Assembly and function of the amyloid-like translational repressor Rim4 is coupled with nutrient conditions.

Amyloid-like protein assemblies have been associated with toxic phenotypes because of their repetitive and stable structure. However, evidence that cells exploit these structures to control function and activity of some proteins in response to stimuli has questioned this paradigm. How amyloid-like assembly can confer emergent functions and how cells couple assembly with environmental conditions remains unclear.

The role of disorder in RNA binding affinity and specificity.

Most RNA-binding modules are small and bind few nucleotides. RNA-binding proteins typically attain the physiological specificity and affinity for their RNA targets by combining several RNA-binding modules. Here, we review how disordered linkers connecting RNA-binding modules govern the specificity and affinity of RNA-protein interactions by regulating the effective concentration of these modules and their relative orientation.

Splicing and transcription touch base: co-transcriptional spliceosome assembly and function.

Several macromolecular machines collaborate to produce eukaryotic messenger RNA. RNA polymerase II (Pol II) translocates along genes that are up to millions of base pairs in length and generates a flexible RNA copy of the DNA template. This nascent RNA harbours introns that are removed by the spliceosome, which is a megadalton ribonucleoprotein complex that positions the distant ends of the intron into its catalytic centre.

A Molecular Titration System Coordinates Ribosomal Protein Gene Transcription with Ribosomal RNA Synthesis.

Cell growth potential is determined by the rate of ribosome biogenesis, a complex process that requires massive and coordinated transcriptional output. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ribosome biogenesis is highly regulated at the transcriptional level. Although evidence for a system that coordinates ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and ribosomal protein gene (RPG) transcription has been described, the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood.

openBIS ELN-LIMS: an open-source database for academic laboratories.

Unlabelled: The open-source platform openBIS (open Biology Information System) offers an Electronic Laboratory Notebook and a Laboratory Information Management System (ELN-LIMS) solution suitable for the academic life science laboratories. openBIS ELN-LIMS allows researchers to efficiently document their work, to describe materials and methods and to collect raw and analyzed data. The system comes with a user-friendly web interface where data can be added, edited, browsed and searched.

Inducible, tightly regulated and growth condition-independent transcription factor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The precise control of gene expression is essential in basic biological research as well as in biotechnological applications. Most regulated systems available in yeast enable only the overexpression of the target gene, excluding the possibility of intermediate or weak expression. Moreover, these systems are frequently toxic or depend on growth conditions.

Microfluidic single-cell cultivation chip with controllable immobilization and selective release of yeast cells.

We present a microfluidic cell-culture chip that enables trapping, cultivation and release of selected individual cells. The chip is fabricated by a simple hybrid glass-SU-8-PDMS approach, which produces a completely transparent microfluidic system amenable to optical inspection. Single cells are trapped in a microfluidic channel using mild suction at defined cell immobilization orifices, where they are cultivated under controlled environmental conditions.