Biochemical and genetic tests have revealed that a liver protein called NTCP is a functional receptor for hepatitis B and D viruses, which should lead to an improved understanding of the infections caused by these viruses and assist the development of new intervention strategies.
A combination of cellular, biochemical, genetic and genomic techniques have revealed a new molecular player in the production of fat cells in mice, which could improve our understanding of obesity.
Tijana Ivanovic, Jason L Choi ... Stephen C Harrison
Long-lived intermediate states formed by glycoprotein catalysts are an essential part of the process used by influenza virus particles to infect cells.
William R Bishai, director of the KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV (K-RITH), argues that the best place to carry out research into a disease is in its midst.
Electron cryo-microscopy has been used to determine the structure of Chikungunya virus-like particles and to provide new insights into their interactions with four different antibodies.
Rajika L Perera, Rubben Torella ... Luca Pellegrini
The details of how the enzyme DNA polymerase α initiates the polymerization of nucleotides in DNA replication, a critical step in the synthesis of new chromosomal DNA, have been revealed in atomic detail.
Natalya N Pavlova, Christian Pallasch ... Stephen J Elledge
A protein called PVRL4 has a central role in a number of cancers that originate in epithelial tissue, and anti-PVRL4 antibodies could be used to treat some of these cancers.
The receptor EBI2 is essential for correctly positioning CD4+ dendritic cells in the spleen so that they can present blood-borne antigens to T cells and thereby provoke an antibody response.
