Emerging roles for epigenetic modifications and chromatin remodeling in the nervous system provide the focal point for this issue’s Neurobiology Select. Recent evidence shows that changes in chromatin structure are critical to the reconsolidation of fear memories. Other new papers characterize the regulation of neural stem cells by histone acetylation and establish roles for epigenetic modifica...

Pathogens and their hosts have been in an evolutionary arms race for millions of years, and much has been learned about the strategies each has developed to stay on top. This Select focuses on recent papers reporting new insights into the mechanisms used by pathogens to stay in the race, either by hijacking host proteins and cellular pathways or, in one case, by hitching a ride on an insect vec...

Microbial pathogens have evolved strategies to live and multiply within their hosts, who in turn have evolved surveillance systems that detect such pathogens and trigger countermeasures. This Microbiology Select highlights recent papers that reveal new aspects of these host and microbial strategies. The bacterial pathogen that causes typhoid fever in humans, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S...

The incredible leaps in technology that now make high-speed genome sequencing possible are revolutionizing the hunt for genes and genetic variations associated with disease. A stunning series of recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified new candidate genes for a number of common diseases including breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes type I and II, obesity, Crohn's disease...

The complete human genome sequence presents researchers with unique opportunities not only for identifying the mechanisms underlying a battery of genetic diseases but also for revealing what makes us human. This issue's Genetics Select highlights recent developments in the field of human genetics that promise to direct future studies in the fields of comparative genomics and human disease resea...

Neural stem cells are widely studied for their therapeutic potential and for the insight they reveal into the mechanisms of brain development. The latest advances in neural stem cell research are the topic of this issue's Neurobiology Select. These findings include a simple protocol for reprogramming human neural stem cells to pluripotency and a report demonstrating that transplanted neural ste...

In our Select pages, we highlight exciting themes that emerge from our review of the recent literature. In this issue's Immunology Select, we discuss a cluster of recent papers that further our understanding of the host innate immune response to viruses and provide an example of the evasion of the immune response by a viral protein. The innate immune response is an early line of defense against...

Autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, are complex disorders characterized by an inflammatory response against the body's own tissues. Recent findings reveal new insights into how these diseases are initiated and progress and the factors that contribute to their clinical symptoms. Such work also pinpoints potential new therapeutic targets including the integra...

Symbiotic, parasitic, and commensal relationships have precise definitions in biology, but often the nature of the relationship between two organisms is not clear-cut and fluctuates over time. This Microbiology Select highlights recent studies that demonstrate how communication between the host and its microbial inhabitants largely determines whether their interaction is beneficial, hurtful, or...

The ability to distinguish self from nonself is crucial for proper immune system function, and disruption of self-tolerance can lead to the development of autoimmune disease. This Immunology Select highlights recent studies that uncover new mechanisms for inducing self-tolerance and provides insights into how self-tolerance breaks down in disease. To circumvent the inevitable problem that some ...