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| | DNA repair: A unifying mechanism in neurodegeneration
Identification of a previously uncharacterized genetic disease highlights DNA repair as a shared mechanism in neurodegenerative disorders, and suggests potential therapeutic approaches to tackling them. | Molecular biology: Messenger RNAs marked for longer life
A molecular modification called m6Am has been found to regulate the stability of messenger RNAs in mammalian cells. The mechanism casts fresh light on how reversibly modified RNA bases control the fate of mRNA. | Physiology: Mechanosensor of lung inflation identified
The Piezo2 protein senses changes in lung volume, acting in different neurons to convey this information to the brain. This finding adds to the list of roles for Piezo2 in mechanosensation. | Piezo2 senses airway stretch and mediates lung inflation-induced apnoea
The mechanoreceptor Piezo2 is required for both the Hering–Breuer inflation reflex in adult mice and the inflation of the lungs of newborn mice. | Structure of a CLC chloride ion channel by cryo-electron microscopy
Some CLC proteins are channels that conduct chloride ions passively, whereas others are active co-transporters, a difference that has been hard to understand given their high degree of sequence homology; now, cryo-electron microscopy is used to determine the structure of a mammalian CLC channel, shedding light on this question. | Reversible methylation of m6Am in the 5′ cap controls mRNA stability
Fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) preferentially demethylates m6Am, a modified adenosine that, when present at the 5′ end of certain mRNAs, positively influences mRNA stability by preventing DCP2-mediated decapping. | In situ structures of the genome and genome-delivery apparatus in a single-stranded RNA virus
A high-resolution structure of the bacteriophage MS2 sheds light on the structure of the genome and how the genome is delivered into a bacterium. | Structural basis of an essential interaction between influenza polymerase and Pol II CTD
The crystal structure of bat influenza A polymerase bound to a serine-5 phosphorylated peptide mimic from the C-terminal domain of cellular RNA polymerase II shows how the two polymerases are directly coupled and suggests that the interaction site could be targeted for antiviral drug development. | Reducing phosphorus accumulation in rice grains with an impaired transporter in the node
The phosphorous transporter SPDT is identified in rice; depletion of the transporter gene alters the phosphorus distribution in rice grains and leaves, suggesting that the strategy could be used for agricultural purposes. | Identification of an atypical monocyte and committed progenitor involved in fibrosis
An atypical monocyte with partial granulocyte characteristics is identified and shown to be critical for the development of fibrosis. | Evolution of the global phosphorus cycle
Low phosphorus burial in shallow marine sedimentary rocks before about 750 million years ago implies a change in the global phosphorus cycle, coinciding with the end of what may have been a stable low-oxygen world. | Epigenome-wide association study of body mass index, and the adverse outcomes of adiposity
A large-scale epigenome-wide association study identifies changes in DNA methylation associated with body mass index in blood and adipose tissue, and correlates DNA methylation sites with high risk of incident type 2 diabetes. | XRCC1 mutation is associated with PARP1 hyperactivation and cerebellar ataxia
Biallelic mutations in human XRCC1 are associated with ocular motor apraxia, axonal neuropathy, and progressive cerebellar ataxia. | Aromatic and antiaromatic ring currents in a molecular nanoring
By investigating ring currents, a six-porphyrin nanoring molecule is shown to be antiaromatic in its 4+ oxidation state and aromatic in its 6+ oxidation state. | Spin–orbit-coupled fermions in an optical lattice clock
Spin–orbit coupling is implemented in an optical lattice clock using a narrow optical transition in fermionic 87Sr atoms, thus mitigating the heating problems of previous experiments with alkali atoms and offering new prospects for future investigations. | | Observation of the 1S–2S transition in trapped antihydrogen | | | | 
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SIGN UP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Redefining the invertebrate RNA virosphere
Profiling the total RNA of 220 invertebrate species leads to the discovery of almost 1,500 new species of RNA virus, revealing that the RNA virosphere is much more diverse than was previously thought.
Mang Shi, Xian-Dan Lin, Jun-Hua Tian et al. | Persistent microbiome alterations modulate the rate of post-dieting weight regain
The identification of an intestinal microbiome signature that persists after successful dieting in obese mice and contributes to faster weight regain upon re-exposure to an obesity-promoting diet, and that transmits the altered weight regain phenotype to non-dieting mice.
Christoph A. Thaiss, Shlomik Itav, Daphna Rothschild et al. | Early dissemination seeds metastasis in breast cancer
Two related papers show that cells disseminated from malignant lesions at early time points during tumorigenesis can contribute to metastases at distant organs and provide insights into the molecular basis of dissemination.
Hedayatollah Hosseini, Milan M. S. Obradović, Martin Hoffmann et al. | | Evidence for a spinon Fermi surface in a triangular-lattice quantum-spin-liquid candidate
A spin excitation continuum across a large region of the Brillouin zone that persists at near-zero temperatures provides evidence for a quantum spin liquid state with a spinon Fermi surface in YbMgGaO4.
Yao Shen, Yao-Dong Li, Hongliang Wo et al. | Self-assembly of tetravalent Goldberg polyhedra from 144 small components
Graph theory is used to guide the self-assembly of a complex consisting of 48 palladium ions and 96 ligands, with the topology of a tetravalent Goldberg polyhedron.
Daishi Fujita, Yoshihiro Ueda, Sota Sato et al. | Water balance creates a threshold in soil pH at the global scale
There is an abrupt transition from alkaline to acid soil pH when mean annual precipitation exceeds mean annual potential evapotranspiration, demonstrating that climate creates a nonlinear pattern in soil solution chemistry at the global scale.
E. W. Slessarev, Y. Lin, N. L. Bingham et al. | Broadening not strengthening of the Agulhas Current since the early 1990s
The Agulhas Current has not intensified since the early 1990s, but has instead broadened as a result of more eddy activity.
Lisa M. Beal, Shane Elipot | Integrin-YAP/TAZ-JNK cascade mediates atheroprotective effect of unidirectional shear flow
YAP and TAZ, effectors of the Hippo pathway, sense mechanical forces generated by blood flow and play a role in atherosclerosis pathogenesis.
Li Wang, Jiang-Yun Luo, Bochuan Li et al. | NLRC3 is an inhibitory sensor of PI3K–mTOR pathways in cancer
Mice deficient in the protein NLRC3 are highly prone to colitis and tumour development in the colon as NLRC3 suppresses the activation of mTOR signalling pathways that help drive tumorigenesis.
Rajendra Karki, Si Ming Man, R. K. Subbarao Malireddi et al. | mRNA quality control is bypassed for immediate export of stress-responsive transcripts
Heat shock drives the expression of transcripts that bypass mRNA quality control for direct export and translation, allowing cells to survive extreme situations at the cost of accuracy.
Gesa Zander, Alexandra Hackmann, Lysann Bender et al. | Near-atomic-resolution cryo-EM analysis of the Salmonella T3S injectisome basal body
The authors report the structure of the assembled membrane spanning ring forming proteins of the Salmonella Typhimurium injectisome basal body, including the first atomic structure of a member of the secretin family of outer-membrane pores.
L. J. Worrall, C. Hong, M. Vuckovic et al. | High-resolution crystal structure of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor
The authors report a 2.6 Å resolution crystal structure of the human CB1 cannabinoid receptor trapped in the inactive conformation and bound to the antagonist taranabant.
Zhenhua Shao, Jie Yin, Karen Chapman et al. | Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling increases yield and resilience
Treatment with signalling precursors of trehalose-6-phosphate allows light-triggered release of trehalose-6-phosphate in Arabidopsis thaliana and increases the yield and drought resistance of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum).
Cara A. Griffiths, Ram Sagar, Yiqun Geng et al. | Mechanism of early dissemination and metastasis in Her2+ mammary cancer
Two related papers show that cells disseminated from malignant lesions at early time points during tumorigenesis can contribute to metastases at distant organs and provide insights into the molecular basis of dissemination.
Kathryn L. Harper, Maria Soledad Sosa, David Entenberg et al. | Structure of RNA polymerase I transcribing ribosomal DNA genes
Structures of budding yeast RNA polymerase I in a catalytically active conformation are presented and confirmed by visualizing processive transcription along ribosomal DNA genes; they support a general model for transcription elongation in which contracted and expanded polymerase conformations are associated with active and inactive states, respectively.
Simon Neyer, Michael Kunz, Christian Geiss et al. | | | | |
