Papers of note in Nature 540 (7634)

Nancy R. Gough

doi:10.1126/scisignal.aam6636

This week’s articles highlight a way to enhance crop yield by manipulating sugar signaling, how blood flow patterns affect mechanical signaling in endothelial cells, how an innate immune sensor blocks PI3K signaling in the gut, and structural insights into cannabinoid receptors.

PLANT BIOLOGY

Manipulating sugar signaling to improve yield

Providing Triticum aestivum (wheat) or Arabidopsis thaliana (mustard plant) with precursors of trehalose-6-phosphate enables light-triggered release of trehalose-6-phosphate and increases yield and resistance to drought.

VASCULAR BIOLOGY

Mechanical signals in atherosclerosis

Different patterns of blood flow influence signaling through the transcription factors YAP and TAZ in endothelial cells, with flows that inhibit this pathway providing a protective effect.

INFLAMMATION

NLRC3 blocks PI3K signaling

By associating with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, the innate immune sensor NLRC3 blocks mTOR activation by growth factors and Toll-like receptors to limit gut inflammation and development of colon cancer.

STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY

Trapping antaogonist-bound cannabinoid receptors

The N-terminal region contributes to the ligand-binding pocket of this lipid-binding GPCR.

Highlighted Articles

1. C. A. Griffiths,
2. R. Sagar,
3. Y. Geng,
4. L. F. Primavesi,
5. M. K. Patel,
6. M. K. Passarelli,
7. I. S. Gilmore,
8. R. T. Steven,
9. J. Bunch,
10. M. J. Paul,
11. B. G. Davis
, Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling increases yield and resilience. Nature 540, 574–578 (2016).
1. L. Wang,
2. J.-Y. Luo,
3. B. Li,
4. X. Y. Tian,
5. L.-J. Chen,
6. Y. Huang,
7. J. Liu,
8. D. Deng,
9. C. W. Lau,
10. S. Wan,
11. D. Ai,
12. K. K. Mak,
13. K. K. Tong,
14. K. M. Kwan,
15. N. Wang,
16. J.-J. Chiu,
17. Y. Zhu,
18. Y. Huang
, Integrin-YAP/TAZ-JNK cascade mediates atheroprotective effect of unidirectional shear flow. Nature 540, 579–582 (2016).
1. R. Karki,
2. S. M. Man,
3. R. K. Malireddi,
4. S. Kesavardhana,
5. Q. Zhu,
6. A. R. Burton,
7. B. R. Sharma,
8. X. Qi,
9. S. Pelletier,
10. P. Vogel,
11. P. Rosenstiel,
12. T.-D. Kanneganti
, NLRC3 is an inhibitory sensor of PI3K-mTOR pathways in cancer. Nature 540, 583–587 (2016).
1. Z. Shao,
2. J. Yin,
3. K. Chapman,
4. M. Grzemska,
5. L. Clark,
6. J. Wang,
7. D. M. Rosenbaum
, High-resolution crystal structure of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Nature 540, 602–606 (2016).

View Abstract

[1] C. A. Griffiths,
R. Sagar,
Y. Geng,
L. F. Primavesi,
M. K. Patel,
M. K. Passarelli,
I. S. Gilmore,
R. T. Steven,
J. Bunch,
M. J. Paul,
B. G. Davis
, Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling increases yield and resilience. Nature 540, 574–578 (2016).

[2] C. A. Griffiths,

[3] R. Sagar,

[4] Y. Geng,

[5] L. F. Primavesi,

[6] M. K. Patel,

[7] M. K. Passarelli,

[8] I. S. Gilmore,

[9] R. T. Steven,

[10] J. Bunch,

[11] M. J. Paul,

[12] B. G. Davis

[13] L. Wang,
J.-Y. Luo,
B. Li,
X. Y. Tian,
L.-J. Chen,
Y. Huang,
J. Liu,
D. Deng,
C. W. Lau,
S. Wan,
D. Ai,
K. K. Mak,
K. K. Tong,
K. M. Kwan,
N. Wang,
J.-J. Chiu,
Y. Zhu,
Y. Huang
, Integrin-YAP/TAZ-JNK cascade mediates atheroprotective effect of unidirectional shear flow. Nature 540, 579–582 (2016).

[14] L. Wang,

[15] J.-Y. Luo,

[16] B. Li,

[17] X. Y. Tian,

[18] L.-J. Chen,

[19] Y. Huang,

[20] J. Liu,

[21] D. Deng,

[22] C. W. Lau,

[23] S. Wan,

[24] D. Ai,

[25] K. K. Mak,

[26] K. K. Tong,

[27] K. M. Kwan,

[28] N. Wang,

[29] J.-J. Chiu,

[30] Y. Zhu,

[31] Y. Huang

[32] R. Karki,
S. M. Man,
R. K. Malireddi,
S. Kesavardhana,
Q. Zhu,
A. R. Burton,
B. R. Sharma,
X. Qi,
S. Pelletier,
P. Vogel,
P. Rosenstiel,
T.-D. Kanneganti
, NLRC3 is an inhibitory sensor of PI3K-mTOR pathways in cancer. Nature 540, 583–587 (2016).

[33] R. Karki,

[34] S. M. Man,

[35] R. K. Malireddi,

[36] S. Kesavardhana,

[37] Q. Zhu,

[38] A. R. Burton,

[39] B. R. Sharma,

[40] X. Qi,

[41] S. Pelletier,

[42] P. Vogel,

[43] P. Rosenstiel,

[44] T.-D. Kanneganti

[45] Z. Shao,
J. Yin,
K. Chapman,
M. Grzemska,
L. Clark,
J. Wang,
D. M. Rosenbaum
, High-resolution crystal structure of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor. Nature 540, 602–606 (2016).

[46] Z. Shao,

[47] J. Yin,

[48] K. Chapman,

[49] M. Grzemska,

[50] L. Clark,

[51] J. Wang,

[52] D. M. Rosenbaum

Papers of note in Nature 540 (7634)

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