Apoptosis is a highly coordinated, multistep process that is often deregulated in diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disorders. It is associated with chromosomal fragmentation by deoxyribonucleases (DNases). Although many DNases have been characterized, Nakagawa et al. have discovered that Dicer, a highly conserved ribonuclease (RNase) that is known to produce small gene-silencing RNAs, also functions in chromosomal fragmentation. Researchers demonstrated that Dicer (dcr-1) gene inactivation in C. elegans blocks chromosomal fragmentation. The apoptosis executioner enzyme CED-3 caspase cleaves DCR-1 to generate a DCR-1 fragment with DNase activity that destroys its RNase function. Overexpression of the DCR1 DNase fragment induces DNA fragmentation. This discovery shows the conversion potential of an RNase to a DNase, and elucidates an important regulatory mechanism in apoptosis, which is relevant to many human diseases.
DMM Outstanding Paper Prize
"I am honored to receive the DMM 2020 Prize! This project had more than the average number of trials and tribulations, which is saying a lot, and now I know it was all worth it!"
Congratulations to Sarah Colijn, winner of the DMM Outstanding Paper Prize 2020. Sarah’s work challenges research regarding atherosclerosis and necroptosis to rethink the role of RIPK3.
An Fgfr3-activating mutation in immature murine osteoblasts affects the appendicular and craniofacial skeleton
In this month’s Editor’s Choice, Laurence Legeai-Mallet and colleagues show how Fgfr3 hyperactivation affects immature osteoblasts, contributing to the bone modifications observed in achondroplasia.
Life after a Travelling Fellowship
Ahead of the upcoming application deadline for a Travelling Fellowship on 31 May, Sina Krokowski talks about the ongoing impact of her trip in 2015, when she visited the Carballido-López lab in Paris to learn a technique that was vital for her PhD.
The DMM Conference Travel Grant deadline is also fast approaching. Apply for a grant to attend an event, virtual or otherwise, by 17 May.
Virtual Meeting - Developmental Disorders: From Mechanism to Treatment
A collaboration between the Development and Disease Models & Mechanisms journal teams, this virtual Meeting will unite developmental biologists, human geneticists and clinical researchers to focus on building bridges from bench to clinic. Register your interest and find out more.
Automated in vivo drug screen in zebrafish identifies synapse-stabilising drugs with relevance to spinal muscular atrophy
New work from the Becker Lab at the University of Edinburgh details an automated and high-throughput screening platform to identify compounds relevant to motor neuron disease using younger, less-pigmented zebrafish embryos.
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