Research highlight – Low kinetochore protein levels keep micronuclei in check

Micronuclei, which are common in cancer cells, are prone to missegregation owing to kinetochore assembly defects. Jonne Raaijmakers and co-workers reveal that defects in kinetochore protein levels contribute to a delay in the propagation of defective or excess chromosomes, suggesting a control mechanism to exclude faulty chromatids and prevent subsequent chromothripsis.

Cell scientist to watch – Sandra Rieger

“Scientists need to be able to communicate with the public – what's the point of doing science when the public doesn't understand it?”

Associate Professor Sandra Rieger is currently setting up a laboratory at the University of Miami, Florida, where she will focus on cellular communication mechanisms between sensory neurons and injured epidermal cells. Sandra shares her successes and challenges, the importance of applying for funding early on and the extra pressure women researchers experience in finding that elusive work-life balance.

Have you seen our interviews with the early-career first authors of our papers? We recently caught up with Francesca Nardi, Katherine Fisher, Jean-Philippe Babeu and Susana Peralta.

Research highlight – A PP1–NIPP1 fusion reveals its role in DNA damage

Through expression of a PP1–NIPP1 fusion holoenzyme, Mathieu Bollen and co-workers establish a new strategy to dissect the biological functions of PP1-interacting regulatory proteins. They demonstrate a key role for PP1–NIPP1 in the dephosphorylation of substrates that control the DNA damage response.

JCS Meeting – Cell dynamics: organelle-cytoskeleton interface

Defective endothelial cell migration in the absence of Cdc42 leads to capillary-venous malformations
Bàrbara Laviña, Marco Castro, Colin Niaudet, Bert Cruys, Alberto Álvarez-Aznar, Peter Carmeliet, Katie Bentley, Cord Brakebusch, Christer Betsholtz, Konstantin Gaengel. Development 2018 145: dev161182.