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.