11/20/2020
Methods and Resources
Alexandros Sountoulidis, Christos Samakovlis and co-authors present SCRINSHOT, an amenable, multiplex RNA-mapping method, applicable to a wide variety of tissue types and conditions. It can function quantitatively across a broad range of expression levels and detect even rare cell types, facilitating the creation of digital tissue maps with single-cell resolution.
Image credit: pbio.3000675
Current Issue October 2020
11/19/2020
Short Reports
Recently, it has been suggested that early multicellular organisms with basic anticancer defenses were plagued by antagonistic interactions with transmissible cancers, and that this could have played a pivotal role in the evolution of sex. Thomas Aubier, Hanna Kokko and co-workers use mathematical models to show that coevolution between multicellular organisms and transmissible cancers does not easily favour sexual reproduction.
Image credit: pbio.3000916
11/18/2020
Research Article
Cen Yang and Yuji Naya reveal that three neuronal operations in the macaque hippocampus combine retrieved memory and incoming perceptual information to construct goal-directed information; this constructive memory process may equip us to use past knowledge flexibly according to the current situation.
Image credit: pbio.3000876
11/17/2020
Research Article
Previous studies concluded that avian sleep lacked many features characteristic of mammalian sleep, suggesting that specialized sleep must have evolved independently in birds and mammals. However, Sofija Canavan and Daniel Margoliash show that the architecture of sleep in budgerigars is surprisingly similar to that in human adults, raising new questions about the evolution of complex mammalian-like sleep structure.
Image credit: Flickr user Chobist
11/17/2020
Research Article
Glenda Comai, Shahragim Tajbakhsh and co-workers present the first integrative blueprint for morphogenesis of the extraocular muscle (EOM) functional unit, providing genetic evidence for the existence of a retinoic acid signaling module that coordinates the emergence of individual EOMs, their tendons and insertion sites.
Image credit: pbio.3000902
11/16/2020
Research Article
Imaging of ATP dynamics in the optic nerve axons of mice lacking the major myelin protein PLP (a model of spastic paraplegia), by Andrea Trevisiol, Kathrin Kusch, Klaus-Armin Nave, Johannes Hirrlinger and colleagues, reveals complex alterations in the metabolic interaction between oligodendrocytes and axons, associated with structural deficits of myelin.
Image credit: pbio.3000943
11/13/2020
Unsolved Mystery
How do cells from two individuals fuse to generate a new, genetically distinct organism of the same species? This article explores the molecular mechanisms underlying sperm–egg interaction and fusion, a fascinating topic that is under increasing investigation.
Image credit: pbio.3000953
11/13/2020
Research Article
Nucleotide metabolic reprogramming leads to an enhancement of the cGMP-PKG-MAPK axis, enabling breast cancer cells to effectively colonize and grow in the lung.
Image credit: pbio.3000872
11/13/2020
Research Article
How the pacemaker nerons in the central pattern generator regulate the locomotor rhythm remains unknown. This study reveals how two opposing sub-threshold conductances represent essential substrates to regulate the speed of locomotion.
Image credit: pbio.3000738
11/12/2020
Research Article
A logical compartmental model of the yeast mitotic exit network (MEN) represents spatial aspects of regulation, correctly predicts the majority of published MEN phenotypes, and reveals both the role of the Cdc14 early anaphase release and a link between mitosis length and checkpoint competence.
Image credit: pbio.3000917
Raquel Lieberman discusses her work on the protein myocilin, implicated in glaucoma, but whose normal function remains unclear after over 20 years.
Susanna Bidgood explores the future of using poxviruses as versatile tools for cell biology research.
Rachel Harding proposes that open notebooks present an opportunity for researchers to showcase their work and rapidly advance science in their field
On the eve of the UN General Assembly meeting on TB, Christoph Grundner urged the need to consider basic research as an essential component of any future anti-TB strategy.
Norman Pace remembers the early days of what became known as "metagenomics," as experienced by the author during his development as a scientist.
Normal service will resume after Covid-19 crisis ends.
Normal service will resume after Covid-19 crisis ends.
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