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biosights

Dec 22, 2014

Osmotic gradient is just the tonic for wounded epithelia

Rapid wound repair is generally thought to be initiated by intrinsic cues, such as changes in the structure or mechanics of damaged tissues. Gault et al. reveal that an extrinsic signal — the osmolarity of the external environment — can stimulate wound closure...


Nov 24, 2014

Dynein helps centrioles stick together

Dynein has numerous functions in mitosis, but the function of the motor complex's light intermediate chains is poorly understood. Jones et al. reveal that dynein's light intermediate chains are required to maintain centrosome integrity during mitosis, preventing the premature...


Oct 27, 2014

Cdc42 prompts a change of heart

The apical surfaces of polarized epithelia are covered by short, actin-rich protrusions called microvilli, but what happens to these structures when cells detach from a monolayer during development or disease is unclear. Klingner et al. reveal that non-confluent epithelial cells form...


Sep 29, 2014

Cdc42 prompts a change of heart

The Drosophila heart is a simple tubular structure with a central lumen. Vogler et al. reveal that the small GTPase Cdc42 and actin-nucleating formin proteins promote lumen formation by regulating the dynamics of non-muscle myosin in cardioblasts during heart morphogenesis. This biosights...


Sep 1, 2014

Deploying exosomes in a battle of the sexes

The paired accessory glands of male Drosophila secrete multiple signaling factors into the seminal fluid that promote reproductive success by altering the recipient female's physiology and behavior. This biosights episode presents the paper by Corrigan et al. from the...