Drosophila Sugar Receptors in Sweet Taste Perception, Olfaction, and Internal Nutrient Sensing
Published in Current Biology
Observation of reward delivery to a conspecific modulates dopamine release in ventral striatum.
Published in Current biology : CB
Dopamine (DA) neurons increase and decrease firing for rewards that are better and worse than expected, respectively. These correlates have been observed at the level of single-unit firing and in measurements of phasic DA release in ventral striatum (VS). Here, we ask whether DA release is modulated by delivery of reward, not to oneself, but to a c...
Biofilms: five-star accommodations for the aerobically challenged.
Published in Current biology : CB
Cohesin's ATPase activity couples cohesin loading onto DNA with Smc3 acetylation.
Published in Current biology : CB
Our data indicate that cohesion establishment involves the following steps. First, cohesin transiently associates with DNA in a manner that depends on the loading complex. Subsequently, ATP hydrolysis by cohesin leads to entrapment of DNA and converts Smc3 into a state that can be acetylated. Finally, Smc3 acetylation leads to recruitment of sorori...
Enhancing Perception of Contaminated Food through Acid-Mediated Modulation of Taste Neuron Responses
Published in Current Biology
Phylogenomics resolves a spider backbone phylogeny and rejects a prevailing paradigm for orb web evolution.
Published in Current biology : CB
Spiders represent an ancient predatory lineage known for their extraordinary biomaterials, including venoms and silks. These adaptations make spiders key arthropod predators in most terrestrial ecosystems. Despite ecological, biomedical, and biomaterial importance, relationships among major spider lineages remain unresolved or poorly supported. Cur...
Evolution: Rooting the Eukaryotic Tree of Life
Published in Current Biology
The root of the eukaryotic tree is a major unresolved question in evolutionary biology. A recent study marshals mitochondrial genes to place that root between the enigmatic Excavates and all other eukaryotes, providing an interesting new perspective on early eukaryotic evolution.
Brain rhythms: towards a coherent picture of ensemble development in learning.
Published in Current biology : CB
A recent study suggests that coherence of 20-40 Hz brain oscillations in the hippocampus and upstream lateral entorhinal cortex may support encoding of task-relevant information during associative learning. Coordination of local hippocampal circuits in this frequency range could be important for encoding new information.
A Soft Handoff of Attention Between Cerebral Hemispheres
Published in Current Biology
Each cerebral hemisphere initially processes one half of the visual world. How are moving objects seamlessly tracked when they traverse visual hemifields? Covertly tracking lateralized objects evokes a difference between slow wave electrophysiological activity observed from contralateral and ipsilateral electrodes in occipto-parietal regions. This ...
PI(4,5)P2 produced by the PI4P5K Skittles controls apical size by tethering PAR-3 in Drosophila epithelial cells
Published in Current Biology
•PI(4,5)P2 is crucial to maintain apical/basal polarity•PI(4,5)P2 is regulated by the PI4P5 kinase SKTL but not by the phosphatase PTEN•PI(4,5)P2 controls the targeting of Bazooka/PAR-3 to the apical plasma membrane•PI(4,5)P2 is apically excluded, and BAZ diffuses laterally upon cell invagination
