafish model of childhood neurodegenerative disorder.

21199949

An inability to dispose of cellular waste can cause disease. Here, through analysing a mutant zebrafish, we discover a role for the enzyme RNaseT2 in disposing of unneeded rRNA. It's accumulation results in neuronal degeneration, resembling a disease previously described in infants.

Noémie Haud, Firat Kara, Simone Diekmann, Marco Henneke, Jason R Willer, Melissa S Hillwig, Ronald G Gregg, Gustavo C Macintosh, Jutta Gärtner, A Alia, Adam F L Hurlstone, (2011) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(3): 1099-103.

A new way of seeing.

21151887

A new photoreceptor signals extensively to those parts of the brain responsible for conventional vision.

Timothy M Brown, Carlos Gias, Megumi Hatori, Sheena R Keding, Ma'ayan Semo, Peter J Coffey, John Gigg, Hugh D Piggins, Satchidananda Panda, Robert J Lucas, (2010) PLoS biology 8(12): e1000558.