Articles
Volume 8 (2009) - November 2009
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Minireview
TBP2 is a general transcription factor specialized for female germ cells Ferenc Müller, Làszlò Tora Journal of Biology 2009, 8:97 (30 November 2009) Mueller and Tora discuss a BMC Biology paper that shows that TBP2 is highly similar to TATA binding proteins but is an oocyte-specific factor and is indispensable for female germ cell development in vertebrates.
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Research article
Generalized immune activation as a direct result of activated CD4+ T cell killing Rute Marques, Adam Williams, Urszula Eksmond, Andy Wullaert, Nigel Killeen, Manolis Pasparakis, Dimitris Kioussis, George Kassiotis Journal of Biology 2009, 8:93 (27 November 2009) HIV causes immunodeficiency by deleting activated CD4 T lymphocytes, but paradoxically also causes general immune activation. Kassiotis and colleagues have mimicked this effect by using genetic engineering to delete activated T cells in mice, and show that in the mice it is due to loss of regulatory T cells.
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Minireview
Life and death as a T lymphocyte: from immune protection to HIV pathogenesis Nienke Vrisekoop, Judith N Mandl, Ronald N Germain Journal of Biology 2009, 8:91 (27 November 2009) Vrisekekoop, Mandl and Germain discuss the consequences of deleting activated CD4 T cells both in HIV infected humans and in engineered mice described in a paper published in Journal of Biology, and how both the similarities and the differences may be instructive.
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Editorial
What we still don't know about AIDS Miranda Robertson Journal of Biology 2009, 8:87 (27 November 2009) |
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Minireview
The gene complement of the ancestral bilaterian - was Urbilateria a monster? David J Miller, Eldon E Ball Journal of Biology 2009, 8:89 (19 November 2009) Bilateral animals have selectively shed genes as they evolved from their hypothetical ancestor, Urbilateria. Miller and Ball review this genomic history and ask if a recent paper in BMC Evolutionary Biology points to an ancestral worm.
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Opinion
The nature of cell-cycle checkpoints: facts and fallacies Alexey Khodjakov, Conly L Rieder Journal of Biology 2009, 8:88 (16 November 2009) The development of the checkpoint concept was a landmark in the understanding of cell cycle control, but Alexey Khodjakov and Conly Rieder argue that it is widely misunderstood, to the detriment of progress in cell cycle research.
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Minireview
An expanded evolutionary role for flower symmetry genes Lena C Hileman, Pilar Cubas Journal of Biology 2009, 8:90 (6 November 2009) Cubas and Hileman discuss studies, including one in BMC Evolutionary Biology, showing that the CYC-like genes that control floral symmetry have profound effects on other features and have been recruited to diverse roles in floral evolution.
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