Reviews & Analysis

RNA knot-like structures function as an efficient physical barrier to RNA exoribonucleases. Single-molecule mechanical manipulation is used to unfold these structures and unravel the cause of their unusual mechanical resistance from a different direction.

Different ubiquitin chain types serve as distinct cellular signals. A new synthetic antigen-binding fragment, sAB-K29, specifically recognizes K29-linked diubiquitin and links K29 chains to proteotoxic stress and their accumulation in midbodies during mitosis.

Current antibody discovery technologies are limited in terms of their efficacy, accessibility, and scalability. The AHEAD system addresses these limitations by presenting an accelerated evolution workflow for antibody engineering that combines autonomous gene diversification with protein display technology.

A rationally designed class of mTORC1 inhibitors combines the selectivity of rapamycin with the potency of mTOR kinase inhibitors.

Over the past two decades, inhibitors of the polycomb repressor complex (PRC) have been driven from bench to bedside. New chemical compounds targeting the RING1B in polycomb repressor complex 1 (PRC1) add important tools to regulate polycomb functions.

Heme-containing proteins support a broad range of cellular functions. A new crystal structure explains how an integral-membrane heme lyase attaches the hydrophobic heme to soluble proteins.

Extracellular peptidoglycan-linked polysaccharide modifications mediate cell morphology, division, and autolysis in some Gram-positive bacterial pathogens. A new study shows that the degree and location of a specific modification controls peptidoglycan hydrolysis and placement of the axis of cell division.

Liquid–liquid phase separation can increase the rate of enzyme activity by concentrating reactants together. A phase-separating SUMOylation cascade offers conceptual and quantitative insight into the mechanisms underlying the activity enhancement.

The use of bacterial biofilms provides a bioplastic that is biodegradable, water processable, and coatable, opening new avenues for plastic alternatives.

N-Ras lipidation cycling is known to regulate its trafficking and function. A new S-depalmitoylation inhibitor induces N-Ras membrane mislocalization, providing insights into N-Ras function and laying the foundation for a new cancer therapeutic strategy.

Genome mining of Streptococcus mutans clinical samples led to the identification of a structurally unique polyketide/non-ribosomal peptide, mutanofactin-697, that promotes biofilm formation. This study highlights the unexplored functional potential of secondary metabolites and opens new avenues for inhibiting pathogenic processes.

An approach based on enrichment of 5′ hydroxylated RNAs reveals a new self-cleaving ribozyme that maps to a very long non-protein-coding RNA in simians. The ribozyme is active only among hominin sequences, suggesting a recent acquisition of the activity.

YAP is a major downstream effector of the Hippo intracellular signaling pathway, with key roles in organ development, regeneration, and cancer biology. A small molecule that targets Annexin (ANX) acts through YAP to promote rapid epidermal tissue expansion.

Acyl protein thioesterases are critical regulators of S-acylation, removing acyl chains from dynamically S-acylated proteins. A cytosolic deacylase, APT2, is S-acylated by zDHHC3 and zDHHC7 and is predicted to deform the lipid bilayer to extract acyl chains, capturing them within a hydrophobic pocket.

Characterization of cell death kinetics identifies new on- and off-target small-molecule modulators of ferroptosis and reveals a role of amino acid metabolism in regulating ferroptosis sensitivity.

A genetically encoded real-time redox reporter reveals that H₂O₂-signaling peroxiredoxin (PRX) proteins couple yeast metabolic oscillations with the cell division cycle. This new PRX function suggests fresh avenues for exploring circadian regulation of cell division and cancer.

High-throughput biochemical and biological analyses of disease-associated histone mutations reveal key residues in globular cores that affect chromatin remodeling, nucleosome stability, and stem cell pluripotency.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, hydrogen-peroxide-induced phase separation in the intrinsically disordered regions of the TERMINATING FLOWER transcription factor proteins was shown to regulate the shoot apical meristem through repression of the floral identity gene called ANANTHA.

The cumbersome encoding of digital data to cellular DNA hinders the use of cells as living hard drives. A new approach transfers digital information directly into cellular DNA by converting electrical signals into stable and interpretable changes in the genomes of bacterial populations.

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a transcription factor involved in gene regulation. A recent study has revealed G-quadruplex structures as novel binding targets of YY1, and their interactions regulate DNA looping and gene expression.