Research Highlights

Short, accessible synopses of recent important articles concerning signalling pathways.

July 2008

• Live-cell map quest

  

  A high-resolution interactome map that describes how proteins interact in living yeast cells is an invaluable reference for the research community.

  Original research paper Nature Methods 5 582 doi:10.1038/nmeth0708-582

• Signalling: Survival of the sweetest

  

  Response rates to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors in cancer treatment have been surprisingly and disappointingly low. Zhang Weihua and colleagues now shed some light on this issue by revealing a kinase-independent function of EGFR in maintaining cell survival.

  Original research paper Nature Reviews Cancer 8 484 - 485 doi:10.1038/nrc2424

• Cell cycle: Stop start

  

  Phosphatase of regenerating liver 3 (PRL3, also known as PTP4A3), a gene associated with invasive tumours and metastasis, has been shown to be a p53 target gene that can induce cell cycle arrest.

  Original research paper Nature Reviews Cancer 8 485 doi:10.1038/nrc2421

• Cell signalling: How to lead a double life

  

  Integrins are bidirectional signalling molecules. Their affinity for ligands (integrin activation) is regulated by direct interactions of the β-subunit cytoplasmic tails with the cytoskeletal protein talin (inside-out signalling). Following ligand binding, integrins transduce signals into cells (outside-in signalling) by recruiting proteins to their cytoplasmic tails, which results in actin reorganization and modulation of signalling pathways. The current model proposes that talin binding is sufficient for integrin activation. Two studies now challenge this model and show that the focal adhesion protein kindlin-2 binds to the integrin tails and regulates integrin bidirectional signalling.

  Original research paper Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 9 498 - 499 doi:10.1038/nrm2436

• Cell morphology: Breaking the spatial code

  

  Cells come in different shapes and sizes. But how is cell shape determined? And does shape have a role in the regulation of signalling?

  Original research paper Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 9 500 doi:10.1038/nrm2433