封面故事:壁虎竟跟贻贝粘到了一起 A reversible wet/dry adhesive inspired by mussels and geckos 本期封面所示为一只壁虎趴在一个贻贝的壳上。 这种罕见的情景源自这两个物 种向某种东西上粘附的共同本领。壁虎甚至能向翻转的表面上粘附,这是因为它 们的脚上有微小的毛。但它们的附着力只是暂时的,因为快速附着和脱开是其运 动的关键。事实证明,要合成某种可以反复粘附的东西是很困难的,而且还存在 另一个问题:壁虎的粘附力在水中会大大减小。一种新的粘合剂克服了对水的这 种敏感性,办法是将壁虎一样的纳米结构与贻贝所采用的进行水下粘附的化学方 法结合起来。这样所获得的杂合型粘合剂(它由一系列涂有一种聚合物的小柱子 组成,这种聚合物类似于贻贝身上的粘性蛋白)在湿态和干态都表现出惊人的可 逆粘附性,粘附周期超过1000次。这项进展有可能导致适合于一系列实际应用的 可逆粘合剂的问世。(Letter p. 338; www.nature.com/podcast)封面图片: H. Lee, W. Lim 和 A. J. Kane
由成纤维细胞生成了多能干细胞(Stem cells with potential) Generation of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem cells / In vitro reprogramming of fibroblasts into a pluripotent ES-cell-like state 寻找用来“哄骗”容易获得的细胞、使其显示胚胎干细胞(有可能分异成几乎任 何类型的细胞)的“多能”活性的新方法的研究工作在继续进行。这项工作意义 重大,因为如果能够对人类细胞安全地做到这一点,细胞移植治疗、甚至针对特 定患者的特定治疗都将离我们更近一步。现在,两个研究小组报告了这个方向上 的一个重要进展: 从小鼠成纤维细胞生成了多能干细胞。外成重新编码要求四 个转录因子的表达,它们分别是Oct4、 Sox2、c-Myc和Klf4。所得到的细胞在生 物功能和外成状态上都与胚胎干细胞相似。(Articles pp. 313, 318; News & Views)
蛋白相互作用的热力学动态(Protein thermodynamics) Conformational entropy in molecular recognition by proteins 了解蛋白-蛋白相互作用,需要对它们之间关系的热力学动态进行全面定性。过 去,几乎没有可能从实验上来估计残留蛋白熵的变化,它是蛋白联系的自由能变 化的一个具有潜在重要性的成分。现在Frederick 等人利用溶液核磁共振光谱发 现,名为钙调蛋白(calmodulin)的蛋白质的内部动态的变化在与各种不同的目 标域结合时明显不同。这表明,残留蛋白构型熵的变化能对蛋白-配体之间联系 的自由能做出明显贡献。(Article p. 325)
木星大星云中钠的来源(The great escape from Io) The sources of sodium escaping from Io revealed by spectral high definition imaging 木星由钠组成的大星云是一个气体云,如果肉眼能够看到的话,它将是太阳系中 能看到的最大天体。钠被认为来自火山活动活跃的“木卫一”。Mendillo等人采 用一种新的观测方法来确定钠的精确来源。高分辨率光谱显示,存在两个钠逃逸 区域。一个是在“木卫一”与从其本身喷射出去的等离子环(与“木卫一”共用 一个轨道)发生相互作用的尾迹。第二个是“木卫一”周围一个球状外流区域, 是由大气层溅射造成的。这个电离层尾迹(是“木卫一”半径的六倍)的程度是 根据“伽利略”飞船的数据所做估计的两倍,说明它存在相当大的可变性。 (Letter p. 330)
用电子进行二粒子干涉实验(An unlikely pair) Interference between two indistinguishable electrons from independent sources 本期Nature报告了关于一个捉摸不定的基本效应的实验演示:两个不能区分的、 来自独立来源的粒子之间的量子干涉。这种干涉只能通过记录在两个不同地方的 两个探测器中找到这两个粒子的一个联合概率来观测。用光子所做的实验迄今为 止未能成功产生二粒子干涉,但这次该实验是用电子进行的,研究人员用在一种 半导体二维电子气中制造成的一个巧妙设计的干涉仪来对这些电子进行操纵。 (Letter p. 333; News & Views)
英国在地理上是怎样与欧洲大陆分开的(Britain out of Europe…) Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf valley systems in the English Channel 当高纬度间冰川海洋淹没了英吉利海峡和北海的浅大陆架地区时,英国在地理上 就与欧洲大陆分开了。但二者之间仍然存在一个纤细的联系:英格兰东南部与法 国西北部之间的Weald–Artois白垩岭。这一地峡是怎样断裂、使英国成为一个 岛屿的,一直都是一种猜测。该海床一个新的深测图也许可以揭开这个谜底。该 图显示这里存在一个大型的、底部为基岩的峡谷,其中含有不同地形,包括流线 型的岛屿和侵蚀型沟槽,这说明,曾经发生过由多佛海峡的一个岩石坝决堤所造 成的一次大规模洪灾,淹没了北海海盆南部的一个大型冰川型湖泊。(Letter p. 342; News & Views)
人类非洲起源说得到解剖数据支持 (Humans out of Africa) The effect of ancient population bottlenecks on human phenotypic variation 关于人类起源的“走出非洲”争论让古人类学家兴奋了很多年。遗传分析倾向于 支持认为现代人类来自非洲的单一起源说,但解剖测定却得出了不同的结果。现 在这个矛盾已经解决:对关于颅骨测量结果的一个大型数据库所做的一项新的分 析(此项研究工作是在受到关于(从解剖上来判断的)现代人类的古人口统计学 所取得的进展启发后进行的,而这些进展之所以能够取得,是因为现在已经有了 大型的遗传数据集),明确地支持现代人类来自非洲的单一起源说。(Letter p. 346)
MEDEA 基因的起源(MEDEA gets selected) Positive darwinian selection at the imprinted MEDEA locus in plants 通过基因组印迹进行基因调控(基因的活性取决于它来自父方还是母方)既见于 哺乳动物,又见于开花植物,然而新印迹位点怎样能够随着演化时间的推移而出 现仍然不清楚。现在,对拟南芥中三个“Enhancer of zeste-like”基因演化所 做的重建表明,留下印迹的MEDEA 基因是在大约3500万年前通过全基因组复制从 Brassicaceae中的SWINGER基因出现的。所以MEDEA 基因(是种子发育所必需 的)在开花植物演化过程中出现的相对较晚。MEDEA 是由于积极的达尔文选择 (自然选择)而留下印迹和获得其新功能的,而SWINGER则保留了祖先功能,没 有留下印迹。(Letter p. 349)
心房颤动的两个易感性遗传因子(Heart to heart) Variants conferring risk of atrial fibrillation on chromosome 4q25 一项在整个基因组范围内对来自瑞典、北美和中国的人群进行关联筛选的研究工 作,在染色体4q25上识别出两个单字母序列变体是心房颤动(最常见的心律失常 形式)的危险因素。这两个变体都与PITX2基因相邻,该基因与心脏早期发育有 关。这项工作识别出PITX2为诊断试验的一个目标,并且还可能是治疗干预的一 个目标。(Letter p. 353)
细胞成群运动的方式(Cell migration) Two distinct modes of guidance signalling during collective migration of border cells 发育和肿瘤转移过程中成群细胞的运动是一个我们还很不了解的过程。果蝇卵巢 中边界细胞的迁移(它是在活体中研究细胞迁移和引导之调控的一个强大模 型),为我们了解这一过程提供了一个线索。Bianco等人利用果蝇复杂的遗传系 统及创新的活体成像技术,发现边界细胞迁移分两个阶段进行,在第一个阶段, 细胞快速向后迁移。在向后迁移的第二阶段和在向背部迁移过程中,边界细胞作 为一个紧凑的群体缓慢运动,并且细胞开始在群体内进行重新排列。两个迁移模 式对于受体酪氨酸激酶信号作用通道有很不相同的敏感性,细胞群作为一个整 体、利用各个细胞之间信号作用水平的差别来处理信息。(Letter p. 362)
效应分子AvrPtoB的作用目标(Disrupting plant immunity) A bacterial E3 ubiquitin ligase targets a host protein kinase to disrupt plant immunity Pseudomonas syringae(西红柿细菌性斑点病的病因)为了进行感染会将一系列 效应分子注射进宿主细胞中。现在,其中的一种效应分子AvrPtoB被发现以宿主 激酶Fen为作用目标,后者是一个在演化过程中高度保留下来的植物免疫系统通 道的构成部分。为此,AvrPtoB利用了E3泛素连接酶的活性,后者能够促进蛋白 分解,并且必须在演化过程中的某个阶段被这种细菌性病原体为这个目的所获 得。(Letter p. 370)
衰老与抗癌的关系(Ageing and cancer linked) Delayed ageing through damage protection by the Arf/p53 pathway p53蛋白及其调控因子ARF的肿瘤抑制活性,基于它们在探测和消除细胞损伤中所 起作用。同癌症一样,衰老也是与细胞损伤的积累有关。从这个前提出发, Matheu等发现,p53 和Arf水平较高、但却能正常调控的小鼠不仅对癌症有抵抗 力,而且寿命也比正常小鼠更长,尽管有癌症所产生的影响。让人惊异的是,衰 老的各种不同生物和分子标记都表明,这些小鼠能够更长时间保持年轻。提升内 生Arf/p53活性似乎能产生一种抗氧化效应,该效应不仅抑制癌症,而且延缓衰 老。(Letter p. 375)
---------------------- NEWS AND VIEWS ---------------------- Palaeogeography: Europe cut adrift pp259 - 260 The floor of the English Channel provides evidence for two catastrophic floods arising from the drainage of huge glacial lakes in the area of the southern North Sea. These megafloods made Britain what it is today. Philip Gibbard doi:10.1038/448259a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448259a.html
Stem cells: The magic brew pp260 - 262 Researchers have engineered embryonic stem-like cells from normal mouse skin cells. If this method can be translated to humans, patient-specific stem cells could be made without the use of donated eggs or embryos. Janet Rossant doi:10.1038/448260a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448260a.html
Quantum mechanics: Interference in the matter pp262 - 263 Like any particle, electrons are also waves that can interfere with each other. Remarkably, this interference can even happen between electrons from different sources that have never physically interacted. Markus Kindermann doi:10.1038/448262a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448262a.html
Neurobiology: New order for thought disorders pp263 - 265 Can we really learn about complex human psychiatric disorders through genetic manipulations in mice? Yes, according to studies of how altering the gene encoding neuregulin 1 affects signalling in the mouse brain. Lorna W. Role and David A. Talmage doi:10.1038/448263a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448263a.html
Plant biology: Time for growth pp265 - 266 Analyses of growth kinetics in seedlings reveal exquisite connections between the signalling pathways controlled by the circadian clock and by light, and illuminate the molecular mechanisms involved. Ghislain Breton and Steve A. Kay doi:10.1038/448265a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448265a.html
Cell biology: Caught in the traffic pp266 - 267 In mice, deletion of the Rab8 protein disrupts organized molecular distribution to membranes of intestinal epithelial cells. Death by starvation follows, exactly as it does in humans with microvillus inclusion disease. Aparna Lakkaraju and Enrique Rodriguez-Boulan doi:10.1038/448266a http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/448266a.html
---------------------- ARTICLES ---------------------- Generation of germline-competent induced pluripotent stem cells pp313 - 317 Four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4 are known to convert fibroblasts to pluripotent stem cells, if Fbx15 expression is also selected. But the induced stem cells were shown to be distinct from normal embryonic stem cells. However, if cells expressing Nanog and Oct4 are selected, then the reprogrammed fibroblasts are similar to embryonic stem cells in both biological potency and epigenetic state. Keisuke Okita, Tomoko Ichisaka and Shinya Yamanaka doi:10.1038/nature05934 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05934.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05934.html
In vitro reprogramming of fibroblasts into a pluripotent ES-cell-like state pp318 - 324 Four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, c-Myc and Klf4 are known to convert fibroblasts to pluripotent stem cells, if Fbx15 expression is also selected. But the induced stem cells were shown to be distinct from normal embryonic stem cells. However, if cells expressing Nanog and Oct4 are selected, then the reprogrammed fibroblasts are similar to embryonic stem cells in both biological potency and epigenetic state. Marius Wernig et al. doi:10.1038/nature05944 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05944.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05944.html
Conformational entropy in molecular recognition by proteins pp325 - 329 Changes in residual protein entropy are a potentially important component of the change in the free energy of protein association, but such thermodynamics have been virtually impossible to determine experimentally. Here the authors used solution NMR spectroscopy to show that the change in internal dynamics of calmodulin varies significantly on binding a variety of target domains, which indicates that changes in residual protein conformational entropy can contribute significantly to the free energy of protein-ligand association. Kendra King Frederick, Michael S. Marlow, Kathleen G. Valentine and A. Joshua Wand doi:10.1038/nature05959 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05959.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05959.html
---------------------- LETTERS ---------------------- The sources of sodium escaping from Io revealed by spectral high definition imaging pp330 - 332 On Jupiter's moon Io, volcanic hot gases form an atmosphere that is then ionized and distributed around its orbit, forming a torus. Although it is known that the plasma leaks away, the leakage locations were unknown. Mendillo et al. report that sodium is ejected from the wake of the Io-torus interaction, together with a spherically symmetrical outflow region. The spatial extent of the ionospheric wake is more than twice that observed by the Galileo spacecraft, implying considerable variability. Michael Mendillo et al. doi:10.1038/nature06000 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature06000.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature06000.html
Interference between two indistinguishable electrons from independent sources pp333 - 337 Neder et al. experimentally demonstrate a fundamental effect: quantum interference between two particles that are indistinguishable and come from independent sources. This can only be observed by recording a joint probability of finding the particles in two detectors at separate places. Experiments with photons have not succeeded in observing the interference effect; here, instead, this experiment is carried out with electrons manipulated in an interferometer fabricated in a semiconductor two-dimensional electron gas. I. Neder et al. doi:10.1038/nature05955 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05955.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05955.html
A reversible wet/dry adhesive inspired by mussels and geckos pp338 - 341 Geckos use structures on the hairs of their feet to generate adhesive forces, enabling them to cling onto surfaces, and rapidly attach and detach. Messersmith et al. have combined this strategy of geckos with the chemical approach to underwater adhesion used by mussels. The resulting 'geckel' adhesive shows remarkable reversible adhesion over 1,000 cycles in both wet and dry conditions. Haeshin Lee, Bruce P. Lee and Phillip B. Messersmith doi:10.1038/nature05968 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05968.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05968.html
Catastrophic flooding origin of shelf valley systems in the English Channel pp342 - 345 A hypothesis for the permanent isolation of Britain from mainland Europe during interglacial high sea levels has been confirmed. Gupta et al. analysed a new regional bathymetric map of part of the area, finding a valley with landforms indicating large-scale subaerial erosion by high-magnitude water discharges. They suggest breaching of a rock dam at the Dover Strait instigated drainage of a large lake in the North Sea basin. Sanjeev Gupta, Jenny S. Collier, Andy Palmer-Felgate and Graeme Potter doi:10.1038/nature06018 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature06018.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature06018.html
The effect of ancient population bottlenecks on human phenotypic variation pp346 - 348 The proposed origin of modern humans has been controversial; whereas genetic analyses mostly support a single African origin, measurements of anatomy give mixed results. A new analysis of a large database of skull measurements by Manica and colleagues shows that 'distance from Africa' accounts for up to a quarter of heritable variation in craniometric traits, strongly indicating a common African heritage. Andrea Manica, William Amos, Francois Balloux and Tsunehiko Hanihara doi:10.1038/nature05951 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05951.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05951.html
Positive darwinian selection at the imprinted MEDEA locus in plants pp349 - 352 Gene regulation via genomic imprinting is found in both mammals and flowering plants, yet it remains unclear how new imprinted loci evolve. In plants, the imprinted seed development gene MEDEA has been found to have arisen by gene duplication. Its paralogue, SWINGER, has retained the ancestral function, whereas MEDEA became imprinted and acquired new function by positive Darwinian selection. Charles Spillane et al. doi:10.1038/nature05984 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05984.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05984.html
Variants conferring risk of atrial fibrillation on chromosome 4q25 pp353 - 357 As the most common cardiac arrythmia, atrial fibrillation is of interest to physicians, and has recently been shown to have genetic components. Gudjbartsson et al. have conducted a genome-wide association scan in populations from around the globe, and find a strong link to a gene involved in early heart development. This gene, PITX2, could be a candidate for therapeutic intervention. Daniel F. Gudbjartsson et al. doi:10.1038/nature06007 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature06007.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature06007.html
Rhythmic growth explained by coincidence between internal and external cues pp358 - 361 Circadian oscillations and light levels both affect plant growth; Maloof and colleagues now describe one mechanism by which the two pathways converge. Coordination between circadian control of transcription of two bHLH genes and light-dependent regulation of their proteins accounts for observed diurnal growth rhythms of Arabidopsis seedlings, providing an example of how coincidence between external and internal cues regulates function. Kazunari Nozue et al. doi:10.1038/nature05946 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05946.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05946.html
Two distinct modes of guidance signalling during collective migration of border cells pp362 - 365 During development and tumour metastasis, groups of cells can migrate together. Using border cell migration in Drosophila as a model, Rorth et al. show that cells move in two distinct phases by different mechanisms. To mediate these movements, information processing of signalling pathways occurs at the single-cell and the multicellular level. Ambra Bianco et al. doi:10.1038/nature05965 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05965.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05965.html
The Rab8 GTPase regulates apical protein localization in intestinal cells pp366 - 369 Rab8 is a small GTP-binding protein thought to regulate basolateral transport in vitro. In this paper, Rab8 conditional knockout mice are used to show that Rab8 plays an important part in vivo in the maintenance of the apical surface of intestinal cells; the mice eventually starve owing to poor absorption of food. Takashi Sato et al. doi:10.1038/nature05929 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05929.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05929.html
A bacterial E3 ubiquitin ligase targets a host protein kinase to disrupt plant immunity pp370 - 374 Pseudomonas syringae translocates many effectors into the plant host cell on infection, one of which is AvrPtoB. This E3 ubiquitin ligase has now been demonstrated to specifically modulate the host kinase Fen, which is involved in plant resistance. Tracy R. Rosebrock et al. doi:10.1038/nature05966 Abstract: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/abs/nature05966.html Article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v448/n7151/full/nature05966.html