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Biological catch bonds counter-intuitively strengthen when pulled. Here, the authors present tuneable artificial catch bonds made from DNA for the study of biomimetic adhesion and the creation of force-strengthening materials.

Targeted protein degradation using PROTACs doesn’t discriminate functional from disease-causing versions of the same protein. Here, we describe small molecule TRIMTACs that recruit the unique E3 ligase TRIM21 and allow state-selective protein degradation, including challenging substrates like tau.

Molecular glues are monovalent compounds that can recruit a protein of interest to an E3 ligase so the protein of interest can be targeted for degradation. Here, Hughes et al. identify a molecule that selectively and potently degrades BRD9.

nELISA miniaturizes the sandwich immunoassay and transforms it into a massively scalable platform for quantitative proteomics.

Using generative AI, Insilico Medicine developed an oral PROTAC that potently inhibits and degrades PKMYT1, a synthetically lethal target in cancer, demonstrating high selectivity and strong antitumor efficacy in preclinical models.

Structure determination and functional analyses of budding yeast Rif1 reveal a novel, hooked N-terminal DNA-binding domain required for telomere maintenance and checkpoint control and show that Rif1's role in DNA-repair pathway choice is conserved in yeast and mammalian cells.

Small molecule activators of the energy sensing kinase AMPK are promising candidates as therapies for metabolic disease. Xiao et al. present the crystal structure of AMPK in complex with a small molecule activator, and show that the drug stabilizes interaction between the catalytic and carbohydrate-binding domains.

KCNQ1 is a voltage-gated potassium channel that is important in cardiac and epithelial function. Here the authors present a mechanism for KCNQ1 activation and inactivation in which voltage sensor activation promotes pore opening more effectively in the intermediate open state than the fully open state, generating inactivation.

Rif1 is involved in different processes such as telomere homeostasis, DNA replication timing, and DNA double strand break (DSB) repair pathway choice. Here, the authors reveal that Rif1 S-acylation facilitates the accumulation of Rif1 at DSBs, attenuation of DNA end-resection, and DSB repair by non-homologous end-joining.

Commercially available bionic hands can replicate many movements, but controlling a multiarticulate bionic hand is not an intuitive task. Here, the authors describe the integration of proximity and pressure sensors into a commercial prosthesis to enable autonomous grasping

Gastrointestinal motility disorders affect over 20% of the population, yet current therapies provide limited relief. Here, the authors show that in a swine model a closed-loop GI neuroprosthesis restores peristalsis and enhances metabolic responses via targeted electrical and chemical stimulation

KCNQ1 channels are active in heart, brain and gut. Functional loss causes epilepsy and sudden arrhythmic death. Here, authors describe a key activator drug binding site, explaining isoform and drug selectivity, and point the way for new drug design.

Eggplants are important vegetables worldwide. Here, the authors report 40 genome assemblies of Solanum melongena, its progenitor S. insanum and the allied species S. incanum to construct two pangenomes, and identify loci associated with multiple traits via pangenome-wide association analysis.

Maximising production in coral reef fisheries supports higher exports rather than enhanced local consumption of nutritious fresh fish, according to an analysis of fisheries data, export estimates, and nutritional data for five coastal districts in Palawan, Philippines.

FliD forms a cap complex at the tip of bacterial flagella and is essential for flagellum filament assembly. Here, the authors present the cryo-EM structure of the Campylobacter jejuni cap complex, revealing a pentameric assembly of FliD and further show that the C. jejuni flagellum filament is 11-stranded.

The heterochromatic 'condensates' may not be conserved across mammals. This study highlights the influence of host genome on nuclear architecture and challenges the hypothesis that heterochromatin and MeCP2 undergo phase separation.

Transcription-repair coupling factors (TRCFs) are large ATPases that mediate the preferential repair of the transcribed DNA strand. Here the authors reveal the cryo-EM structure of DNA-bound Mfd, the bacterial TRCF, and provide molecular insights into its mode of action.

Here, the authors examine the mechanisms behind cheatgrass’s successful invasion of North American ecosystems. Their genetic analyses and common garden experiments demonstrate that multiple introductions and migrations facilitated cheatgrass local adaptation.

A single-walled carbon nanotube spring stores three times more mechanical energy than a lithium-ion battery, while offering wide temperature stability and posing no explosion risk.

Type-III secretion systems (T3SSs) are capable of translocating proteins with high speed while maintaining the membrane barrier for small molecules. Here, a structure-function analysis of the T3SS pore complex elucidates the precise mechanisms enabling the gating and the conformational changes required for protein substrate secretion.

Li et al. show that a Lamassu defense system protects bacteria from phage infection by activating a lethal tetrameric DNA-cutting enzyme. In the absence of phages, a protein clamp holds the enzyme as an inactive monomer, preventing self-damage.

In situ cryoEM and modelling of the Campylobacter jejuni flagellar motor characterize the periplasmic scaffold and the structural basis for increased torque generation.

A rhynchocephalian skeleton around 3–7 million years older than the oldest currently known lepidosaur fossil provides important insight into the origin of lizards and snakes.

Bacterial flagella contain a secretion apparatus that is related to the type III secretion system used by many pathogens to transfer effector proteins into host cells. It has been thought that the ATPase, FliL provides the energy for transport. This is one of two papers that argue against this widely held view and show that flagellar secretion can occur even in the absence of the ATPase and is instead driven by the proton motive force.

Bacterial attachment on implanted medical devices depends on surface topography. Here, the authors screen combinatorially generated shapes embossed into polymers to investigate topographical control of bacterial responses to surfaces.

Cryo-electron microscopy analysis of the purified Plasmodium translocon of exported proteins (PTEX) reveals two distinct resolved states, suggesting a mechanism by which Plasmodium falciparum exports malarial effector proteins into erythrocytes.

Nadezhdin et al. present structures of human TRPV4 in complex with the GTPase RhoA, in the apo, agonist 4α-PDD and antagonist HC-067047 bound states, uncovering the mechanisms of channel activation, inhibition and disease-causing mutations.

A global dataset of the satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and fishing fleets show that sharks—and, in particular, commercially important species—have limited spatial refuge from fishing effort.

The authors show that DCAF1, a substrate receptor of CUL4 and EDVP E3 ligases, can be recruited by PROTACs to degrade the cancer drug target, WDR5. They also report the crystal structures of PROTAC ternary complexes that reveal a significant role for loops in DCAF1 substrate recognition, a potential mechanism behind the diverse substrate specificity of DCAF1.

p53 mutants can promote tumorigenesis by affecting fundamental cellular pathways and functions. In this study, the authors demonstrate a novel mutant-p53/HIF1α/miR-30d axis that impacts Golgi structure, trafficking, and secretion of proteins essential for tumor growth and metastasis.