Receptor signaling is thought to occur on two time scales: fast and slow. Ligand-gated ion channels, such as the nicotinic receptor, are known to operate by rapidly conducting ions into the cell. We explore new evidence of an interaction between nicotinic receptors and G protein signaling in neurons.

Transposable elements are autonomous DNA parasites that are largely deleterious to their host genomes. Cells use multiple mechanisms to silence them but activation is increasingly being found in somatic tissues. Surveillance can break down with aging, and genome destabilization caused by active transposition may be an important molecular aging process.

Recent observations indicated that Dnmt2 proteins, which belong to a highly conserved DNA cytosine methyltransferase family, are important for the response to RNA-based stressors, including transposons, viruses, and experimentally introduced small RNAs. Is Dnmt2 part of an ancient defense system that employs nucleotide modifications against invading pathogens?

We estimate the expected total number of proteins per unit cell volume as 2–4 million proteins per cubic micron. Some reported values for fission yeast and mammalian cells using mass spectrometry are 3–10 times lower than these estimates. We discuss this apparent discrepancy and how to recalibrate proteome-wide quantitative censuses.

Transcription rate encompasses two related, yet different, concepts: the nascent transcription rate, which measures the in situ mRNA production by RNA polymerase, and the rate of synthesis of mature mRNA, which measures the contribution of transcription to the mRNA concentration. It is important to distinguish when to use each one.

The mechanism by which the Wnt pathway stabilizes β-catenin, a key transcriptional co-factor, remains controversial. Recent studies have revealed that the phosphorylation state of an essential regulator of the pathway, Axin, controls its conformation and, consequently, its availability to scaffold two opposing Wnt pathway protein complexes that regulate β-catenin stability.

Transposable elements, particularly retrotransposons account for about half of vertebrate genomes. Retrotransposons are mobile DNA elements that can copy and paste throughout the genome in the germline and somatic tissues, and are a significant cause of structural variation. Retrotransposons can also horizontally transfer to new genomes and ultimately alter them.

The FDA has approved larval therapy as a device for debridement of chronic wounds. Other beneficial effects of larvae of Lucilia sericata and their secretions on wounds have been observed, such as antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-inflammatory activities. These effects can explain how chronic wounds may shift into healing wounds.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been shown to control a wide variety of gene regulatory processes. In mammalian skin, lncRNAs appear to regulate the intricate balance between progenitor cells undergoing continual regeneration in the basal layer and highly differentiated cells forming the epidermal permeability barrier.

Recent studies on the role of FOXO in the non-aging Hydra model might explain how aging evolved by a shift from FOXO-mediated renewal to mediating maintenance. In our paper we explain how the uncoupling of FOXO may enable life span extension in aging organisms, including humans.

Sweetness, umami, and bitterness are transmitted to the nervous system via ion channel-mediated ATP release from taste cells. A recent study demonstrated that CALHM1 is essential for taste cell ATP release and perception of sweetness, umami, and bitterness. We discuss the new findings and unresolved issues in peripheral taste signaling.