Contents
Vol 10, Issue 467
Editorial Guide
- Sources of variation: Animal microbiota
The diverse effects of microbiota on animal physiology contribute to experimental variability.
Research Articles
- The flavonoid cyanidin blocks binding of the cytokine interleukin-17A to the IL-17RA subunit to alleviate inflammation in vivo
A molecule from red berries blocks the activity of a proinflammatory cytokine and alleviates inflammation in mice.
- Identification of a selective small-molecule inhibitor of type 1 adenylyl cyclase activity with analgesic properties
ST034307 is a selective AC1 inhibitor with analgesic activity.
- Transcriptional activation of lipogenesis by insulin requires phosphorylation of MED17 by CK2
Phosphorylation of MED17 by distinct kinases enables nutrient-dependent transcriptional activation of lipogenesis by insulin.
- Pentraxin-3 is a PI3K signaling target that promotes stem cell–like traits in basal-like breast cancers
PI3K-stimulated induction of pentraxin-3 links innate immune signaling with the growth of basal-like breast cancer.
Podcast
- Science Signaling Podcast for 21 February 2017: Pentraxin-3 in basal-like breast cancer
Increased expression of PTX3 promotes the growth of basal-like breast cancer cells (Thomas et al. in 21 February 2017 issue).
Editors' Choice
- New connections: New targets for fighting hepatic steatosis
Insight into the signaling pathways that regulate de novo lipogenesis may lead to new treatments for hepatic steatosis.
- Microbiome-dependent recombination shapes the host antibody repertoire
Secreted IgD concentration depends on the presence of microbiota.
- Papers of note in Science Translational Medicine 9 (377)
This week’s articles report an integrated cell-based assay to test cardiac toxicity of anticancer drugs and discover a pathogen recognized by autoimmune antibodies involved in a form of epilepsy.
- Papers of note in Science 355 (6326)
This week’s articles identify a requirement for lipid transport between the endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane in insulin release, a mechanism in which contact with a host cell reprograms bacterial gene expression, a signal from a soybean pathogen that impairs soybean’s defense response, and a mechanism by which hair follicles may be leveraged to reduce scar formation.
- Papers of note in Nature 542 (7641)
This week’s articles highlight a tRNA synthetase in mTORC1 signaling in fat cell metabolism and aging, the vulnerability of cancer cells to drugs that target proteostasis, and a mechanism by which stressed neurons expel protein aggregates and dysfunctional organelles.
About The Cover

Online Cover This week features a Research Article that identifies the mechanism underlying the anti-inflammatory properties of cyanidin, a compound found in red berries and other fruits. By blocking the binding of a proinflammatory cytokine to its receptor, cyanidin alleviated symptoms in a number of mouse models of inflammation. The image shows the structure of cyanidin above some of its sources. [Image: Sarsmis; Leila/Alamy Stock Photo]