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		Research article A metabolic signature of long life in Caenorhabditis elegans Silke Fuchs, Jacob G Bundy, Sarah K Davies, Jonathan M Viney, Jonathan S Swire, Armand M Leroi BMC Biology 2010, 8:14 (10 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Upregulation of gluconeogenesis and the glyoxylate shunt, as well as changes in amino acid catabolism, are metabolic responses that are common to different long-lived mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans.
		Research article Stone formation in peach fruit exhibits spatial coordination of the lignin and flavonoid pathways and similarity to Arabidopsis dehiscence Christopher D Dardick, Ann M Callahan, Remo Chiozzotto, Robert J Schaffer, M Claudia Piagnani, Ralph Scorza BMC Biology 2010, 8:13 (9 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Endocarp development in peach involves lignification in concert with a separate induction of the competing flavonoid pathway, and is regulated by transcription factors previously shown to govern the analagous process in Arabidopsis.
		Research article Coevolution of activating and inhibitory receptors within mammalian carcinoembryonic antigen families Robert Kammerer, Wolfgang Zimmermann BMC Biology 2010, 8:12 (4 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| F1000 \| Editor’s summary The high evolutionary diversity of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) families in mammals could be a result of their involvement in fetal-maternal conflict processes and the pressure exerted by different pathogens binding to CEA receptors.
		Research article Adherens junctions connect stress fibres between adjacent endothelial cells Jaime Millán, Robert J Cain, Natalia Reglero-Real, Carolina Bigarella, Beatriz Marcos-Ramiro, Laura Fernández-Martín, Isabel Correas, Anne J Ridley BMC Biology 2010, 8:11 (2 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Adherens junction proteins connecting adjacent endothelial cells attach to the ends of actin stress fibers rather than cortical F-actin, forming dynamic structures that bridge cells at discontinuous sites of contact.
		Research article Ontogenetic development of auditory sensitivity and sound production in the squeaker catfish Synodontis schoutedeni Walter Lechner, Lidia Wysocki, Friedrich Ladich BMC Biology 2010, 8:10 (29 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Auditory sensitivity and sound production change as the squeaker catfish grow, indicating that these fish can orient and communicate acoustically with conspecifics of all size groups since an early stage of development.
		Research article Reconstructing the ups and downs of primate brain evolution: implications for adaptive hypotheses and Homo floresiensis Stephen H Montgomery, Isabella Capellini, Robert A Barton, Nicholas I Mundy BMC Biology 2010, 8:9 (27 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Brain expansion began early in primate evolution and has occurred in all major clades, however in some lineages this trend has been reversed, accomodating plausible scenarios for the evolution of the small-brained hominin, Homo floresiensis.
		Research article Evolution of a unique predatory feeding apparatus: functional anatomy, development and a genetic locus for jaw laterality in Lake Tanganyika scale-eating cichlids Thomas A Stewart, R Craig Albertson BMC Biology 2010, 8:8 (26 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Some cichlid fish have evolved one-sided mouths as an adaptation to eating scales from either the right or left flank of their prey, and this striking asymmetry segegrates with a conserved genetic locus.
		Research article A role for NRAGE in NF-κB activation through the non-canonical BMP pathway Nicholas Matluk, Jennifer A Rochira, Aldona Karaczyn, Tamara Adams, Joseph M Verdi BMC Biology 2010, 8:7 (25 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary NRAGE, a neurotrophin receptor-interacting protein of the melanoma antigen family, is required for activation of NF-kappaB through the non-canonical bone morphogenic protein developmental signaling pathway.
		Research article Mild folate deficiency induces genetic and epigenetic instability and phenotype changes in prostate cancer cells Gaia Bistulfi, Erika VanDette, Sei-Ichi Matsui, Dominic J Smiraglia BMC Biology 2010, 8:6 (21 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Mild folate depletion induces detrimental genomic, epigenetic and phenotypic changes in prostate cells that correlate with the stage of transformation of the cells, indicating that insufficient dietary folate or antifolate therapies might induce or accelerate transformation of prostate cells.
		Research article Regeneration and reprogramming compared Bea Christen, Vanesa Robles, Marina Raya, Ida Paramonov, Juan Belmonte BMC Biology 2010, 8:5 (20 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Key pluripotency-associated factors, whose overexpression can drive somatic cells to reprogram as pluripotent stem cells, are also required for appendage regeneration in fish and amphibians.
		Research article Early evolution of the LIM homeobox gene family Mansi Srivastava, Claire Larroux, Daniel R Lu, Kareshma Mohanty, Jarrod Chapman, Bernard M Degnan, Daniel S Rokhsar BMC Biology 2010, 8:4 (18 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary LIM homeobox genes expanded and diversified early in animal evolution, with all six subfamilies predating the cnidarian-placozoan-bilaterian ancestor, and expression in Nemostella consistent with a homologous role in neural patterning across eumetazoans.
		Commentary Giant lobelias exemplify convergent evolution Thomas J Givnish BMC Biology 2010, 8:3 (14 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Thomas J. Givnish discusses the phylogenetic analysis published recently by Alexandre Antonelli (BMC Biology 2009, 7:82), arguing for an interpretation that reinstates the giant lobelias of East Africa and Hawaii as a paradigmatic example of convergent evolution.
		Commentary Taming of the shrewd: novel eukaryotic genes from RNA viruses Eugene V Koonin BMC Biology 2010, 8:2 (12 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Eugene Koonin comments on the recent finding that integrated copies of non-retroviral RNA virus genes are widely spread in fungal genomes and proposes a role for these acquired genes in antiviral immunity.
		Research article THOC5/FMIP, an mRNA export TREX complex protein, is essential for hematopoietic primitive cell survival in vivo Annalisa Mancini, Susanne C Niemann-Seyde, Rüdiger Pankow, Omar El Bounkari, Sabine Klebba-Färber, Alexandra Koch, Ewa Jaworska, Elaine Spooncer, Achim D Gruber, Anthony D Whetton, Teruko Tamura BMC Biology 2010, 8:1 (5 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary THOC5/Fms interacting protein (FMIP), part of a complex required for coupled transcription elongation and nuclear export of a subset of mRNAs, is essential for maintaining hematopoiesis in mice.
		Research article The evolution of novel fungal genes from non-retroviral RNA viruses Derek J Taylor, Jeremy Bruenn BMC Biology 2009, 7:88 (18 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Analyses of totiviral genes, and their endogenous derivatives in fungi, provides strong evidence that eukaryotes can acquire functional genes by horizontal gene transfer from RNA viruses that lack reverse transcriptase.
		Research article The obesity and inflammatory marker haptoglobin attracts monocytes via interaction with chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) Margherita Maffei, Marcella Funicello, Teresa Vottari, Olimpia Gamucci, Mario Costa, Simonetta Lisi, Alessandro Viegi, Osele Ciampi, Giuseppe Bardi, Paolo Vitti, Aldo Pinchera, Ferruccio Santini BMC Biology 2009, 7:87 (17 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Haptoglobin, a protein induced by obesity, attracts monocytes through an interaction with the chemokine receptor CCR2, and could therefore mediate the infiltration of these inflammatory cells into adipose tissue where haptoglobulin is upregulated.
		Research article Characterization of the histone H2A.Z-1 and H2A.Z-2 isoforms in vertebrates Deanna Dryhurst, Toyotaka Ishibashi, Kristie L Rose, José M Eirín-López, Darin McDonald, Begonia Silva-Moreno, Nik Veldhoen, Caren C Helbing, Michael J Hendzel, Jeffrey Shabanowitz, Donald F Hunt, Juan Ausió BMC Biology 2009, 7:86 (14 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Although very similar in structure, the two isoforms of histone variant H2A.Z show different affinities for modified core histones and non-identical localization within chromatin, indicating that they may have temporally different expression patterns and independent functions.
		Research article Profound human/mouse differences in alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms: a novel syntrophin-binding site and promoter missing in mouse and rat Sabrina V Böhm, Panayiotis Constantinou, Sipin Tan, Hong Jin, Roland G Roberts BMC Biology 2009, 7:85 (4 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Mouse alpha-dystrobrevin genes are significantly different from human genes in their syntrophin binding sites and brain-specific isoforms, which questions the use of mouse models to study Duchenne muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases.
		Research article Increasing phylogenetic resolution at low taxonomic levels using massively parallel sequencing of chloroplast genomes Matthew Parks, Richard Cronn, Aaron Liston BMC Biology 2009, 7:84 (2 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Massively parallel sequencing of chloroplast genomes empowers the resolution of low taxonomic level plant phylogenies, as illustrated by an analysis of rapidly radiating clades in the genus Pinus.
		Research article Proteomic analysis of blastema formation in regenerating axolotl limbs Nandini Rao, Deepali Jhamb, Derek J Milner, Bingbing Li, Fengyu Song, Mu Wang, S Randal Voss, Mathew Palakal, Michael W King, Behnaz Saranjami, Holly LD Nye, Jo Cameron, David L Stocum BMC Biology 2009, 7:83 (30 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A changing proteomic profile accompanies blastema formation in an amputated axolotl limb, providing insight into the dedifferentiation and reprogramming of this mass of cells as they prepare for limb regeneration.
		Research article Have giant lobelias evolved several times independently? Life form shifts and historical biogeography of the cosmopolitan and highly diverse subfamily Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae) Alexandre Antonelli BMC Biology 2009, 7:82 (26 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary The gigantism of African and Hawaiian lobelias was thought to have arisen independently by evolutionary convergence, but new genetic analyses suggest dispersal from a common ancestor that grew in Africa, about 30 million years ago.
		Methodology article Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based subcellular visualization of pathogen-induced host receptor signaling Alexander Buntru, Timo Zimmermann, Christof R Hauck BMC Biology 2009, 7:81 (25 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can be used to visualize the initial molecular events of bacterial infection in intact cells, revealing intracellular protein-protein interactions that signal pathogen engagement with its receptor outside the cell.
		Research article Mapping cortical hubs in tinnitus Winfried Schlee, Nadia Mueller, Thomas Hartmann, Julian Keil, Isabel Lorenz, Nathan Weisz BMC Biology 2009, 7:80 (23 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Patients with tinnitus exhibit alterations in the functional coupling of long-range cortical networks, showing a top-down influence on temporal cortices related to conscious perception of the distressing tinnitus tone.
		Research article Environmentally-acquired bacteria influence microbial diversity and natural innate immune responses at gut surfaces Imke E Mulder, Bettina Schmidt, Christopher R Stokes, Marie Lewis, Mick Bailey, Rustam I Aminov, James I Prosser, Bhupinder P Gill, John R Pluske, Claus-Dieter Mayer, Corran C Musk, Denise Kelly BMC Biology 2009, 7:79 (20 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Pigs reared indoors or in isolation have a less healthy gut microbiota than outdoor-reared pigs, and signs of immune activation in gut tissues, reinforcing human data associating childhood hygiene with inflammatory bowel disease.
		Research article Phylogeographic reconstruction of a bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer Talima Pearson, Philip Giffard, Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg, Raymond Auerbach, Heidie Hornstra, Apichai Tuanyok, Erin P Price, Mindy B Glass, Benjamin Leadem, James S Beckstrom-Sternberg, Gerard J Allan, Jeffrey T Foster, David M Wagner, Richard T Okinaka, Siew Sim, Ofori Pearson, Zaining Wu, Jean Chang, Rajinder Kaul, Alex R Hoffmaster, Thomas S Brettin, Richard A Robison, Mark Mayo, Jay E Gee, Patrick Tan, Bart J Currie, Paul Keim BMC Biology 2009, 7:78 (18 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Despite a high level of lateral gene transfer, the phylogeny of Burkholderia pseudomallei is resolved by SNPs in orthologous shared regions, enabling a wider gene-based analysis to define two populations, ancestral Australian, and South East Asian, separated by the Wallace Line.

	All
		Research article A metabolic signature of long life in Caenorhabditis elegans Silke Fuchs, Jacob G Bundy, Sarah K Davies, Jonathan M Viney, Jonathan S Swire, Armand M Leroi BMC Biology 2010, 8:14 (10 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Upregulation of gluconeogenesis and the glyoxylate shunt, as well as changes in amino acid catabolism, are metabolic responses that are common to different long-lived mutants of Caenorhabditis elegans.
		Research article Stone formation in peach fruit exhibits spatial coordination of the lignin and flavonoid pathways and similarity to Arabidopsis dehiscence Christopher D Dardick, Ann M Callahan, Remo Chiozzotto, Robert J Schaffer, M Claudia Piagnani, Ralph Scorza BMC Biology 2010, 8:13 (9 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Endocarp development in peach involves lignification in concert with a separate induction of the competing flavonoid pathway, and is regulated by transcription factors previously shown to govern the analagous process in Arabidopsis.
		Research article Coevolution of activating and inhibitory receptors within mammalian carcinoembryonic antigen families Robert Kammerer, Wolfgang Zimmermann BMC Biology 2010, 8:12 (4 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| F1000 \| Editor’s summary The high evolutionary diversity of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) families in mammals could be a result of their involvement in fetal-maternal conflict processes and the pressure exerted by different pathogens binding to CEA receptors.
		Research article Adherens junctions connect stress fibres between adjacent endothelial cells Jaime Millán, Robert J Cain, Natalia Reglero-Real, Carolina Bigarella, Beatriz Marcos-Ramiro, Laura Fernández-Martín, Isabel Correas, Anne J Ridley BMC Biology 2010, 8:11 (2 February 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| F1000 Biology \| Editor’s summary Adherens junction proteins connecting adjacent endothelial cells attach to the ends of actin stress fibers rather than cortical F-actin, forming dynamic structures that bridge cells at discontinuous sites of contact.
		Research article Ontogenetic development of auditory sensitivity and sound production in the squeaker catfish Synodontis schoutedeni Walter Lechner, Lidia Wysocki, Friedrich Ladich BMC Biology 2010, 8:10 (29 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Auditory sensitivity and sound production change as the squeaker catfish grow, indicating that these fish can orient and communicate acoustically with conspecifics of all size groups since an early stage of development.
		Research article Reconstructing the ups and downs of primate brain evolution: implications for adaptive hypotheses and Homo floresiensis Stephen H Montgomery, Isabella Capellini, Robert A Barton, Nicholas I Mundy BMC Biology 2010, 8:9 (27 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Brain expansion began early in primate evolution and has occurred in all major clades, however in some lineages this trend has been reversed, accomodating plausible scenarios for the evolution of the small-brained hominin, Homo floresiensis.
		Research article Evolution of a unique predatory feeding apparatus: functional anatomy, development and a genetic locus for jaw laterality in Lake Tanganyika scale-eating cichlids Thomas A Stewart, R Craig Albertson BMC Biology 2010, 8:8 (26 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Some cichlid fish have evolved one-sided mouths as an adaptation to eating scales from either the right or left flank of their prey, and this striking asymmetry segegrates with a conserved genetic locus.
		Research article A role for NRAGE in NF-κB activation through the non-canonical BMP pathway Nicholas Matluk, Jennifer A Rochira, Aldona Karaczyn, Tamara Adams, Joseph M Verdi BMC Biology 2010, 8:7 (25 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary NRAGE, a neurotrophin receptor-interacting protein of the melanoma antigen family, is required for activation of NF-kappaB through the non-canonical bone morphogenic protein developmental signaling pathway.
		Research article Mild folate deficiency induces genetic and epigenetic instability and phenotype changes in prostate cancer cells Gaia Bistulfi, Erika VanDette, Sei-Ichi Matsui, Dominic J Smiraglia BMC Biology 2010, 8:6 (21 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Mild folate depletion induces detrimental genomic, epigenetic and phenotypic changes in prostate cells that correlate with the stage of transformation of the cells, indicating that insufficient dietary folate or antifolate therapies might induce or accelerate transformation of prostate cells.
		Research article Regeneration and reprogramming compared Bea Christen, Vanesa Robles, Marina Raya, Ida Paramonov, Juan Belmonte BMC Biology 2010, 8:5 (20 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Key pluripotency-associated factors, whose overexpression can drive somatic cells to reprogram as pluripotent stem cells, are also required for appendage regeneration in fish and amphibians.
		Research article Early evolution of the LIM homeobox gene family Mansi Srivastava, Claire Larroux, Daniel R Lu, Kareshma Mohanty, Jarrod Chapman, Bernard M Degnan, Daniel S Rokhsar BMC Biology 2010, 8:4 (18 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary LIM homeobox genes expanded and diversified early in animal evolution, with all six subfamilies predating the cnidarian-placozoan-bilaterian ancestor, and expression in Nemostella consistent with a homologous role in neural patterning across eumetazoans.
		Commentary Giant lobelias exemplify convergent evolution Thomas J Givnish BMC Biology 2010, 8:3 (14 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Thomas J. Givnish discusses the phylogenetic analysis published recently by Alexandre Antonelli (BMC Biology 2009, 7:82), arguing for an interpretation that reinstates the giant lobelias of East Africa and Hawaii as a paradigmatic example of convergent evolution.
		Commentary Taming of the shrewd: novel eukaryotic genes from RNA viruses Eugene V Koonin BMC Biology 2010, 8:2 (12 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Eugene Koonin comments on the recent finding that integrated copies of non-retroviral RNA virus genes are widely spread in fungal genomes and proposes a role for these acquired genes in antiviral immunity.
		Research article THOC5/FMIP, an mRNA export TREX complex protein, is essential for hematopoietic primitive cell survival in vivo Annalisa Mancini, Susanne C Niemann-Seyde, Rüdiger Pankow, Omar El Bounkari, Sabine Klebba-Färber, Alexandra Koch, Ewa Jaworska, Elaine Spooncer, Achim D Gruber, Anthony D Whetton, Teruko Tamura BMC Biology 2010, 8:1 (5 January 2010) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary THOC5/Fms interacting protein (FMIP), part of a complex required for coupled transcription elongation and nuclear export of a subset of mRNAs, is essential for maintaining hematopoiesis in mice.
		Research article The evolution of novel fungal genes from non-retroviral RNA viruses Derek J Taylor, Jeremy Bruenn BMC Biology 2009, 7:88 (18 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Analyses of totiviral genes, and their endogenous derivatives in fungi, provides strong evidence that eukaryotes can acquire functional genes by horizontal gene transfer from RNA viruses that lack reverse transcriptase.
		Research article The obesity and inflammatory marker haptoglobin attracts monocytes via interaction with chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) Margherita Maffei, Marcella Funicello, Teresa Vottari, Olimpia Gamucci, Mario Costa, Simonetta Lisi, Alessandro Viegi, Osele Ciampi, Giuseppe Bardi, Paolo Vitti, Aldo Pinchera, Ferruccio Santini BMC Biology 2009, 7:87 (17 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Haptoglobin, a protein induced by obesity, attracts monocytes through an interaction with the chemokine receptor CCR2, and could therefore mediate the infiltration of these inflammatory cells into adipose tissue where haptoglobulin is upregulated.
		Research article Characterization of the histone H2A.Z-1 and H2A.Z-2 isoforms in vertebrates Deanna Dryhurst, Toyotaka Ishibashi, Kristie L Rose, José M Eirín-López, Darin McDonald, Begonia Silva-Moreno, Nik Veldhoen, Caren C Helbing, Michael J Hendzel, Jeffrey Shabanowitz, Donald F Hunt, Juan Ausió BMC Biology 2009, 7:86 (14 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Although very similar in structure, the two isoforms of histone variant H2A.Z show different affinities for modified core histones and non-identical localization within chromatin, indicating that they may have temporally different expression patterns and independent functions.
		Research article Profound human/mouse differences in alpha-dystrobrevin isoforms: a novel syntrophin-binding site and promoter missing in mouse and rat Sabrina V Böhm, Panayiotis Constantinou, Sipin Tan, Hong Jin, Roland G Roberts BMC Biology 2009, 7:85 (4 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Editor’s summary Mouse alpha-dystrobrevin genes are significantly different from human genes in their syntrophin binding sites and brain-specific isoforms, which questions the use of mouse models to study Duchenne muscular dystrophy and related neuromuscular diseases.
		Research article Increasing phylogenetic resolution at low taxonomic levels using massively parallel sequencing of chloroplast genomes Matthew Parks, Richard Cronn, Aaron Liston BMC Biology 2009, 7:84 (2 December 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Massively parallel sequencing of chloroplast genomes empowers the resolution of low taxonomic level plant phylogenies, as illustrated by an analysis of rapidly radiating clades in the genus Pinus.
		Research article Proteomic analysis of blastema formation in regenerating axolotl limbs Nandini Rao, Deepali Jhamb, Derek J Milner, Bingbing Li, Fengyu Song, Mu Wang, S Randal Voss, Mathew Palakal, Michael W King, Behnaz Saranjami, Holly LD Nye, Jo Cameron, David L Stocum BMC Biology 2009, 7:83 (30 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary A changing proteomic profile accompanies blastema formation in an amputated axolotl limb, providing insight into the dedifferentiation and reprogramming of this mass of cells as they prepare for limb regeneration.
		Research article Have giant lobelias evolved several times independently? Life form shifts and historical biogeography of the cosmopolitan and highly diverse subfamily Lobelioideae (Campanulaceae) Alexandre Antonelli BMC Biology 2009, 7:82 (26 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary The gigantism of African and Hawaiian lobelias was thought to have arisen independently by evolutionary convergence, but new genetic analyses suggest dispersal from a common ancestor that grew in Africa, about 30 million years ago.
		Methodology article Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based subcellular visualization of pathogen-induced host receptor signaling Alexander Buntru, Timo Zimmermann, Christof R Hauck BMC Biology 2009, 7:81 (25 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) can be used to visualize the initial molecular events of bacterial infection in intact cells, revealing intracellular protein-protein interactions that signal pathogen engagement with its receptor outside the cell.
		Research article Mapping cortical hubs in tinnitus Winfried Schlee, Nadia Mueller, Thomas Hartmann, Julian Keil, Isabel Lorenz, Nathan Weisz BMC Biology 2009, 7:80 (23 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Patients with tinnitus exhibit alterations in the functional coupling of long-range cortical networks, showing a top-down influence on temporal cortices related to conscious perception of the distressing tinnitus tone.
		Research article Environmentally-acquired bacteria influence microbial diversity and natural innate immune responses at gut surfaces Imke E Mulder, Bettina Schmidt, Christopher R Stokes, Marie Lewis, Mick Bailey, Rustam I Aminov, James I Prosser, Bhupinder P Gill, John R Pluske, Claus-Dieter Mayer, Corran C Musk, Denise Kelly BMC Biology 2009, 7:79 (20 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Pigs reared indoors or in isolation have a less healthy gut microbiota than outdoor-reared pigs, and signs of immune activation in gut tissues, reinforcing human data associating childhood hygiene with inflammatory bowel disease.
		Research article Phylogeographic reconstruction of a bacterial species with high levels of lateral gene transfer Talima Pearson, Philip Giffard, Stephen Beckstrom-Sternberg, Raymond Auerbach, Heidie Hornstra, Apichai Tuanyok, Erin P Price, Mindy B Glass, Benjamin Leadem, James S Beckstrom-Sternberg, Gerard J Allan, Jeffrey T Foster, David M Wagner, Richard T Okinaka, Siew Sim, Ofori Pearson, Zaining Wu, Jean Chang, Rajinder Kaul, Alex R Hoffmaster, Thomas S Brettin, Richard A Robison, Mark Mayo, Jay E Gee, Patrick Tan, Bart J Currie, Paul Keim BMC Biology 2009, 7:78 (18 November 2009) Abstract \| Full text \| PDF \| PubMed \| Cited on BioMed Central \| Editor’s summary Despite a high level of lateral gene transfer, the phylogeny of Burkholderia pseudomallei is resolved by SNPs in orthologous shared regions, enabling a wider gene-based analysis to define two populations, ancestral Australian, and South East Asian, separated by the Wallace Line.