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XBB.1.5 of SARS-CoV-2 is a descendant of XBB.1 and has mutations in spike and ORF8, making it more infectious to humans. Here, the authors examined in detail the differences in virological properties of the two variants.

Using more than 100 independent iPSC lines derived from patients with Alzheimer’s disease, the authors discovered loci associated with the neuronal production of amyloid β and confirmed their influence using RNA interference.

A newly identified bacterial strain (YB328) isolated from the faeces of patients who responded to immune checkpoint blockade therapies can promote antitumour immunity through the activation of tumour-specific CD8⁺ T cells.

Ito et al. present CoVFit, an AI model that predicts variant fitness (transmissibility) from spike protein sequences alone. They further demonstrate its utility in forecasting viral evolution via single amino acid mutations.

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.

A genome-wide association study highlights a variant in DOCK2, which is common in East Asian populations but rare in Europeans, as a host genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19.

Recent Omicron SARS-CoV-2 subvariants independently acquire 5 key Spike mutations. Here, the authors evaluate the evolutionary importance of the 5 mutations and characterize the virological properties of variant BQ.1.1 harboring all 5 mutations.

About 0.5% by volume of the Ryugu particle C0009 is made up of anhydrous silicates, mostly olivines, despite the extensive aqueous alteration of its parent body. Such aggregates, rich in ¹⁶O, were present in Ryugu’s protolith and survived fluid activity.

Noncoding variants in a TTTG microsatellite on 15q26.1 are identified in Japanese patients with childhood and adult-onset thyroid abnormalities. Functional analyses suggest that these variants affect the role of the microsatellite as a potential regulator of thyroid cell growth.

Sterols are essential structural components of cell membranes and have functions in many different physiological processes. For example, brassinosteroids are a class of sterol phytohormones that are important in regulating plant growth and development. This study describes the identification of a protein factor that regulates sterol homeostasis in Arabidopsis.

The sample taken from carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu and brought back to Earth by the Hayabusa2 spacecraft contains outer Solar System-derived materials uncontaminated by terrestrial processes. Even CI carbonaceous chondrites, despite their closeness to solar abundances, are not pristine.

Signatures of impact-induced shocks are found on Ryugu returned particles. Observations show that they happened at moderate temperatures (~500 °C) and pressures (~2 GPa) and did not dehydrate the particles substantially, suggesting that bigger meteoroids, rather than micrometeoroids, provide Earth with hydrated minerals.

Genomic resources for cartilaginous fishes are scarce. Here, the authors sequence the genome of three sharks and provide insights on the molecular basis of adaptation to underwater lifestyle and the evolutionary origins of vertebrates.

Here the authors report that DMDA-PatA, an anti-tumor compound, functions as a mRNA-selective translational inhibitor. This drug clamps the target eIF4A and DDX3 RNA-binding proteins on the GNG RNA motif, providing steric hindrance for scanning ribosomes.

SV2A is a receptor for botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) and new generation antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Here the authors report cryo-EM structures of SV2A in complex with BoNT receptor binding domain and AEDs highlighting the difference in the binding affinity between AEDs.

JN.1 lineage is a globally dominant variant of SARS-CoV-2. Here, the authors examine structural insights into the BA.2.86 and JN.1 spike dynamics to help understand the mechanisms underlying SARS-CoV-2 infection and its neutralizing-antibody evasion.

The prediction of mortality due to prostate cancer remains challenging. Here, the authors perform trans-ancestry metaanalysis with a focus on binding sites of the androgen receptor and develop a polygenic risk score.

Mayumi Tamari and colleagues report a genome-wide association study for adult asthma in a Japanese population. They identify three new asthma susceptibility loci.

The aqueous activity responsible for carbonate formation on Ryugu happened much earlier—less than 1.8 million years after CAI formation—than estimates (4–6 Myr) from carbonaceous chondrite meteorites. Ryugu’s parent body either was smaller than ∼20 km in diameter or was disrupted before reaching the high temperatures required.

This study shows that Dof transcription factors in the phloem precursors not only induce formation of phloem, but also cause secretion of CLE peptides, which in turn inhibit phloem formation in neighbourhing cells by post-transcriptionally decreasing Dofs.

The returned samples from Hayabusa2 show that C-type asteroid Ryugu experienced various steps of mineralogical alteration within only 1–2 million years after accretion.

Cell-type-specific electrophysiological recording, fibre photometry and optogenetic manipulations in mice show that dopamine signals from the ventral tegmental area to the lateral entorhinal cortex have a key role in cue–reward associative learning.

Kofuji et al. demonstrate that upregulation of IMPDH2 promotes nucleostemin stabilization and nucleoli malformation, and its inactivation induces growth arrest in glioblastoma.

Genome-wide analyses of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data identify loci associated with right heart structure and function. A polygenic predictor of right ventricular ejection fraction is associated with dilated cardiomyopathy risk.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is highly heritable, yet not well understood from a genetic perspective. Here, the authors perform a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 34,179 POAG cases, identifying 44 previously unreported risk loci and mapping effects across multiple ethnicities.

The burden of mosaic chromosomal alterations in blood-derived DNA, a type of clonal hematopoiesis, is associated with an increased risk for diverse types of infections, including sepsis and pneumonia.

A multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of prostate cancer performed in 156,319 cases and 788,443 controls identifies 187 novel risk variants associated with the disease. Genetic risk scores associated with overall risk, and risk of aggressive disease in men of African ancestry.

The ubiquitin ligase CHIP suppresses tumour growth and metastasis in breast cancer, and its expression inversely correlates with malignancy. The role of CHIP in cancer depends on degradation of the transcriptional co-activator SRC-3, which regulates expression of Smad and Twist.

Nanosized keratin particles (Ker-DODAC) were prepared via the assembly of keratin chains with the aid of a cationic surfactant. The obtained nanoparticles (Ker-DODACss) possessed a hydrophobic core composed of surfactants. To modify its internal environment, cholesterol was loaded to nanoparticles. The obtained nanoparticles (Ker-DODACss-Chol) showed retention and release of payloads in response to multiple stimuli. Also, lipophilic antioxidants, α-tocopherol, was loaded to Ker-DODACss-Chol to prevent α-tocopherol from an oxidative degradation and to preserve the antioxidant activity.

The virological and pathological features of Omicron subvariants are compared in in vitro cellular and airway-on-a-chip and in vivo hamster models.

This study suggests that enhanced imputation quality in genome-wide association studies, using a Japanese population-specific reference panel, leads to the discovery of rare, trait-associated loci.

Ieki et al. train a deep learning model to estimate patients’ age from chest X-ray images. X-ray age is found to be an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with heart failure and patients admitted to the intensive care unit with cardiovascular disease.