The type Ia supernova SNLS-03D3bb from a super-Chandrasekhar-mass white dwarf star

The accelerating expansion of the Universe, and the need for dark energy, were inferred from observations of type Ia supernovae. There is a consensus that type Ia supernovae are thermonuclear explosions that destroy carbon-oxygen white dwarf stars that have accreted matter from a companion star, although the nature of this companion remains uncertain. These supernovae are thought to be reliable distance indicators because they have a standard amount of fuel and a uniform trigger: they are predicted to explode when the mass of the white dwarf nears the Chandrasekhar mass of 1.4 solar masses (M(o)). Here we show that the high-redshift supernova SNLS-03D3bb has an exceptionally high luminosity and low kinetic energy that both imply a super-Chandrasekhar-mass progenitor. Super-Chandrasekhar-mass supernovae should occur preferentially in a young stellar population, so this may provide an explanation for the observed trend that overluminous type Ia supernovae occur only in 'young' environments. As this supernova does not obey the relations that allow type Ia supernovae to be calibrated as standard candles, and as no counterparts have been found at low redshift, future cosmology studies will have to consider possible contamination from such events.     

Molecular virology: was the 1918 flu avian in origin?

Taubenberger et al. claim that the 1918 influenza virus was derived from an avian source and adapted to humans shortly before the pandemic. However, we do not believe that this conclusion, which has been widely disseminated in the popular press and in scientific journals, is supported by their phylogenetic evidence.     

Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus

The origin of Australopithecus, the genus widely interpreted as ancestral to Homo, is a central problem in human evolutionary studies. Australopithecus species differ markedly from extant African apes and candidate ancestral hominids such as Ardipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus. The earliest described Australopithecus species is Au. anamensis, the probable chronospecies ancestor of Au. afarensis. Here we describe newly discovered fossils from the Middle Awash study area that extend the known Au. anamensis range into northeastern Ethiopia. The new fossils are from chronometrically controlled stratigraphic sequences and date to about 4.1-4.2 million years ago. They include diagnostic craniodental remains, the largest hominid canine yet recovered, and the earliest Australopithecus femur. These new fossils are sampled from a woodland context. Temporal and anatomical intermediacy between Ar. ramidus and Au. afarensis suggest a relatively rapid shift from Ardipithecus to Australopithecus in this region of Africa, involving either replacement or accelerated phyletic evolution.     

Structure and catalytic mechanism of the human histone methyltransferase SET7/9

Acetylation, phosphorylation and methylation of the amino-terminal tails of histones are thought to be involved in the regulation of chromatin structure and function. With just one exception, the enzymes identified in the methylation of specific lysine residues on histones (histone methyltransferases) belong to the SET family. The high-resolution crystal structure of a ternary complex of human SET7/9 with a histone peptide and cofactor reveals that the peptide substrate and cofactor bind on opposite surfaces of the enzyme. The target lysine accesses the active site of the enzyme and the S-adenosyl-l-methionine (AdoMet) cofactor by inserting its side chain into a narrow channel that runs through the enzyme, connecting the two surfaces. Here we show from the structure and from solution studies that SET7/9, unlike most other SET proteins, is exclusively a mono-methylase. The structure indicates the molecular basis of the specificity of the enzyme for the histone target, and allows us to propose a model for the methylation reaction that accounts for the role of many of the residues that are invariant across the SET family.     

The DNA sequence of the human X chromosome

The human X chromosome has a unique biology that was shaped by its evolution as the sex chromosome shared by males and females. We have determined 99.3% of the euchromatic sequence of the X chromosome. Our analysis illustrates the autosomal origin of the mammalian sex chromosomes, the stepwise process that led to the progressive loss of recombination between X and Y, and the extent of subsequent degradation of the Y chromosome. LINE1 repeat elements cover one-third of the X chromosome, with a distribution that is consistent with their proposed role as way stations in the process of X-chromosome inactivation. We found 1,098 genes in the sequence, of which 99 encode proteins expressed in testis and in various tumour types. A disproportionately high number of mendelian diseases are documented for the X chromosome. Of this number, 168 have been explained by mutations in 113 X-linked genes, which in many cases were characterized with the aid of the DNA sequence.     

Hydrogen-poor superluminous stellar explosions

Supernovae are stellar explosions driven by gravitational or thermonuclear energy that is observed as electromagnetic radiation emitted over weeks or more. In all known supernovae, this radiation comes from internal energy deposited in the outflowing ejecta by one or more of the following processes: radioactive decay of freshly synthesized elements (typically (56)Ni), the explosion shock in the envelope of a supergiant star, and interaction between the debris and slowly moving, hydrogen-rich circumstellar material. Here we report observations of a class of luminous supernovae whose properties cannot be explained by any of these processes. The class includes four new supernovae that we have discovered and two previously unexplained events (SN 2005ap and SCP 06F6) that we can now identify as members of the same class. These supernovae are all about ten times brighter than most type Ia supernova, do not show any trace of hydrogen, emit significant ultraviolet flux for extended periods of time and have late-time decay rates that are inconsistent with radioactivity. Our data require that the observed radiation be emitted by hydrogen-free material distributed over a large radius (～10(15) centimetres) and expanding at high speeds (>10(4) kilometres per second). These long-lived, ultraviolet-luminous events can be observed out to redshifts z?>?4.     

Amplification of specific DNA sequences correlates with multi-drug resistance in Chinese hamster cells

Mammalian cells selected for resistance to certain cytotoxic drugs frequently develop cross-resistance to a broad spectrum of other drugs unrelated in structure to the original selective agent. This phenomenon constitutes a major problem in cancer chemotherapy. Multi-drug resistance arises from decreased intracellular drug accumulation, apparently due to an alteration of the plasma membrane. The observation of double minute chromosomes or homogeneously staining regions in some of the multi-drug-resistant cell lines suggests that gene amplification underlies this phenomenon. We have used the technique of DNA renaturation in agarose gels to detect, compare and clone amplified DNA sequences in Adriamycin- and colchicine-resistant sublines of Chinese hamster cells. We show that both Adriamycin- and colchicine-resistant cells contain amplified DNA fragments, some of which are amplified in both of these independently derived cell lines. Furthermore, loss of the multi-drug resistance phenotype on growth in the absence of drugs correlates with the loss of amplified DNA. These results strongly suggest that the DNA sequences which are amplified in common in multi-drug-resistant cell lines include the gene(s) responsible for a common mechanism of multi-drug resistance in these cells. We have cloned one of the commonly amplified DNA fragments and show that the degree of amplification of this fragment in the cells correlates with the degree of their drug resistance.     

Controlled silver-staining of nucleolus organizer regions with a protective colloidal developer: a 1-step method

A 1-step silver-staining technique, requiring only 2 min to perform, is described for the differential staining of nucleolus organizer regions. A protective colloidal developer is used to control the reduction of the silver.