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Signal peptide sequences appear in secreted proteins. Here, authors use these sequences in a proteomic search method called “signal strapping” to discover metalloproteins, which have an N-terminal histidine that chelates a transition metal ion.

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most prevalent internal modification in messenger RNA; here the human and mouse m⁶A modification landscape is presented in a transcriptome-wide manner, providing insights into this epigenetic modification.

CD4⁺ T cells promote immunity to tuberculosis infection via macrophages. Here the authors show upregulation of SLAMF1/CD150 on infected macrophages after interaction with CD4⁺ T cells and that the presence of SLAMF1 promotes ROS production by macrophages and the absence of Slamf1 in macrophages results in higher mycobacterial loads in infected mice.

Ammonium levels in Greenland ice cores track changes in soil emissions and wildfires, primarily in North America. Ice-core ammonium records show abrupt increases in wildfire activity during brief warmings in the last glacial period.

DNA replication of repetitive sequences was recreated in a test tube using purified components. DNA alone was sufficient to induce stalling. Both stalling and recovery were dictated by the capacity of DNA to fold into unusual secondary structures.

Speleothem records from caves in Arctic Siberia allow for the reconstruction of multiannual air temperatures during the late Miocene (8.68±0.09 million years ago). These temperatures suggest that Eurasia was mostly permafrost-free during that time.

This study finds that decision markets can be a useful tool for selecting studies for replication. For a sample of 26 online experiments published in PNAS selected by a decision market, the authors find replication rates ranging between 54% and 62%.

Five experts discuss topical aspects of RNA modifications, highlighting where the research field stands, recommendations for best practices and visions for the future of epitranscriptomics studies.

Sustainable chemistry can benefit from biocatalysis, but a high diversity of enzymes is needed. Here, the authors screen billions of protein sequences to provide an overview of the native amine dehydrogenase family for amine synthesis.

Disentangling causal interactions among biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and environmental factors is key to understanding how ecosystems respond to changing environment. This study presents a global scale analysis quantifying causal interactions and feedbacks among phytoplankton diversity, biomass and nutrients along environmental gradients of aquatic ecosystems.

Abrupt regime shifts could in theory be predicted from early warning signals. Here, the authors show that true critical transitions are challenging to classify in lake planktonic systems, due to mismatches between trophic levels, and reveal uneven performance of early warning signal detection methods.

Plant diversity stabilizes grassland soil temperature by boosting soil organic carbon and increasing plant leaf area, according to an 18-year plant diversity experiment.

New enzymes for the efficient and stereoselective synthesis of chiral amines are of high interest for the pharmaceutical industry. Now, Grogan, Vergne-Vaxelaire and co-workers report the discovery, characterization, crystal structure and engineering of a family of native amine dehydrogenases for the preparation of chiral amines from ketones.

Post-translational modification of proteins by N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is carried out by a single glycosyltransferase, OGT. Two independent groups have generated structures of ternary complexes that elegantly illuminate substrate and product binding modes, and thus the overall reaction coordinate, but the respective authors differ in their choice of catalytic base.

Peptidoglycan stem peptides in the Gram-negative bacterial cell wall regulate the insertion of essential outer membrane proteins, thus representing a potential target for antibiotic design.

The influence of climate on premodern civil conflict and societal instability is debated. Here, the authors combine archeological, historical, and paleoclimatic datasets to show that drought between 1400-1450 cal. CE escalated civil conflict at Mayapan, the largest Postclassic Maya capital of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Vascularization remains a significant challenge in organoid technology. Here, the authors develop a microfluidic platform that enhances organoid growth, function and maturation, by establishing functional perfusable vascular networks.

The molecular organization of exocytic vesicles regulates their transport and fusion. Prasai, Taraska, and colleagues use correlative light and electron microscopy, along with 3D tomography and gold labeling, to directly map proteins on single exocytic organelles at the plasma membrane.

Synthesis and application of activity-based probes based on cyclophellitol enabled the cellular profiling of β-glucuronidase activity and revealed an unexpected feature of endo-acting heparanase processing.

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.

Neuronal and vascular crosstalk is essential for proper brain development and function. Here, the authors show that mutations in scarb2 cause abnormal glial differentiation and excessive neurogenesis, leading to impaired blood-brain barrier formation.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are abundant in the stroma of pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) tumors. In this study, the authors demonstrate using human samples and mouse models that senescent CAFs impair CD8⁺ T cell responses and may contribute to poor responsiveness to immunotherapy in PDAC.

Genetics implicate microglia in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, but their roles remain unclear. Here, the authors find that microglial depletion in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease impairs plaque formation and that Aβ-induced changes in neuronal gene expression are microglia-mediated.

Use of a domain of unknown function as the input for bioinformatic searching reveals a new Cu-dependent family of chitinases, assigned as CAZy group AA11, that diverge in sequence but share structural homology with the existing AA9 and AA10 families.

Crystal structures of human heparanase in its apo form and bound to oligosaccharide substrates offer insights into the mechanism of substrate recognition and catalysis.

Cytoplasmic O-GlcNac modification of proteins is thought to have dynamic interplay with phosphorylation and thus be involved in regulation of signaling processes. The complete structure of an OGT homolog is now presented, suggesting how diverse ligands can be presented to the active site of the enzyme.

XBB is the first recombinant, globally dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2. Here, the authors examine the variant’s origins and virological properties, showing it is the first example of SARS-CoV-2 improving its fitness through recombination.

Data on immune response to the SARS-COV-2 AZD1222 vaccine are limited in African populations. Here, the authors show immunogenicity of the AZD1222 vaccine in two independent cohorts from West Africa, including seroprevalence levels prior to vaccine rollout in January 2021.

Bacteria can exchange nutrients and macromolecules through tubular membranous structures called nanotubes. Here, the authors show that Bacillus subtilis can kill and prey on Bacillus megaterium by delivering a toxin and extracting nutrients in a nanotube-dependent manner.