Shell keeps its options open for disposing of Brent Spar

Histone H3K4 methylation keeps centromeres open for business.

Eukaryotic centromeres are composed of a combination of nucleosomes containing the histone H3 variant CENP-A and canonical H3 di-methylated at lysine 4 (H3K4me2). Many questions exist over the functional importance of H3K4me2 nucleosomes within the centromere region. In this issue of The EMBO Journal, Bergmann et al (2011) reveal a role for H3K4me2 and transcription in CENP-A maintenance. They ...

How a brain keeps its cool

Temperature-sensing neurons in the Drosophila brain cooperate with the central circadian clock to help regulate body temperature.

How the spindle keeps its focus

During mitosis, the Drosophila protein Asp binds and focuses microtubule minus ends at the spindle poles, and maintains their attachment to the centrosomes. Two groups of researchers now provide insights into how the protein achieves these functions (1, 2). asp was one of the fi rst genes to be iden-tifi ed as being required for correct assembly of the Drosophila mitotic spindle (3), and mutati...

Rotation operator formalism for open-shell omplexes

Keeping Society's Options Open