biosights: August 31, 2015 - Pushing the envelope on spindle assembly

submitted by: JCB
During mitosis, numerous proteins accumulate around the mitotic spindle to help it assemble and segregate sister chromatids correctly. Schweizer et al. reveal that a membranous spindle envelope facilitates the accumulation of these proteins by excluding large organelles from the spindle region. This biosights episode presents the paper by Schweizer et al. from the August 31st, 2015, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with the paper's senior author, Helder Maiato...

biosights: August 3, 2015 - Endocytosis brings closure to epithelial wounds

submitted by: JCB
Epithelial cells bordering a wound respond by forming two types of actin-based structure: dynamic membrane protrusions that help the cells crawl into the wound and/or seal it and an actomyosin cable that encircles the wound and closes it like a purse string. Matsubayashi et al. reveal that the endocytic remodeling of intercellular adherens junctions promotes Drosophila epidermal wound healing by coordinating the activity of multiple actin regulators at the wound edge. This biosights episode...

New approaches to preserving cancer patients’ fertility before treatment

submitted by: mdanderson
Download from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-approaches-to-preserving/id43184... Oncofertility is a fairly new field of cancer medicine dedicated to helping patients preserve their ability to have children. MD Anderson oncofertility experts Deborah Holman and Donna Bell explain their proactive approach to counseling men, women, and the parents of children with cancer on saving their fertility before treatment begins.

biosights: July 6, 2015 - Interphase centrosomes flare up

submitted by: JCB
Centrosomes undergo dramatic changes in size and structure during the rapid cell cycles of early Drosophila embryos. Lerit et al. reveal that a scaffold formed by the proteins centrosomin and PLP is required to maintain the activity of interphase centrosomes, which is essential for nuclear spacing and proper chromosome segregation. This biosights episode presents the paper by Lerit et al. from the July 6th, 2015, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and includes an interview with two of the...

biosights: June 8, 2015 - Melanosomal cargoes BLOC'd off from alternate routes

submitted by: JCB
The BLOC-2 complex contains three subunits encoded by genes mutated in Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, a disease caused by defects in the trafficking pathways that form melanosomes and other lysosome-related organelles. Dennis et al. reveal that the BLOC-2 complex promotes the delivery of melanosomal cargo by targeting recycling endosomal tubules to maturing melanosomes. This biosights episode presents the paper by Dennis et al. from the May 25, 2015, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology and...

Jerry Tuskan at the 2015 DOE JGI Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting

submitted by: JGI

Jerry Tuskan, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), delivers part of the opening keynote at the 10th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting held March 24-26, 2015 in Walnut Creek, Calif.