The importance of individualized article-specific metrics for evaluating research productivity

This editorial discusses the rationale for using article-specific rather than journal-specific metrics for evaluating highly published authors

Prizes and Heroes: Lagging and leading indicators

What are the purposes of prizes and recognitions? Are they lagging indicators of past achievements or leading indicators of things to come

From Duke to King's: Michael Malim wins the 2010 Retrovirology prize

Michael H. Malim wins the Retrovirology prize

Human T-cell leukemia virus oncoprotein Tax represses nuclear receptor-dependent transcription by targeting coactivator TAX1BP1

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 oncoprotein Tax is a transcriptional regulator that interacts with a large number of host cell factors. Here, we report the novel characterization of the interaction of Tax with a human cell protein named Tax1-binding protein 1 (TAX1BP1). We show that TAX1BP1 is a nuclear receptor coactivator that forms a complex with the glucocorticoid receptor. TAX1BP1 and Tax colocalize into intranuclear speckles that partially overlap with but are not identical to the PML oncogenic domains. Tax binds TAX1BP1 directly, induces the dissociation of TAX1BP1 from the glucocorticoid receptor-containing protein complex, and represses the coactivator function of TAX1BP1. Genetic knockout of Tax1bp1 in mice abrogates the influence of Tax on the activation of nuclear receptors. We propose that Tax-TAX1BP1 interaction mechanistically explains the previously reported repression of nuclear receptor activity by Tax. ©2007 American Association for Cancer Research.postprin

The Retrovirology Open Access experience

The Retrovirology Open Access experience after publishing more than 500 articles is discussed

Intelligence and ambition are distributed equally around the globe

The impact of freely accessible knowledge distribution platforms is briefly discussed

Endogenous Retroviruses: Thierry Heidmann wins the 2009 Retrovirology prize

Thierry Heidmann wins the 2009 Retrovirology prize

Coiled-coil motif as a structural basis for the interaction of HTLV type 1 Tax with cellular cofactors

Human T lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax is a multifunctional protein centrally involved in transcriptional regulation, cell cycle control, and viral transformation. The regulatory functions of Tax are thought to be mediated through protein-protein interaction with cellular cofactors. Previously we have identified several novel binding partners for Tax, including human mitotic checkpoint protein MAD1 (TXBP181), G-protein pathway suppressor GPS2 (TXBP31), and IκB kinase regulatory subunit IKK-γ. Here we described two additional Tax partners, TXBP151 and TXBP121. A closer examination of the sequences of eight independent cellular Tax-binding proteins identified by us and others revealed that all of them share a single characteristic, a highly structured coiled-coil domain. We also noted that Tax and the Tax-binding coiled-coil proteins can homodimerize. Additionally, the same domain in Tax is responsible for interaction with different coiled-coil proteins. Taken together, our findings point to a particular coiled-coil structure as one of the Tax-recognition motifs. The interaction of Tax with a particular subgroup of cellular coiled-coil proteins represents one mechanism by which Tax dysregulates cell growth and proliferation.published_or_final_versio

The 2011 Retrovirology Prize winner Masao Matsuoka: forward looking and antisense

Masao Matsuoka wins the 2011 Retrovirology Prize