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KRAB-zinc finger proteins repress retrotransposons and rapidly evolve in mammals. Here, the authors show that ERV insertions drive the emergence and diversification of new KZFP genes in mice, revealing a co-evolutionary mechanism between retroviruses and host repressors.

DNA replication stress is a driver of genome instability. Here, the authors identify a role of the E3 ligase RNF25 in promoting replication stress tolerance. Mechanistically, RNF25 recruits the fork protection factor REV7 to stalled replication forks and prevents nucleolytic degradation.

Structural and functional studies of Zinc finger antiviral protein and its cofactors, TRIM25 and KHYNYN, reveal the formation of complexes and suggest that multivalent recognition of CpG-rich RNA targets it for nucleolytic depletion.

Histones are recognized by epigenetic readers, which play essential roles in regulation of chromatin and transcription. Here the authors provide evidence that the ZZ-type zinc finger domain of ZZZ3 functions as a reader of histone H3, which is required for the ATAC complex-mediated maintenance of histone acetylation and gene activation.

A symbiosis between the root-inhabiting Enterobacter sp. M6 and the finger millet creates a physical barrier around the roots, trapping and killing the fungus Fusarium graminearum via M6-derived release of fungicides into the barrier matrix.

Engineering polymerases to synthesize alternative genetic polymers remains a challenging problem in synthetic biology. The current study offers insights into the structural and biochemical changes responsible for improving the fidelity and catalytic activity of a laboratory evolved TNA polymerase.

Zinc finger design is facilitated with a deep-learning model.

An allosteric site on the E3 ligase adapter cereblon can be targeted to modulate the efficacy of cereblon in targeted protein degradation applications.

Zinc finger nucleases have an established role in genome editing. Here, the authors report a strategy for identifying zinc finger nucleases that discriminate between desired targets and provide genome-wide specificity.

Classical non-homologous end-joining (cNHEJ) is the dominant pathway used by human cells to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and maintain genome stability. Here the authors show that PARP1-driven chromatin expansion allows the recruitment of ZNF384, which in turn recruits Ku70/Ku80 to facilitate cNHEJ.

Representation learning enables a compact, wearable electromyography interface to achieve high-density-array performance with a minimal number of sensors.

Neutrophils are increased in response to injury and infection but how they form from a common granulocyte-macrophage progenitor is unclear. Here, the authors identify a role for the transcriptional repressor ZBTB11 in zebrafish, which is regulated by master myeloid regulators and repressesTP53.

Can the human brain successfully control additional body parts beyond the ones we normally possess? Here, the authors study two polydactyly individuals (with an additional finger on each hand) and show that they can carry out more complex movements, performing with only one hand tasks normally requiring two.

Parallelized single-molecule fluorescence and single-molecule FRET experiments enable quantitative biophysics investigations of molecular function from multiple samples in a single experiment.

Large three-dimensional images are commonly generated through biological experimentation. Here the authors report software tools for exploration of three-dimensional images along with applications to assist in imaging, microsurgery, visualization and annotation of large image data sets.

An efficient method for gene targeting in plants has been lacking until now, frustrating efforts to engineer crop plants. Here it is demonstrated that zinc-finger nucleases—enzymes engineered to create DNA double-strand breaks at specific loci—can be used for gene targeting, in this case inducing mutations that confer resistance to herbicides in tobacco plants.

A chromosomal translocation found in certain acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) patients results in fusion of the plant homeodomain (PHD) finger of a chromatin-binding protein to a common fusion partner, nucleoporin-98 (NUP98). By binding chromatin, the NUP98–PHD fusion protein—found to be a potent oncoprotein that induces AML—apparently locks developmentally important genes into an active state.

The range of genomic sequences accessible by zinc-finger nucleases is expanded by this archive of validated two-finger modules.

A study combining group decision-making tasks with fMRI shows that the brain’s dorsomedial prefrontal cortex uses basis functions, similar to those in the visual, motor and spatial domains, to represent patterns of social interaction.

Lung adenocarcinomas bearing the ID2 mutational signature display increased LINE-1 retrotransposon activity, which contributes to their fast evolutionary dynamics and aggressive phenotype.

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

RAG2, a component of the V(D)J recombinase, has a plant homeodomain (PHD) domain which specifically recognizes histone H3 trimethylated at lysine 4 (H3K4me3). A crystal structure of the complex is presented, and the interaction between RAG2 and H3K4me3 shown to be important for V(D)J recombination in vivo.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans facilitate the assembly of clusters of glycoRNAs and cell surface RNA-binding proteins, which negatively modulate VEGF-A signalling and angiogenesis.

Limited diagnostic capacity for asymptomatic individuals hinders malaria elimination efforts in Africa. Here, the authors present a near point-of-care method based on colorimetric LAMP detection that outperforms expert microscopy and commercial rapid diagnostic tests for Plasmodium detection in asymptomatic and submicroscopic individuals.

Genetic engineering in plants remains laborious and time consuming, with no precise genetic engineering methods comparable to those available in animal models. A new approach that relies on the use of designed zinc-finger nucleases is showcased here in maize, inducing herbicide tolerance that is stably inherited.

Variable New Antigens Receptors (VNARs) from shark antibodies possess a unique molecular dexterity that allows them to access epitopes inaccessible to conventional antibodies. Here, the authors use crystallography to investigate how two VNARs selectively engage soluble TNF-alpha.

Having a rich negative emotion vocabulary is assumed to help cope with adversity. Here, the authors show that emotion vocabularies simply mirror life experiences, with richer negative emotion vocabularies reflecting lower mental health, and richer positive emotion vocabularies reflecting higher mental health.

Here the authors use in crystallo enzymology to obtain structural snapshots of a complete cellulose biosynthesis cycle and reveal the mechanism by which the bacterial cellulose synthase BcsA–BcsB translocates the nascent cellulose polymer.

A chemical mutagenesis screen identifies RNF121 as an oncogenic cofactor for MYCN in neuroblastoma.

The transcription factor Ikaros, which is essential for lymphocyte development, contains multiple zinc fingers. Smale and colleagues show that mice lacking different zinc fingers develop distinct lymphocyte-developmental defects and tumor susceptibility.

This study demonstrates the capability of deep learning protein design models in generating functionally validated β-strand pairing interfaces, expanding the structural diversity of de novo binding proteins and accessible target surfaces.

Number processing is linked to bodily systems, especially finger movements. The authors apply convolutional neural network models in the context of cognitive developmental robotics. They show that proprioceptive information in the child-like robot iCub improves accuracy and recognition of spoken digits.

Profiling of a combinatorial library of post-translationally modified histone H3–based peptides reveals that Thr3 phosphorylation, Arg2 methylation and Thr6 phosphorylation can modulate recognition of Lys4 methylation status by PHD fingers. Additionally, Thr6 phosphorylation, a previously undescribed modification, is shown to exist in native histones.

A cryo-electron microscopy structure of β-arrestin 1 in complex with the M2 muscarinic receptor reconstituted in lipid nanodiscs is reported.

A short isoform of the Tet1 enzyme (Tet1s) that oxidizes the DNA 5-methylcytosine (5mC) mark is overexpressed in tumors. Here the authors show Tet1s, but not full length Tet1, changes localization over the cell cycle upon ubiquitination and Uhrf1 interaction and is targeted to heterochromatin during S-phase. This leads to 5mC oxidation and loss of DNA methylation in heterochromatin.

The ATF2 transcription factor is phosphorylated by different mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases. Here, the authors show that the functionally distinct MAP kinases JNK and p38 control ATF2 through different binding sites and differential phosphorylation, thereby modulating ATF2’s sensitivity to the JNK and p38 pathways.