The mammalian Golgi apparatus exists as a continuous ribbon that clusters around the centrosome, but the significance of this organization is unclear. Hurtado et al. identify truncation mutants of the protein AKAP450 that differentially affect Golgi integrity and positioning, and use these mutants to investigate how the Golgi's organization contributes to its function in cell polarization, migration, and ciliogenesis. This biosights episode presents the paper by Hurtado et al. from the May 30, 2...
Jun 13, 2011•8 min
Individual cells must quickly repair any disruptions to their plasma membrane. Abreu-Blanco et al. describe how early Drosophila embryos remodel their membranes and cytoskeleton to seal cell surface wounds. This biosights episode presents the paper by Abreu-Blanco et al. from the May 2, 2011 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Susan Parkhurst (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. Subscribe ...
May 16, 2011•7 min
The endoplasmic reticulum is a complex network of interconnected membrane tubules and cisternae. West et al. use electron tomography to reveal the full diversity of ER structures present in budding yeast and how these structures pass from the mother cell into the bud. This biosights episode presents the paper by West et al. from the April 18, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology , and includes an interview with senior author Gia Voeltz (University of Colorado, Boulder). Produced by Caitlin...
Apr 18, 2011•8 min
The centrosome remains closely associated with the nucleus throughout the cell cycle. Bolhy et al. reveal that the nucleoporin Nup133 anchors a network of proteins, including the motor protein dynein, that tethers centrosomes to nuclear pores in early prophase to assist the early stages of mitotic spindle assembly. This biosights episode presents the paper by Bolhy et al. from the March 7, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Valérie Doye (Inst...
Mar 21, 2011•7 min
Natural Killer (NK) cells distinguish target cells from surrounding healthy tissue by integrating signals from a variety of activating and inhibitory receptors. Abeyweera et al. reveal that signals from inhibitory receptors limit NK cell activity by remodeling contacts with potential targets and inducing NK cell retraction. This biosights episode presents the paper by Abeyweera et al. from the February 21, 2011, issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author M...
Feb 21, 2011•8 min
The transcription factor HIF-1α is essential for a cell's response to low oxygen conditions. Carbonaro et al. demonstrate that production of HIF-1α protein is regulated by dynamic microtubules and that microtubule-targeting drugs shift HIF-1α mRNA into cytoplasmic P-bodies, where its translation is repressed by miRNAs. This biosights episode presents the paper by Carbonaro et al. from the January 10, 2011, issue of the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes an interview with authors Marisa Carbo...
Jan 24, 2011•7 min
Dynamic microtubules assemble into a steady state bipolar spindle structure but precisely how this is achieved is unclear. Loughlin et al. develop a computational model that predicts how a few key activities organize microtubules in Xenopus meiotic spindles. This biosights episode presents the paper by Loughlin et al. from the December 27, 2010 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes an interview with author François Nédélec (EMBL, Heidelberg, Germany). Produced by Caitlin Sedwick an...
Dec 27, 2010•7 min
Centrosome positioning is thought to be important for both neuronal migration and axonogenesis. To investigate centrosome dynamics in vivo, Distel et al. develop a new method to simultaneously visualize multiple subcellular compartments in live zebrafish embryos. This biosights episode presents the paper by Distel et al. from the November 15, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Reinhard Köster (Helmholtz Zentrum, Munich, Germany). Produced by C...
Nov 29, 2010•7 min
Most migrating cells place their centrosome in front of the nucleus, facing the direction in which the cell is moving. Manneville et al. identify a signaling pathway that moves the centrosome into position by recruiting the motor protein dynein to leading edge microtubules. This biosights episode presents the paper by Manneville et al. from the November 1, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Sandrine Etienne-Manneville (Institut Pasteur, Paris,...
Nov 01, 2010•7 min
Many cellular processes, including polarization and differentiation, require the nucleus to move to a specific location within the cytoplasm. Fridolfsson and Starr reveal how the microtubule motors dynein and kinesin-1 control the bi-directional movements of nuclei in the embryonic hypoderm of C. elegans. This biosights episode presents the paper by Fridolfsson and Starr from the October 4, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Daniel Starr (UC D...
Oct 04, 2010•8 min
During an immune response, T cells move into tissues from the vasculature by crossing the endothelial cell layer lining blood vessel walls. Heasman et al. reveal that this transendothelial migration requires signaling at both the front and back of leukocytes by the small GTPase RhoA. This biosights episode presents the paper by Heasman et al. from the August 23, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Anne Ridley. Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Be...
Sep 06, 2010•7 min
The endoplasmic reticulum is highly dynamic, although little is known about why and how its membrane tubules move. Friedman et al. reveal that ER membranes slide along stable, acetylated microtubules, which might help them contact other organelles such as mitochondria. This biosights episode presents the paper by Friedman et al. from the August 9, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Gia Voeltz. Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and Ben Short. Subscri...
Aug 09, 2010•7 min
Astral microtubules help position the cytokinetic furrow by confining actomyosin contractility to the cell equator. Rankin and Wordeman reveal that if astral microtubules grow too long, they expand membrane blebs at the mitotic cell poles that squeeze the mitotic spindle back and forth between the two daughter cells. This biosights episode presents the paper by Rankin and Wordeman from the July 12, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Linda Word...
Jul 12, 2010•7 min
Microtubules align along the apical-basal axis of epithelial cells with their plus ends pointing to the basal side. Hotta et al. reveal how signals from the extracellular matrix establish this arrangement by recruiting the microtubule-anchoring factors LL5s to the basal cell cortex. This biosights episode presents the paper by Hotta et al. from the May 31, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author Yuko Mimori-Kiyosue. Produced by Caitlin Sedwick and ...
Jun 14, 2010•7 min
Drosophila macrophages disperse themselves around the body during embryogenesis, ready to mount an immune response at the site of a wound. Stramer et al. image the cells in vivo, revealing that they form microtubule "arms" to point them in the right direction and push themselves away from their fellow leukocytes. This biosights episode presents the paper by Stramer et al. from the May 17th, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with lead author Brian Stramer. Produ...
May 17, 2010•6 min
Cells drastically alter their structure at the onset of mitosis. Gavet and Pines reveal that the mitotic kinase CyclinB1-Cdk1 triggers its own nuclear import in prophase to ensure reorganization of the nucleus and cytoplasm is synchronized. This biosights episode presents the paper by Gavet and Pines from the April 19, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology , and includes an interview with senior author Jonathon Pines. Produced by Justin Paul and Ben Short. Subscribe to biosights via iTunes o...
Apr 19, 2010•8 min
During gastrulation, pulsed contractions of the actomyosin cytoskeleton apically constrict a strip of cells on the ventral surface of Drosophila embryos. Martin et al. examine how these contractile forces are integrated across the tissue so that it invaginates to form the embryonic mesoderm. This biosights episode presents the paper by Martin et al. from the March 8, 2010 issue of The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with lead author Adam Martin. Produced by Eun Choi and Ben Sh...
Mar 22, 2010•9 min
A microtubule-independent network of proteins called the spindle matrix is involved in assembling mitotic and meiotic spindles, but whether the matrix makes a mechanical contribution to spindle shape is unclear. Gatlin et al. manipulate spindles with microneedles to directly probe the mechanical properties of the spindle matrix. This biosights episode presents the paper by Gatlin et al. from the February 22, 2010 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes an interview with lead author J...
Feb 22, 2010•7 min
A novel high-throughput screening approach that combines yeast mutant arrays with high-content imaging provides fresh insights into mitotic spindle disassembly. This biosights episode presents the paper by Vizeacoumar et al. from the January 11, 2010 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes interviews with authors Brenda Andrews and Charles Boone, and JCB editorial board member John Aitchison. Produced by Eun Choi. Subscribe to biosights via iTunes or RSS View biosights archive The Ro...
Jan 25, 2010•7 min
Mitotic spindle microtubules have long been thought to deliver a signal to the cell cortex that positions the cytokinetic cleavage furrow. A new study reveals that accurate cytokinesis still occurs in the absence of contact between microtubules and the plasma membrane, and suggests that multiple spatial cues combine to define the furrow’s location. This biosights episode presents the paper by von Dassow et al. from the December 14th, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes inter...
Dec 23, 2009•8 min
Melanosomes are specialized pigment-producing organelles that arise from the endosomal system. A new study reveals that the clathrin adaptor AP-1 and the kinesin motor KIF13A combine to sort melanosomal cargo and position endosomes near to developing melanosomes where they deliver the cargo via direct tubular contacts. This biosights episode presents the paper by Delevoye et al. from the October 19th, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, and includes interviews with authors Graça Raposo an...
Nov 02, 2009•8 min
In this month’s biosights, we profile Elaine Fuchs, whose 30 years of research on mammalian skin development has recently been honored with the National Medal of Science and the 2009 L’Oréal-UNESCO award for Women in Science. The video includes excerpts from an interview with Dr. Fuchs, and was produced by Eun Choi and Ben Short. Subscribe to biosights via iTunes or RSS View biosights archive The Rockefeller University Press biosights@rockefeller.edu...
Nov 02, 2009•6 min
Early stages of drosophila development are marked by rapid cell cycles that go directly from S phase to mitosis without any obvious gap phases. Having previously investigated the role that cyclins play in timing these divisions, McCleland et al. now look at the role that S phase plays in regulating cell cycle progression. This episode of biosights presents two papers by McCleland et al. from the March 9, 2009 and October 5, 2009 issues of the Journal of Cell Biology and includes interviews with ...
Oct 05, 2009•8 min
The contractile vacuole is an osmoregulatory organelle in protozoans that expels excess water from the cytosol through a complex sequence of membrane movements. A new study identifies a myosin motor protein that orchestrates these movements in Dictyostelia. This biosights episode presents the paper by Jung et al. from the August 24th, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Biology, and includes an interview with senior author John Hammer III. Produced by Eun Choi and Ben Short. Subscribe to biosights...
Sep 07, 2009•7 min
Traditional methodologies can not detect the majority of action occurring in complex protein assemblies such as focal adhesions. A new study applied a high throughput screen and multi-parametric analysis to identify genes implicated in focal adhesion formation. This biosights episode presents a paper by Winograd-Katz et al. in the Journal of Cell Biology and includes interviews with authors Sabina Winograd-Katz and Benjamin Geiger. Produced by Eun Choi and Aimee deCathelineau. Subscribe to biosi...
Aug 10, 2009•7 min
The C-terminus of α-tubulin was thought to lose a tyrosine residue in response to microtubule stabilization, but new research shows that the opposite is true: tyrosine removal causes microtubules to stabilize by reducing the efficiency of depolymerizing motor proteins. This biosights episode presents a paper by Peris et al. in the Journal of Cell Biology, and includes interviews with authors Leticia Peris and Annie Andrieux. Produced by Justin Paul and Ben Short. Subscribe to biosights via iTune...
Jul 14, 2009•6 min
Most cell migration studies are performed in 2D culture dishes, but new work suggests that studying cells migrating along 1D lines might give a better indication of how migration occurs in vivo. This biosights episode presents a paper by Doyle et al . in the Journal of Cell Biology, and includes excerpts from an interview with first author Andrew Doyle. Produced by Justin Paul and Ruth Williams. Subscribe to biosights via iTunes or RSS View biosights archive The Rockefeller University Press bios...
Mar 06, 2009•6 min
Dictyostelium cells migrate in an orderly head-to-tail arrangement. They do this by leaving a trail of vesicles (thought to contain chemoattractant) for their fellow cells to follow. This biosights episode presents a paper by Kriebel et al. in the Journal of Cell Biology , and includes excerpts from an interview with senior author Carole Parent. Produced by Justin Paul and Ruth Williams. Subscribe to biosights via iTunes or RSS View biosights archive The Rockefeller University Press biosights@ro...
Dec 16, 2008•6 min
Discover how a well-known polarity protein keeps intestinal cells facing the right way by controlling their division direction. This biosights episode presents a paper by Jaffe et al. in The Journal of Cell Biology, and includes excerpts from an interview with senior author Alan Hall. Produced by Justin Paul and Ruth Williams.
Nov 24, 2008•6 min
