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Glucuronoyl esterases have the potential to be used in the biocatalytic conversion of lignin-carbohydrate complexes to obtain pure lignin for downstream biofuel conversion. Here the authors present a detailed structural analysis of the glucuronoyl esterase from Cerrena unicolor, providing the basis for its activity on natural substrate and for how lignin can be selectively separated from lignocellulosic materials.

DNA methylation quantitative trait locus (mQTL) analyses on 32,851 participants identify genetic variants associated with DNA methylation at 420,509 sites in blood, resulting in a database of >270,000 independent mQTLs.

Jayavelu, Samaha et al., apply machine learning models on hospital admission data, including antibody titers and viral load, to identify patients at high risk for Long COVID. Low antibody levels, high viral loads, chronic diseases, and female sex are key predictors, supporting early, targeted interventions.

Supracellular cues play a key role in directing collective cell migration in processes such as wound healing and cancer invasion. New findings emphasize the importance of all length scales of the microenvironment in shaping cell migration patterns.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association analyses identify new risk loci for Parkinson’s disease, and fine-mapping and co-localization analyses implicate candidate genes whose expression is associated with disease susceptibility.

Here, the authors study the interplay between the microbiome and faecal and blood metabolome, and how the microbiome interacts in the dialogue between these metabolic compartments, identifying a key role for microbial functions and underscoring their relevance for microbiome therapeutic strategies.

A case–control study investigating the causes of recent cases of acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology in 32 children identifies an association between adeno-associated virus infection and host genetics in disease susceptibility.

Genome-wide association analysis of gout and urate identifies 148 new loci, implicating biological pathways and prioritizing candidate genes involved in inflammatory processes.

A study of genetic associations identifies 46 new loci associated with alcohol consumption. By assessing their function and potential pleiotropy, the authors suggest genetic mechanisms that are shared with neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is an autoimmune liver disease with poor therapeutic options. Here Cordell et al. a perform meta-analysis of European genome-wide association studies identifying six novel risk loci and a number of potential therapeutic pathways.

A high-throughput screen identified a small molecule that promoted inclusion of SMN2 exon 7, increased SMN2 protein levels and extended survival in a SMA mouse model through stabilization of the interaction between SMN2 pre-mRNA and U1 snRNP complex.

Observations from the Lucy spacecraft of the small main-belt asteroid (152830) Dinkinesh reveals unexpected complexity, with a longitudinal trough and equatorial ridge, as well as the discovery of the first contact binary satellite.

Clinical multi-omics data are integrated and analyzed using a generative deep-learning model.

Time-series observations from the JWST of the transiting exoplanet WASP-39b show gaseous water in the planet’s atmosphere and place an upper limit on the abundance of methane.

Chronic inflammation, marked by C-reactive protein, has been associated with changes in methylation, but the causal relationship is unclear. Here, the authors perform a Epigenome-wide association meta-analysis for C-reactive protein levels and find that these methylation changes are likely the consequence of inflammation and could contribute to disease.

The levels of 1,251 metabolites are measured in 475 phenotyped individuals, and machine-learning algorithms reveal that diet and the microbiome are the determinants with the strongest predictive power for the levels of these metabolites.

Common knowledge tells us that time flows from the past to the future, but this is not the case for microscopic theories of physics which are neutral with respect to the arrow of time. The authors develop a mathematical framework where certain agents could probe physical processes both forwards and backwards in time, the result of which may provide a framework for potential extensions of quantum theory.

A cross-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) including 29,612 patients with ALS and 122,656 controls identifies 15 risk loci with distinct genetic architectures and neuron-specific biology.

While coffee and tea consumption has been associated with risk of diseases, their mechanisms of action remain elusive. Here the authors present a large EWAS on coffee and tea consumption in cohorts of European and African-American ancestries, finding that coffee consumption is associated with differential DNA methylation levels at multiple CpGs.

Cephalopods are an enigmatic animal group with complex and adaptive behaviors such as camouflage; however the genetic basis for these traits is not well understood. Here the authors reveal a set of cephalopod-restricted rearranged genomic loci, involving known neuronal regulators but also unexpected gene families, that confer topological organization and gene regulation.

A genome-wide association study in ~3 million individuals identifies 3,952 independent variants associated with educational attainment. A polygenic index explains 12–16% of variance for this trait and contributes to risk prediction for ten diseases.

Solid organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of infectious disease and have unique molecular pathophysiology. Here the authors use host-microbe profiling to assess SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunity in solid organ transplant recipients, showing enhanced viral abundance, impaired clearance, and increased expression of innate immunity genes.

“Cephalopods are known for their large nervous systems, complex behaviors, and morphological innovations. Here, the authors find that soft-bodied cephalopod genomes are more rearranged than other extant molluscs and that mRNA editing patterns are associated with the nervous system and repetitive elements”.

Studies of mice and humans suggest a role for loss of the C9orf72 protein in some neurodegenerative disorders: with reduced C9orf72 levels, there is more inflammation mediated by the STING protein in immune and brain cells.

A catalogue of the vascular flora of New Guinea indicates that this island is the most floristically diverse in the world, and that 68% of the species identified are endemic to New Guinea.

A genome-wide association study identifies 17 genetic loci that are associated with the risk of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), and shows that the modulation of haematopoietic stem cell function drives MPN risk.

The dayside thermal emission spectrum and brightness temperature map of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b obtained from the NIRISS instrument on the JWST showed water emission features, an atmosphere consistent with solar metallicity, as well as a steep and symmetrical decrease in temperature towards the nightside.

GATA2 regulatory mutations are associated with hereditary congenital facial paresis in humans. A genetically engineered mouse model recapitulates the human phenotype, showing altered neuron-specific Gata2 expression and a bias in formation of inner-ear efferent neurons over facial branchial motor neurons.

Here the authors identify genetic effectors of the level of inflammation-related plasma proteins and use Mendelian randomization to identify proteins that contribute to immune-mediated disease risk.

Proteomic analysis of cerebrospinal fluid from individuals with autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease reveals how this complex and chronic disease evolves over many decades.

Many genetic variants have been associated with human traits, but the mechanism is often unknown. Here, the authors integrate local and distal genetic associations with multi-omics datasets to provide a roadmap to understand the underlying mechanisms of GWAS variants on complex traits.

Levels of circulating thyrotropin and free thyroxine reflect thyroid function, however, their genetic underpinnings remain poorly understood. Taylor et al. take advantage of whole-genome sequence data from cohorts within the UK10K project to identify novel variants associated with these traits.

A technique combining focused ultrasound for opening the blood–brain barrier and virally encoded engineered G-protein-coupled receptors for promoting the expression of a gene targeting excitatory neurons enables the non-invasive stimulation of specific brain regions and cell types in mice.

Mechanisms of non-response to ustekinumab, a biologic targeting IL-23, are currently unclear. Here, the authors show that the transcriptional program regulated by IL-22, an IL-23 responsive cytokine, is enriched in patients with ulcerative colitis unresponsive to ustekinumab and associated with higher colon neutrophil recruitment and activation of upstream IL-22 regulators.

Gene discovery and polygenic predictions from a genome-wide association study of educational attainment in 1.1 million individuals.

A transcriptomic analysis of 8 tissues across 20 bilaterian species reveals that ancestral gains of tissue-specific gene expression were closely associated with whole-genome duplications in vertebrates and the diversification of ancestral tissue types.

Implementation of organized low-dose computed tomography screening in over 4,000 individuals with high risk for lung cancer as part of the Ontario Lung Cancer Screening Pilot reported high cancer detection rates, early detection of cancer and low serious harms.

Analysis of human genotypes and 16S microbiome data of 18,473 individuals from 25 cohorts through a genome-wide association study, a phenome-wide association study and Mendelian randomization identifies host genetic and microbial trait associations.

It is impossible to distinguish between causal correlation and common cause based on classical correlations alone. An experiment now shows that for quantum variables it is sometimes possible to infer the causal structure just from observations.

By studying brain DNA methylation across 13 distantly related animals, the authors show that non-CpG DNA methylation, which plays a regulatory role in cognition, is restricted to vertebrates and was assembled at the origin of the vertebrate lineage as a result of the ancestral vertebrate whole-genome duplication.

This overview of the ENCODE project outlines the data accumulated so far, revealing that 80% of the human genome now has at least one biochemical function assigned to it; the newly identified functional elements should aid the interpretation of results of genome-wide association studies, as many correspond to sites of association with human disease.

An integrated analysis of de novo and inherited coding variants in 42,607 individuals with autism spectrum disorder identifies 60 risk genes of which five have not previously been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Household income is used as a marker of socioeconomic position, a trait that is associated with better physical and mental health. Here, Hill et al. report a genome-wide association study for household income in the UK and explore its relationship with intelligence in post-GWAS analyses including Mendelian randomization.

The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells might be improved by replacing the reprogramming transgenes with small molecules. To provide cells suitable for small-molecule screening, Markoulaki et al. segregate the transgenes Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc through breeding, creating mice carrying all possible combinations of the four factors.