Search

A sunflower pan-genome determined by sequencing about 500 accessions, including wild, landrace and cultivated lines, showed that introgression from the wild species has profoundly shaped the cultivar gene pool and contributed disease resistance genes.

Mecp2 deficiency underlies Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder presenting with chronic low-grade inflammation of unknown origin. Here, the authors show that Mecp2 is a central regulator of the onset, breadth and nature of nucleic acid immunity.

The N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) RNA modification is an evolutionarily conserved epitranscriptomic mechanism that impacts several cellular processes. Here the authors present a structure-function analysis of the ZCCHC4, 28S RNA-specific m⁶A methyltransferase, shedding light on its regulation and mechanisms that ensure substrate specificity.

The integration of nano-molecules into microelectronic circuitry is challenging. Here, the authors provide a scalable method for contacting a self-assembled monolayer of nanoparticles with a single layer of graphene that produces single-electron effects, in the form of a Coulomb staircase, with a yield of at least 70%.

Tunnelling currents through molecular junctions are affected by quantum interference effects, but understanding the factors leading to them remains a challenge. Here the authors show that through-space conjugation in self-assembled monolayers leads to conformation-dependent quantum interference that suppresses conductivity.

The performance of flexible all-perovskite tandem solar cells remains limited by interfacial losses in narrow-bandgap subcells. Here, authors incorporate Triton X-100 to disrupt the vertical phase segregation in PEDOT:PSS films, achieving maximum cell and mini-module efficiencies of 25.4% and 19.7%.

Cell proliferation in plant meristems is often altered during conditions of stress. In this study, the authors identify a plant protein, RSS1, that is regulated in a cell-cycle dependent manner and is required to maintain shoot and root meristems in the presence of abiotic stress.

Analyses of liver biopsies from a child with spinal muscular atrophy treated with adeno-associated virus gene therapy who developed hepatitis reveal contaminating manufacturing plasmids and disrupted vector genomes, possibly resulting from recombination events.

Bessler et al. developed a human organoid model for H3.3K27M-altered diffuse midline glioma that recapitulates key tumor features and demonstrated its utility for modeling CAR T cell and microglia functions.

High-resolution flare footpoint observations in the extreme ultraviolet and X-rays were taken by Solar Orbiter. Combined with simulations, the results reveal that the dominant mechanism carrying flare energy through the Sun’s atmosphere can vary on small spatial scales.

Using an idealized multi-model experiment and a new hysteresis quantification method, this study shows that equivalent carbon dioxide removal fails to symmetrically reverse CO₂-emissions-induced agroecological droughts, revealing irreversible impacts in hotspots in the Mediterranean, northern Central America, southern Africa and southern Australia, necessitating urgent adaptation planning.

Dietary restriction promotes the expansion of effector T cells via ketone bodies, which enhances anti-tumour immunity and synergizes with immunotherapy in mice.

Dendrobium is a genus of mostly epiphytic and lithophytic orchids. Here, the authors conduct comparative genome analysis for 24 chromosome-level genome assemblies and genome skimming sequencing data for 204 species in this genus, and reveal genomic variation, biosynthesis and evolutionary adaptation in Dendrobium orchids.

A growth-coupled biosynthetic pathway enables xathommatin synthesis in the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida.

Poor electronic coupling between planes significantly reduces stacked graphene conductivity. Here, the authors measure plane-to-plane conductivity using the eutectic GaIn technique to show that insertion of self-assembled monolayers between graphene layers improves vertical conductivity by six orders of magnitude.

Marine sponges host bacteria that produce diverse bioactive compounds. Here, the authors conduct a large-scale metagenomic, single-bacterial and biochemical study to reveal the untapped biosynthetic potential of ‘Entotheonella’ symbionts, a talented producer taxon from microbial dark matter.

Epitaxial crystal growth attracts significant interest. Here, the authors use Bragg Coherent Diffraction Imaging to demonstrate calcite crystal precipitation on self-assembled monolayers exhibiting single dislocation loops with different geometries to those generated in conventional epitaxial thin films.

Evolutionary and ecological insights into marine SAR11 bacteria require whole genome data. Here, the authors expand the number of complete SAR11 isolate genomes by 81 new strains from the tropical Pacific Ocean, combining their sequence analysis with metagenomics to further resolve SAR11 evolution.

The lysine methyltransferase SMYD5 and its newly identified substrate ribosomal protein L40 are implicated in the progression of gastric adenocarcinoma, and ablation of SMYD5 prevents metastatic disease in mouse models of this cancer.

Sympathetic neuron–associated macrophages act as a local sink for norepinephrine, leading to reduced thermogenesis and increased obesity.

Prostate cancer cells depend on MTAP, the rate-limiting enzyme involved in the methionine salvage pathway, to cope with increased polyamine biosynthesis. Here, the authors show that inducing upregulation of polyamine biosynthesis and targeting MTAP synergize to increase apoptosis in prostate cancer cells.

Positive phases of the Southern Annular Mode lead to enhanced basal melt overall in the Antarctic ice shelves, with strong losses in the Bellingshausen and Western Pacific sectors and gains in the Amundsen Sea, according to ice-ocean model experiments.

The interfacial energy between a macroscopic surface consisting of different materials and a liquid is independent of the surface structure. It is now shown that because of the way in which a multicomponent nanoscale surface affects the solvent–molecule arrangement, it is both the surface structure and composition that dictate the interfacial energy.

Bacterial biofilms include viscous extracellular polymeric matrices such as extracellular DNA (eDNA). Here, Mugunthan et al. show that protein RecA generates three-stranded nucleic acid structures known as R-loops, which contribute to formation of the viscoelastic eDNA matrix as part of bacterial stress responses.

The study of insulating material by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is limited by charging artefacts. Here, the authors report an interleaved scanning approach on frozen-hydrated biological samples that fosters charge dissipation and attenuates artefacts.

Molecular switches regulate many fundamental processes in natural and artificial systems. An electrochemical platform in which a proton carrier switches the activity of a catalyst is now presented. A hybrid bilayer membrane allows the regulation of proton transport to a Cu-based molecular oxygen reduction reaction catalyst.

Small proteins (<50 kDa) are difficult to resolve by cryo-EM due to low signal-to-noise ratios and alignment challenges. Here, authors engineered conformationally rigid antibody fragments (Rigid Fabs) enabling high-resolution cryo-EM structures of small (~20 kDa) proteins like KRAS.

The authors demonstrate that high-precision birefringence detection at the 10⁻¹¹ level can be achieved using spin-orbit-coupled Rabi oscillations in a photonic two-level system. The presented detection technique benefits a broad range of applications involving optical birefringence such as precise control of the entangled photonic states.

The structure-shearing Doppler effect is proposed to reveal extra red shifts induced by transverse structure of optical fields. It enables a homodyne-free velocimeter and offers opportunities in motion sensing and light-matter interactions.

Tea contains catechins such as (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which have antioxidant activity and potential health benefits. Here the authors characterise two enzymes that produce O-methylated EGCG, a modified form found in some tea cultivars that has improved bioavailability.

The lifespan of monocarpic plants is determined by coordinated arrest of shoot meristems. Here the authors show that this process is promoted by the FRUITFULL transcription factor which negatively regulates expression of the meristem maintenance factor WUSCHEL in an AP2-dependent manner.

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutritional co-factor for the folate and methionine cycles, which together constitute one-carbon metabolism. The authors find that Vitamin B12 influences various cell fates by modulating RAS/MAPK signaling in C. elegans. Mammalian cells expressing hyperactive RAS respond similarly.

Plasmodium falciparum PTEF is a translation-enhancing factor that interacts with ribosomes to facilitate translation of PfEMP1–VAR2CSA, a ligand that mediates adhesion of infected red blood cells to the placenta during pregnancy-associated malaria.

Climate change has led to a significant decrease in streamflow, particularly in the Negro River in the Andes, posing water scarcity risks and necessitating effective management strategies, according to streamflow reconstruction and tree-ring data analysis.

The mismatched bilateral bond strength between NiO_x and perovskite hinders the development of inverted perovskite solar cells. Here, authors adsorb 1-(benzothiaxole-2-ylthio)succinic acid on NiO_x surface for passivating bilateral defects and achieve maximum efficiency close to 27% in stable devices.

Lipid biosynthesis in the pathogen M. tuberculosis depends on biotin for posttranslational modification of key enzymes. Here, Qu et al. identify an auxiliary protein that is required by M. tuberculosis to synthesize biotin.

Unique microorganisms of a fossil river delta in the Atacama Desert unveil the current limits of life detection on Mars.

An endohedral metallofullerene–polymer layer, which features ultrafast electron extraction and in situ encapsulation, improves the efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells.

This resource highlights the compositional and transcriptional remodelling of abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in humans undergoing initial lifestyle-induced weight loss followed by bariatric surgery, with implications for modulating tissue function, systemic metabolism and inflammation.

The long-term quantification of the Angulas Leakage is difficult due to its highly variable spatio-temporal nature and sparse observations. Here, the authors combine sea surface temperature with a series of ocean and climate model simulations to construct a 145-year long time series of Agulhas leakage.

The authors identify 92 tick-associated viruses, including ten pathogenic to humans in northwest China and adjacent countries. They predict a significant increase of major pathogenic viruses and their vectors in high-risk regions.

EZH2 is a protein methyltransferase component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) that installs the H3K27me3 chromatin mark. EPZ005687 inhibits EZH2 function and H3K27 trimethylation in cells and selectively kills lymphoma cells that require EZH2 for proliferation.

Human and rodent supragranular pyramidal neurons differ in HCN channel-related properties. Comparison across primates reveals robust HCN1 expression and HCN channel-dependent physiology, with cell type dependent differences in macaques versus humans.

The metabolite methylthioadenosine (MTA) inhibits PRMT5. Therefore, MTA accumulation due to MTA phosphorylase (MTAP) deletion has been proposed as a vulnerability for PRMT5-targeted therapy in cancer. Here, the authors show that MTA does not accumulate in MTAP-deficient cancer cells but is secreted and metabolized by MTAP-intact cells in the tumour microenvironment.

This study develops a somatic molecular clock based on the accumulation of fixed somatic genetic variation that segregates among clonally produced organisms and applies it to the eelgrass Zostera marina.

Expression of the transporter SLC43A2 by tumour cells allows them to outcompete T cells for methionine and thereby disrupt the survival and function of tumour-infiltrating T cells.