Research articles

Fsp27 mediates ‘fusion’ of lipid droplets in mouse adipose tissue. Here, the authors investigate the physiological consequences of loss of Fsp27 in three different mouse models of ‘energetic overload’, and observe hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance but reduced adipose tissue inflammation.

The nonlinear dynamic interaction between optical comb frequencies and microresonator modes are not yet fully understood. Here, the authors demonstrate a method to characterize microcomb states and observe discrete phase steps that have not been observed in conventional frequency combs.

Activation of Toll-like receptors induces inflammation, which is critical for defence against infection but can cause autoimmunity, and thus needs tight regulation. Here, the authors show that TRAF2 limits inflammatory responses downstream of these receptors by inducing degradation of IRF5 and c-Rel.

Slow slip events have been observed in different subduction zones, but their relationship to megathrust earthquakes remains elusive. Here, the authors postulate that a transient event may have led to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake as the hypocentre falls within a zone of positive Coloumb stress change.

The collective behaviour of electrons trapped in a two-dimensional plane gives rise to fractional quantum Hall states. Amet et al. now observe previously unseen states in boron-nitride-graphene heterostructures in a strong magnetic field that indicate the formation of composite fermions.

One area of interest in the field of molecular magnetism is the development of high-spin molecules. Here, the authors report a cyanide-bridged nanocage consisting of 18 high-spin iron(III) ions ferromagnetically coupled through 24 low-spin iron(II) ions, with a ground state spin of S=45.

Any typical sensing device must absorb energy, thereby altering the measured signal as it propagates on. By exploiting parity-time symmetry via non-Foster circuits, Fleury et al. show that a sensor can be built that absorbs incoming signals without perturbing them or creating a shadow, rendering it invisible.

Titanium dioxide is a promising photocatalyst for water splitting, although it suffers from low visible light activity. Here, the authors fabricate sub-10 nm rutile nanoparticles and investigate the role of surface/sub-surface defects in band-gap narrowing and enhanced charge-carrier separation.

The gut microbiota of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes contributes to the insects’ resistance to the parasite. Here, Gendrin et al. show that antibiotics in ingested human blood alter the mosquito gut microbiota and increase the insect’s survival, fecundity and susceptibility to the parasites.

Stacking graphene in such a way that each layer is rotated relative to the one below provides a way of controlling the properties of this useful material. Park et al. now demonstrate a technique for fabricating this twisted graphene in such a way that it has an intrinsic electronic bandgap.

Azobenzene is perhaps the archetypal light-activated molecule, widely used for photoswitching applications, but the mechanism of isomerisation remains in doubt. Here, the authors provide high-resolution excitation spectra of trans-azobenzene, identifying the structural changes accompanying photoisomerisation.

In most human tumours, the cell cycle regulators Cdk4/6-cyclinD are overactive. Here the authors use C. elegansas a model system to identify downstream regulators that are critical in the response of tumour cells to Cdk4/6 inhibitors.

Empirical data can contain information about causation rather than mere correlation. Here Chaves et al. present an algorithm for computing constraints on the correlations arising from a given quantum causal structure, and apply this framework to the information causality principle and networked architectures.

Both fast and slow solar winds emanate from our Sun, although the source of the slow component remains elusive. Towards identifying this, Brooks et al. present full-Sun spectral images from Hinode, combined with magnetic modelling, to produce a solar wind source map.

VRN1 is a central regulator of flowering following prolonged cold exposure in cereals. Here Deng et al. combine ChIP-seq and RNA-seq to identify downstream targets of VRN1 in barley and demonstrate direct links between the flowering pathway and genes controlling other important agronomic traits.

The response of the Australian monsoon to deglacial climate change remains largely unknown due to a dearth of high-resolution climate records. Here, the authors reconstruct precipitation variability in four marine sediment cores and show that Australian monsoon variability closely followed Antarctic warming.

XPC nucleotide excision repair factor is key to starting the repair of diverse helix-distorting DNA lesions caused by environmental insults. Here, the authors propose a kinetic gating mechanism whereby XPC recognizes DNA lesions by preferentially opening damaged sites while readily diffusing away from undamaged sites.

Size-affected dislocation-mediated plasticity is important in a wide range of materials and technologies. Here, El-Awady develops a validated generalized size-dependent dislocation-based model that can predict strength as a function of crystal/grain size and dislocation density.

Many cellular processes, including the cell division cycle, require concerted action of protein kinases and phosphatases. Here Lipinszki et al. present a crystal structure of the Drosophilaphosphoprotein phosphatase 4 subunit, Falafel, in complex with the centromeric protein CENP-C, and reveal a new recognition mode for this phosphatase.

The polysulfide shuttle is a major problem leading to capacity decay in lithium–sulfur batteries. Here, the authors show that in-situ-generated thiosulfate species on a manganese oxide nanosheet act as a polysulfide mediator, which effectively prevents polysulfide dissolution, leading to enhanced cyclability.