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Using mouse lines in which subsets of neurons are genetically labelled, the authors provide generalized anatomical rules for connections within and between the cortex and thalamus.

The skin of zebrafish is patterned by alternating blue stripes and yellow interstripes which arises from guanine crystal-containing cells called iridophores that reflect light. Here the authors track iridophores and see that they do not migrate between stripes and interstripes, but instead differentiate and proliferate in place based on their micro-environment.

A genome-wide study by the Long COVID Host Genetics Initiative identifies an association between the FOXP4 locus and long COVID, implicating altered lung function in its pathophysiology.

Here the authors analyze data from COVAIL trial participants receiving an mRNA second COVID-19 vaccine boost and show that, while neutralizing antibody titer is correlated with Omicron COVID-19 risk, the correlation is weak in naïve individuals compared to previously infected ones.

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How do large RNA molecules find their active conformations among a universe of possible structures? Two recent studies reveal that RNA folding is a rapid and ordered process, with surprising similarities to protein folding mechanisms.

Genetic and functional studies implicate allele-specific regulation of OAS1 splicing and nonsense-mediated decay in COVID-19 severity. The OAS1 risk haplotype is also associated with reduced SARS-CoV-2 clearance in a clinical trial with pegIFN-λ1.

The roles of of Gorab in the Golgi and in centriole structure and function can be separated mutationally in Drosophila. Complexed to Sas6 in the centriolar cartwheel, Gorab is essential for mitotic centriole duplication in the fly.

A computational approach to generate reference-free protein families from the sequence space in metagenomes reveals an enormously diverse functional space.

The structure of the Cas1–Cas2 complex bound to a protospacer sequence illustrates how foreign DNA is captured and measured by bacterial proteins in preparation for integration into CRISPR loci.

To better understand the etiology of frailty, the authors perform a large genetic study. They identified 45 additional variants and implicated MET, CHST9, ILRUN, APOE, CGREF1 and PPP6C as potential causal genes, linking frailty to immune regulation, metabolism and cellular signaling.

Generating RNA sequences with improved function remains challenging. Here, authors present an RNA database for RNA structural and functional analysis. They use this database and the RNA generative models to identify RNA mutations that increase the thermostability of a bacterial ribosome.

This paper proposes a research agenda towards the more just, equitable and effective integration of gender into blue carbon initiatives. It is a call-to-action towards closing the gender gap in the conservation and restoration of these ecosystems.

Whole-brain imaging of neuronal activity with cellular resolution at almost a brain per second is demonstrated using high-speed light-sheet microscopy in the larval zebrafish brain.

Viral infection triggers the integrated stress response (ISR) by phosphorylation of the translation initiation factor eIF2 which becomes an inhibitor of eIF2B. Here the authors show that the NSs protein of Sandfly Fever Sicilian virus allows evasion of the ISR by blocking eIF2-P binding to eIF2B.

A study of human and mouse models of pancreatic cancer finds that inhibiting the lipid kinase PIKfyve interferes with the cancer’s lipid homeostasis, making it a potential target for drug development.

Whole-genome sequencing analysis of individuals with primary immunodeficiency identifies new candidate disease-associated genes and shows how the interplay between genetic variants can explain the variable penetrance and complexity of the disease.

Electron-microscopy data are used to reconstruct the neurons that make up the anterior visual pathway in the Drosophila brain, providing insight into how visual features are encoded to guide navigation.

The delivery of CRISPR RNPs has potential advantages over other genome editing approaches, including reduced off-target editing and reduced immunogenicity. Here the authors report self-deliverable Cas9 RNPs capable of robustly editing cultured cells in vitro and the mouse brain upon direct injections.

Imaging and sequencing approaches are combined to show that extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA) in cancer is circular and has unique chromatin structure that amplifies oncogene output.

A genome-wide association study including over 76,000 individuals with schizophrenia and over 243,000 control individuals identifies common variant associations at 287 genomic loci, and further fine-mapping analyses highlight the importance of genes involved in synaptic processes.

Fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation is crucial for wound healing and regeneration. Davis et al. describe a new regulatory mechanism underlying myofibroblast differentiation via the RNA-binding protein MBNL1, which promotes the maturation of certain mRNA transcripts that are integral nodes in fibroblast differentiation.

Individuals with long COVID show marked biological changes in cortisol and immune factors relative to convalescent populations.

Here, the authors describe biallelic loss-of-function variants in human SHARPIN in individuals with autoinflammation and immunodeficiency, termed sharpenia. They also successfully treat one of these individuals with TNF inhibitors.

Relevant features of T cell repertoire in human cancer remain to be delineated. Here the authors show, by TCR sequencing in a large cohort of lung cancer patients, that while a majority of T cell clones are shared between tumor and adjacent lung tissue, less frequent tumor-unique T cell clones correlate with worse prognosis.

Reduced glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease. Here, Pattaro et al. conduct a meta-analysis to discover several new loci associated with variation in eGFR and find that genes associated with eGFR loci often encode proteins potentially related to kidney development.

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.

Cranial sutures separate neighboring skull bones but how osteogenic activity is controlled at cranial sutures remains unclear. Here, authors employ zebrafish to uncover the cellular and transcriptional basis of growth control during suture formation.

In this study the authors identify a possible link between the gene FAM222A and brain atrophy. The protein it encodes is found to accumulate in plaques seen in Alzheimer’s disease, and functional analysis suggests it interacts with amyloid-beta.

Two double-sun exoplanets have been discovered by the Kepler spacecraft, establishing a new class of ‘circumbinary’ exoplanets and suggesting that at least several million such systems exist in our Galaxy.

A COVID-19 test implemented in an automated microfluidic device and leveraging isothermal RNA amplification followed by T7 transcription and Cas13-mediated cleavage of a quenched fluorophore rapidly detects SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples.

Analyses of single-cell whole-genome sequencing data show that somatic mutations are increased in the brain of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease compared to neurotypical individuals, with a pattern of genomic damage distinct from that of normal ageing.

In the I-SPY2.2 trial, patients with high-risk stage 2/3 breast cancer received neoadjuvant datopotamab–deruxtecan plus durvalumab, followed by sequential chemotherapy with or without targeted therapy, with the option of early surgical resection after each block of therapy, showing that de-escalation of therapy is possible for several patient subgroups without compromising outcome and avoiding toxicity of standard chemotherapy.

The molecular mechanisms underlying deficits in Down syndrome remain unclear. Here, the authors show that copy number restoration of a chromatin remodeler in trisomic mice is sufficient to rescue epigenomic, physiological and cognitive deficits.

Crystal structures of unprocessed and mature crRNA-bound LbaCas13a shed light upon catalytic residues involved in crRNA maturation and mechanisms blocking Cas13a nuclease activity before target-RNA binding.

A rare case of asymptomatic dominantly inherited Alzheimer’s reveals confined tau pathology and unique proteomic features, highlighting potential resilience mechanisms decades beyond expected onset.

Deploying two unrelated CRISPR nucleases in tandem, with multiplexed CRISPR RNAs and a chemically stabilized activator, creates a simple, one-step assay that can rapidly detect attomolar concentrations of RNA without needing target amplification.

Mutations that impact the function of the Arp2/3 complex are known to cause inborn errors of immunity. Here the authors describe biallelic null mutations in the ARPC5 subunit of Arp2/3 that disrupt actin function and cytokine signaling, causing infections, autoimmunity, inflammation and dysmorphisms.

A suite of methods enables programmable species- and locus-specific editing of bacteria in communities.

Serotonin is implicated in mood-related disorders, yet direct evidence linking it to disease precipitation or treatment remains limited. Here, authors show that histone serotonylation contributes to stress- and antidepressant-mediated phenotypes, which may be of clinical relevance.

Apolipoprotein L1 genetic variants contribute to a subtype of proteinuric kidney disease referred to as APOL1-mediated kidney disease (AMKD). Here the authors report the discovery and characterization of potent and selective APOL1 ion channel inhibitors for the potential treatment of AMKD.

TG2 functions as an eraser and exchanger of H3 monoaminylations, including histaminylation of Gln5 of histone H3.

Cell-in-cell (CIC) structures are frequently observed in cancers; however, it is unclear how their formation contributes to tumorigenesis. Here, the authors show that the high frequency of CIC is linked to mutant p53 status and CIC containing p53 mutant cancer cells are pro-tumorigenic due to enhanced genomic instability.

The bacterial Csm complex efficiently knocks down eukaryotic nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is critical for animal development and intricately patterned at multiple scales. Here Adams and Pooranachithra et al. show how specific collagens are precisely localized to struts, highly patterned sub-micron structures in the nematode cuticle ECM.