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Rho1 regulates crosslinking of F-actin and microtubules by Capu and Spire. Stabilized microtubules (red) and F-actin (green) were incubated with Capu, Spire and Rho1 proteins.
Monoubiquitination of the processivity clamp, PCNA, facilitates the replicative bypass of DNA lesions by recruiting damage-tolerant polymerases. In undamaged cells, deubiquitination of PCNA by the deubiquitinating enzyme USP1 reveals a possible safeguard mechanism against the mutagenic effect of these polymerases. Intriguingly, USP1 itself seems to be downregulated by a damage-induced autocatalytic cleavage event.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein (Bmp) signalling has a critical function in patterning vertebrate and invertebrate embryos. A key regulator of Bmp signalling is Chordin, which binds Bmps and prevents them from interacting with their receptors. Two new papers identify the Frizzled-related protein Sizzled as an unexpected regulator of Chordin stability.
During cell division, replicated DNA condenses into chromosomes that conspicuously align at the equator of the microtubule-based spindle. This alignment is important for accurate chromosome segregation to daughter cells and startling new data show that chromosomes cooperate with one another to achieve this alignment.
Gas exchange between the plant and the atmosphere depends on the opening of pores located primarily on the surfaces of leaves. A protein that regulates pore opening in response to both atmospheric CO2 concentrations and blue light has now been identified.
In mammals, the germ-cell lineage separates from the somatic lineages around the time of gastrulation. Primordial germ cells migrate to the developing gonads and become the source of future gametes. Surprisingly, skin stem cells also have the intrinsic ability to develop into oocytes.