Rac function and regulation during Drosophila development

Rac GTPases regulate the actin cytoskeleton to control changes in cell shape. To date, the analysis of Rac function during development has relied heavily on the use of dominant mutant isoforms. Here, we use loss-of-function mutations to show that the three Drosophila Rac genes, Rac1, Rac2 and Mtl, have overlapping functions in the control of epithelial morphogenesis, myoblast fusion, and axon growth and guidance. They are not required for the establishment of planar cell polarity, as had been suggested on the basis of studies using dominant mutant isoforms. The guanine nucleotide exchange factor, Trio, is essential for Rac function in axon growth and guidance, but not for epithelial morphogenesis or myoblast fusion. Different Rac activators thus act in different developmental processes. The specific cellular response to Rac activation may be determined more by the upstream activator than the specific Rac protein involved.     

Poleward heat transport by the atmospheric heat engine

The atmospheric heat transport on Earth from the Equator to the poles is largely carried out by the mid-latitude storms. However, there is no satisfactory theory to describe this fundamental feature of the Earth's climate. Previous studies have characterized the poleward heat transport as a diffusion by eddies of specified horizontal length and velocity scales, but there is little agreement as to what those scales should be. Here we propose instead to regard the baroclinic zone--the zone of strong temperature gradients and active eddies--as a heat engine which generates eddy kinetic energy by transporting heat from a warmer to a colder region. This view leads to a new velocity scale, which we have tested along with previously proposed length and velocity scales, using numerical climate simulations in which the eddy properties have been varied by changing forcing and boundary conditions. The experiments show that the eddy velocity varies in accordance with the new scale, while the size of the eddies varies with the well-known Rhines beta-scale. Our results not only give new insight into atmospheric eddy heat transport, but also allow simple estimates of the intensities of mid-latitude storms, which have hitherto only been possible with expensive general circulation models.     

The European dimension for the mouse genome mutagenesis program

The European Mouse Mutagenesis Consortium is the European initiative contributing to the international effort on functional annotation of the mouse genome. Its objectives are to establish and integrate mutagenesis platforms, gene expression resources, phenotyping units, storage and distribution centers and bioinformatics resources. The combined efforts will accelerate our understanding of gene function and of human health and disease.     

Elastic fiber homeostasis requires lysyl oxidase-like 1 protein

Elastic fibers are components of the extracellular matrix and confer resilience. Once laid down, they are thought to remain stable, except in the uterine tract where cycles of active remodeling occur. Loss of elastic fibers underlies connective tissue aging and important diseases including emphysema. Failure to maintain elastic fibers is explained by a theory of antielastase-elastase imbalance, but little is known about the role of renewal. Here we show that mice lacking the protein lysyl oxidase-like 1 (LOXL1) do not deposit normal elastic fibers in the uterine tract post partum and develop pelvic organ prolapse, enlarged airspaces of the lung, loose skin and vascular abnormalities with concomitant tropoelastin accumulation. Distinct from the prototypic lysyl oxidase (LOX), LOXL1 localizes specifically to sites of elastogenesis and interacts with fibulin-5. Thus elastin polymer deposition is a crucial aspect of elastic fiber maintenance and is dependent on LOXL1, which serves both as a cross-linking enzyme and an element of the scaffold to ensure spatially defined deposition of elastin.