Salk Institute scientists have captured never-before-seen footage of the motor protein dynein being "unlocked" by its small partner protein Lis1, setting he foundation for future therapeutics that restore dynein and Lis1 function. The dysfunction of motor proteins and their associated proteins can lead to severe neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, and the dysfunction of Lis1 can lead to the rare fatal birth defect lissencephaly for which there is no cure.

Plants require phosphorus to grow and survive. In environments with low levels of soil phosphorus, some plants have adapted by forming cluster roots to extract the small amount of phosphorus available in the soil. Researchers recently performed an RNA-Seq experiment on cluster roots of Hakea laurina to identify important genes involved in the survival of the Proteaceae plant family in low-phosphorus soil. The team discovered a new secretion pathway in H. laurina cluster roots and that the absence of a suberized exodermis further enhances this trait. This knowledge may be applied to engineering crops that can thrive in phosphorus-poor soil.