EMBO

Nicolas Joly

Many key activities in living organisms rely on complex molecular machines composed of assemblies of proteins that work together to achieve a defined output. One such machine, termed RNA polymerase (RNAP) plays a crucial role in gene expression. Appropriate regulation and co-ordination of gene expression is important in all living organisms, from bacteria to humans.

Karina Yaniv

In addition to the blood vascular system, vertebrates possess a completely separate network of endothelial vessels called the lymphatic vascular system that protects and maintains the fluid homeostasis of the body by filtering and draining away lymphatic fluid.  Under normal conditions, the lymphatic system is necessary for the return of interstitial fluid and macromolecules to the blood circulation, for immune defense, and for the uptake of dietary fats. In addition to its important role during embryonic development, growth and proliferation of lymphatic vessels is an essential feature of tissue repair and inflammation in most organs.

Stan Van de Graaf

The epithelial Ca²⁺ channel TRPV5 plays an essential role in transcellular Ca²⁺ transport and is one of the most Ca²⁺-selective members of the transient receptor potential superfamily. Regulation of the abundance of TRPV5 at the cell surface is critical in body Ca²⁺ homeostasis. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying the transport of TRPV5 to and from the plasma membrane, the location where it exerts its physiological function.

Peggy Lafuste

Muscle paralysis in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) occurs when motoneuron axons disconnect from the muscle fibers at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Even though it remains outstanding whether degeneration of the motoneuron or, instead, denervation of the NMJ are the primary cause of paralysis in ALS, preserving NMJ innervation is an attractive strategy to delay muscle weakness in ALS. An important compensatory mechanism for muscle denervation involves the sprouting of terminal axons, resulting in re-innervation of the muscle and enlargement of motor units.

Gergely Katona

Most of the research done on proteins is based on their study in a resting state and their study in movement is extremely limited due to technological limitations. Recently we have made a movie of an enzyme (a protein that catalyses chemical reactions) found in bacteria. The achievement of this research is two-fold: on one hand there is the technological success of filming an enzyme in action and on the other hand there are the results that contribute to the knowledge of how this enzyme works.

Andrea Haegebarth

Colorectal cancer is amongst the most threatening diseases of the Western world. It is the second most common type of cancer with one million new cases diagnosed per year worldwide. Although several components of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway are implicated in tumor transformation in the gastrointestinal tract, little is known about their physiological role during intestinal development.

Peter Brodersen

All cells in an organism have exactly the same genes; they contain exactly the same DNA. They are, however, very different. For example, cells that make up an eye have completely different properties from those in the liver. The cells are different, because different genes in them are active. Therefore, processes that allow genes to be switched on and off in different cells are key to understand how organisms work at the cellular level. 

Boris Adryan

All cells in multicellular organisms have the same DNA, the same genes. Yet, there is a large variety of cellular shapes and functions. This diversity is accomplished by differential gene expression, the unequal activation and repression of their genes. The pattern of activated and repressed genes can be imagined as a regulatory landscape of the genome in each cell.