Top 7 Hidden Jewels

#1 Ecosystems defy predictionEcological models show that drastic changes in ecosystems can occur without any prior warning, which may prove it more difficult than previously thought to predict ecological responses to global climate change, as well as to manage ecosystems and control invasive species. A. Hastings and W.B Wysham, "Regime shifts in ecological systems can occur with no warning," linkurl:Ecol Lett,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20148928?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 13(4):464-72, 2010. Evaluated by Mario Pineda-Krch and Mark Lewis, University of Alberta, Canada; Ludek Berec and Vlastimil Krivan, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Ferdinando Boero, Universita' del Salento, Italy; Peter de Ruiter, Wageningen University Research Center, Netherlands. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/2620964?key=w55rxxtm6dyzwh4 #2 Bacteria need friendly neighbors Researchers have found a way to culture previously unculturable bacteria -- by placing them alongside cultured organisms from the same environment that produce siderophores, small molecules that collect iron and assist its uptake into the bacterial cell.A. D'Onofrio et al., "Siderophores from neighboring organisms promote the growth of uncultured bacteria," linkurl:Chem Biol,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20338517?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 17(3):254-64, 2010. Evaluated by Breck Duerkop and Lora Hooper, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center; Will Stubbings and Harald Labischinski, MerLion Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Germany. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/2819960?key=83jd4fdtvbftnns #3 Human interference mappedResearchers have mapped the anthropogenic changes incurred on the terrestrial environment from 1700 to 2000 and found that half of the land was human-altered by the early 20th century, and the rate of interference continues to increase. E.C. Ellis et al., "Anthropogenic transformation of the biomes, 1700 to 2000," linkurl:Glob Ecol Biogeogr,;http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00540.x/abstract;jsessionid=A6F246AA792020C5F61A323F96E3B8F9.d02t02 19:589-606, 2010. Evaluated by Garry Peterson, Stockholm University, Sweden; Rik Leemans, Wageningen University and Research, Netherlands. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/4868957?key=8ytpr0jdpp3p7cx

Lotus japonicus
Wikimedia Commons/Jcart1534

#4 Secrets of symbiosis uncoveredIn order to fix nitrogen, plants form a symbiotic relationship with bacteria such as rhizobia -- now, researchers have uncovered the role of 16 key genes involved in the synchronization of organ formation and rhizobia infection during plant development, by studying Lotus japonicus plant mutants.L. Madsen et al., "The molecular network governing nodule organogenesis and infection in the model legume Lotus japonicus," linkurl:Nat Commun,;http://www.nature.com/ncomms/journal/v1/n1/full/ncomms1009.html 1:10, 2010. Evaluated by Martin Parniske, University of Munich, Germany; Myriam Charpentier and Giles Oldroyd, John Innes Centre. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/4255956?key=jh7gkkctp9p7kx4 #5 Basophils not so necessaryDespite the importance of basophils, a type of white blood cell, in protecting the body against parasitic worms and chronic allergic inflammation, researchers have found that T helper cells can respond effectively to allergens and worms in the absence of basophils. C. Ohnmacht et al., "Basophils orchestrate chronic allergic dermatitis and protective immunity against helminths," linkurl:Immunity,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20817571?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 33(3):364-74, 2010. Evaluated by http://f1000.com/5162972?key=22d99m8dpk8g055 James Hewitson and Rick Maizels, University of Edinburgh, UK; Richard L Stevens, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School; Daniel Mucida and Hilde Cheroutre, La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/5162972?key=22d99m8dpk8g055 #6 Pheromone prevents inbreedingThe darcin protein, a pheromone present in the urine of male mice, appears to cause females to become attracted to other odorant molecules present in the urine of dominant males, but not in closely related males, providing insight into how animals avoid inbreeding.S.A. Roberts et al., "Darcin: a male pheromone that stimulates female memory and sexual attraction to an individual male's odour," linkurl:BMC Biol,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20525243?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 8:75, 2010. Evaluated by Etienne Joly, CNRS, France. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/5256961?key=5jfvc679vl0ghvh #7 Rho1 illuminates cytokinesisNew findings illuminate the role of Rho1, a small GTP-binding protein, in the last stage of eukaryotic cell division (cytokinesis): In yeast, Rho1 facilitates the process in two separate ways -- by promoting the formation of the actomyosin ring and by driving the development of the wall separating two dividing cells (septum).S. Yoshida et al., "Mechanisms for concentrating Rho1 during cytokinesis," linkurl:Genes Dev,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/19339687?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 23(7):810-23, 2010. Evaluated by David Levin, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Patrick Brennwald, University of North Carolina. linkurl:Free F1000 evaluation;http://f1000.com/1536956?key=1swmll92m32p5gk
**__Related stories:__***linkurl:Top 7 Hidden Jewels;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57686/
[13th September 2010] *linkurl:Top 7 Hidden Jewels;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57606/
[3rd August 2010]

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