In the first eLife podcast we hear about the origins of multicellularity, the Irish potato famine, hepatitis viruses, how fog affects the behaviour of car drivers, and the evolution of chromatin.
The first genomic view of beetle luciferase evolution indicates evolutionary independence of luciferase between fireflies and click-beetles, and provide valuable datasets which will accelerate the discovery of new biotechnological tools.
A high axonal chloride concentration explains why activation of light-gated chloride channels causes neurotransmitter release, and a novel hybrid somatodendritic targeting motif ameliorates this phenomenon and improves their inhibitory function.
Regional differences in activator and inhibitor signals alter hair cycle pace across mouse skin and produce unique fur renewal 'landscapes', with fastest renewal on the ventrum and slowest renewal on the ear pinnae.
TORC2-Ypk1 signaling upregulates flux through the sphingolipid pathway not only by increasing the supply of long-chain base precursors, but also by increasing their use in synthesizing complex sphingolipids.
A model for synchronous neurotransmitter release suggests that when not in the presence of calcium ions, Synaptotagmin proteins form ring-like structures between the vesicle and plasma membrane that prevent spontaneous fusion.
The induction of ISG15 during bacterial infection can be independent of Type I Interferons and leads to an increase in the secretion of cytokines known to be critical for bacterial clearance.
