The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
The maintenance of chromosome DNA requires many nucleoidassociated factors in bacteria. Among them, the SMC (structural maintenance of chromosomes) complex plays a role in the organization and segregation of the chromosome. As discussed by Kamada and Barillà in article 1700166, this complex is recruited to the origin‐proximal region and then travels to the terminus, producing an individualized chromosome by combing left and right chromosome arms....
Allosteric and transmembrane (TM) signaling are among the major questions of structural biology. Here, we review and discuss signal transduction in four‐helical TM bundles, focusing on histidine kinases and chemoreceptors found in two‐component systems. Previously, piston, scissors, and helical rotation have been proposed as the mechanisms of TM signaling. We discuss theoretically possible conformational...
RNA editing is a major post‐transcriptional mechanism that changes specific nucleotides at the RNA level. The most common RNA editing type in humans is adenosine (A) to inosine (I) editing, which is mediated by ADAR enzymes. RNA editing events can not only change amino acids in proteins, but also affect the functions of non‐coding RNAs such as miRNAs. Recent studies have characterized thousands of...
Unstable Accumulating Activator models for cellular size control propose an activator that accumulates in a size‐dependent manner and triggers cell cycle progression once it has reached a certain threshold. Having a short half life makes such an activator responsive to changes in cell size and makes specific predictions for how cells respond to perturbation. In particular, it explains the curious...
Every living entity requires the capacity to defend against viruses in some form. From bacteria to plants to arthropods, cells retain the capacity to capture genetic material, process it in a variety of ways, and subsequently use it to generate pathogen‐specific small RNAs. These small RNAs can then be used to provide specificity to an otherwise non‐specific nuclease, generating a potent antiviral...
Genome maintenance requires various nucleoid‐associated factors in prokaryotes. Among them, the SMC (Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes) protein has been thought to play a static role in the organization and segregation of the chromosome during cell division. However, recent studies have shown that the bacterial SMC is required to align left and right arms of the emerging chromosome and that the...
The astonishing efficiency and accuracy of DNA replication has long suggested that refined rules enforce a single highly reproducible sequence of molecular events during the process. This view was solidified by early demonstrations that DNA unwinding and synthesis are coupled within a stable molecular factory, known as the replisome, which consists of conserved components that each play unique and...
Epigenetic and transcriptional variability contribute to the vast diversity of cellular and organismal phenotypes and are key in human health and disease. In this review, we describe different types, sources, and determinants of epigenetic and transcriptional variability, enabling cells and organisms to adapt and evolve to a changing environment. We highlight the latest research and hypotheses on...
Many targets of the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway are regulated by TCF transcription factors, which play important roles in animal development, stem cell biology, and oncogenesis. TCFs can regulate Wnt targets through a “transcriptional switch,” repressing gene expression in unstimulated cells and promoting transcription upon Wnt signaling. However, it is not clear whether this switch mechanism...
The type II phosphatidylinositol 4‐kinases (PI4KIIs) produce the lipid phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate (PtdIns4P) and participate in a confusing variety of membrane trafficking and signaling roles. This review argues that both historical and contemporary evidence supports the function of the PI4KIIs in numerous trafficking pathways, and that the key to understanding the enzymatic regulation is through...
Whoever compares the genomes of distantly related species might find aberrantly high sequence similarity at certain loci. Such anomaly can only be explained by genetic material being transferred through other means than reproduction, that is, a horizontal transfer (HT). Between multicellular organisms, the transferred material will likely turn out to be a transposable element (TE). Because TEs can...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.