Issues
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Cover image
Cover Image
Cover: Immunofluorescence microscopy image of a metaphase-I spindle in a mouse oocyte knocked out for Ppp6c, the gene encoding the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 6. Green, microtubules; red, chromosomes. See article by M.-W. Hu et al. (pp. 3769–3780).
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IN THIS ISSUE
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CELL SCIENTISTS TO WATCH
OPINION
Cell adhesion strength from cortical tension – an integration of concepts
Summary: Recent advances in our understanding of cell adhesion are integrated to develop a non-arbitrary definition of cell adhesion strength, suited to unify the quantitative description of tissue mechanical processes.
COMMENTARY
Labelling and imaging of single endogenous messenger RNA particles in vivo
Summary: The principal experimental and analytical requirements to visualize and trace single endogenous mRNA particles in living cells are discussed, and the most recent quantitative results are highlighted.
SHORT REPORTS
A new phosphate-starvation response in fission yeast requires the endocytic function of myosin I
Highlighted Article: The endocytic machinery, including the type 1 myosin Myo1, is required to establish a quiescence response to low-phosphate stress in fission yeast.
The molecular architecture of hemidesmosomes, as revealed with super-resolution microscopy
Summary: Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy analysis reveals the fine details of the molecular architecture of hemidesmosomes in cultured keratinocytes and skin.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
Fission yeast kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression independently of oscillations
Highlighted Article: Quantitative analysis in S. pombe reveals that chromosome oscillations are dispensable for kinetochore congression in mitosis. Kinesin-8 controls chromosome congression through length-dependent pulling forces.
Analytical cell adhesion chromatography reveals impaired persistence of metastatic cell rolling adhesion to P-selectin
Summary: Adhesion persistence to P-selectin is reduced in metastatic but not leukocyte-like cells. A system that identifies selectin adhesion antagonist doses that modulate cell adhesion is presented.
Failure of lysosome clustering and positioning in the juxtanuclear region in cells deficient in rapsyn
Highlighted Article: Rapsyn, a cytoplasmic AChR-associated scaffold protein, serves as a clustering agent of lysosomes at the juxtanuclear region of cells that do not express AChRs.
Dexamethasone-induced cellular tension requires a SGK1-stimulated Sec5–GEF-H1 interaction
Summary: The stimulation of the Sec5–GEF-H1 interaction through dexamethasone-induced SGK1 activity is crucial for organizing adhesion and, subsequently, generating cellular tension.
Loss of protein phosphatase 6 in oocytes causes failure of meiosis II exit and impaired female fertility
Highlighted Article: In vivo evidence showing that PP6 in oocytes suppresses Aurora A activity in MII and is crucial for MII exit, euploid egg production and female fertility.
Essential role of endocytosis for interleukin-4-receptor-mediated JAK/STAT signalling
Summary: Constitutive receptor internalization is required for IL-4R signalling. Increased endosomal concentrations allow receptor dimerization that is disfavoured at endogenous plasma membrane densities.
Initiation of lamellipodia and ruffles involves cooperation between mDia1 and the Arp2/3 complex
Highlighted Article: The formin mDia1 nucleates linear actin filaments that serve as mother filaments for initial activation of the Arp2/3 complex and formation of lamellipodia and ruffles.
The clathrin-binding and J-domains of GAK support the uncoating and chaperoning of clathrin by Hsc70 in the brain
Summary: Our studies on GAK- and auxilin-knockout mice show that the only essential domains of GAK and auxilin in the brain are the clathrin-binding domain and the J-domain that binds to Hsc70.
ICA1L forms BAR-domain complexes with PICK1 and is crucial for acrosome formation in spermiogenesis
Summary: A new player in male fertility – ICA1L forms BAR-domain complexes with PICK1 and is crucial for acrosome formation in spermiogenesis.
CORRECTION
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