Canal bQ

In this issue, Canal BQ brings together five review articles on the cell cycle and cancer. This number begins with Pinheiro & Sunkel’s introductory overview on the mechanisms and main players of the cell cycle in animal cells. Veiga & Pinho review the latest advances on how prokaryotic cells divide. Interestingly, even though bacteria do not have a membrane-bound nucleus, they are more similar to their eukaryotic counterparts than previously thought. Gilberto, Borrego-Pinto & Bettencourt-Dias discuss the impact that defects in the biogenesis and regulation of centrosomes and cilia can have on the cell cycle, signal transduction, and development of cancer and other diseases. Cerveira, Bizarro & Teixeira present data on how mutations in (proto-)oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes can lead to a deregulated cell cycle and cancer. Finally, Pereira, Sousa & Becker review the regulation of the plant cell cycle and discuss the many similarities that plants share with other eukaryotes concerning regulatory mechanisms and molecular players. Interestingly, plants can also develop tumours, usually associated with pathogens. However, spontaneous tumours do occur as well, but are less destructive than those in animals. The authors present possible explanations as to why this is so.

• Cover
• Sunkel C, Varela J. Editorial, 3.
• Pinheiro D, Sunkel C. Mechanisms of cell cycle control, 4-17.
• Veiga H, Pinho MG. Bacterial cell division: what it takes to divide a prokaryotic cell, 18-26.
• Gilberto S, Borrego-Pinto J, Bettencourt-Dias M. Centrosomes and cilia in health and disease: mechanisms of biogenesis and function, 28-38.
• Cerveira N, Bizarro S, Teixeira MR. Cancer cell cycle, 40-47.
• Pereira PA, Sousa FV, Becker JD. Decision-making in the plant cell cycle, 48-62.

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In this issue, Canal BQ brings together five review articles on membrane biology and approaches to assess membrane structure and function, so that those interested in the field can take advantage of new (and old) methods used in membrane studies. The first two articles (Domingues et al. and Fernandes et al.) start by discussing how atomic force microscopy and FRET can be used to study membrane structure and function. The third article (Conde et al.) reviews fundamental aspects of solute transport across the plant cell membrane. The fourth article (Soveral et al.) summarizes the current knowledge on aquaporin water channels, including the recently disclosed mechanisms of gating of some aquaporin isoforms. The fifth article (Keating et al.) summarizes recent findings concerning the placental transport of folates and the impact that the impairment of this process might exert on foetal growth and development.

• Cover
• Soveral G, Varela J. Editorial, 3.
• Domingues MM, Matos PM, Carvalho FA, Santos NC. Protein-Biomembrane interactions as therapeutic targets, 4-11.
• Fernandes F, Prieto M, Loura LMS. Förster resonance energy transfer in membranes: application to lipid domains and protein-lipid selectivity, 12-19.
• Conde A, Martins V, Noronha H, Conde C, Fontes N, Gerós H. Solute transport across plant membranes, 36-34.
• Soveral G, Trincão J, Moura TF. Aquaporins: membrane channels for water transport, 36-43.
• Keating E, Araújo JR, Martel F. The placental transport of folates, 44-48.
• Manuscript submission, 49.

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This issue focus on Stem Cells. What they are, what they are for, bioethical problems associated with them and promissing altenatives that may solve them. Several Portuguese scientists have been invited to write five review articles about this theme. The articles Bragança et al. and Correia & Bragança introduce the concept of stem cells. The remaining articles are more specialized, one on neural stem cells (Malva & Bernardino) and two others (Serra et al. e Neves & Ferreira) that discuss novel ways of producing stem cells in the lab. The first three are in Portuguese, but the last two are written in English.

• Cover
• Varela J. Editorial, 2.
• Bragança J, Tavares A, Belo JA. Células estaminais e medicina regenerativa: Um admirável mundo novo, 4-17.
• Correia R, Bragança J. Células estaminais adultas em medicina, 18-23.
• Malva J, Bernardino L. Células estaminais neurais: A caminho da reparação?, 24-29.
• Serra M, Brito C, Alves PM. Bioengineering strategies for stem cell expansion and differentiation, 30-37.
• Neves RP, Ferreira L. Stem cell research meets nanotechnology, 38-46.
• Manuscript submission, 47.

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