Articles

Protein encapsulation in molecular cages has the potential to alter protein function and aid crystallization. Here, ubiquitin is encapsulated within a giant coordination cage; the protein is attached to a bidentate ligand, and the cage self-assembles upon addition of capping ligands and Pd(II) ions.

In the inner ear, sound waves produce movements in hair cell sterocilia, triggering the opening of ion channels. Hakizimana and colleagues show that the resultant currents change the length of sterocilia, and that these length changes alter the efficiency by which sound is converted into electrical signals.

Ultrafast demagnetization occurs when magnetically ordered solids are exposed to femtosecond light pulses, yet the exact spin-transfer mechanism is still debated. Combining ultrashort X-rays and infrared laser pulses, Pfauet al. show the importance of spin transport between domains in thin magnetic films.

Causal order is a concept that is engrained in the standard understanding of time, both in classical and quantum mechanics. Oreshkovet al.generalize the standard formalism of quantum theory to a framework with no pre-existing causal order, and find a new class of correlations that have no analogue in the classical world.

The design of chemical photoswitches could potentially lead to the development of novel therapeutics that regulates neurotransmission. In this study, a light-sensitive modified derivative of propofol is shown to activate GABA_A receptors in Xenopusoocytes, rat ganglion cells and mouse cerebellar slices.

T- and X-shaped polyphilic liquid crystals can generate ordered structures with potential nanotechnology applications. Here, the inability of polyphiles to achieve optimal packing and complete nanophase separation is exploited to produce a flexible two-dimensional honeycomb with giant octagonal and square cylinders.

The analysis of food web properties under different environmental conditions informs us how the ecosystem functions. Here, Tunneyet al. use post-glacial lakes as model ecosystems to show how macroscopic patterns of food webs vary with changes in habitat and resource accessibility.

Adult neurogenesis in the mammalian brain is implicated in the storage and processing of memories. Vivaret al.label afferents to new dentate gyrus granule cells and find that they receive direct input from the perirhinal and lateral entorhinal cortex and that these inputs enable spatial pattern separation.

The physical properties of organic metals have generally been described in terms of a highly correlated Luttinger liquid. Using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy, Kisset al. measure the Fermi surface of (BEDT-TTF)₃Br(pBIB), and find that, in contrast to other systems, it can be described as a Fermi liquid.

Continuous variable quantum key distribution allows secure communication that is more robust against channel losses than discrete approaches, yet is strongly affected by noise. Madsenet al.devise a continuous scheme for modulated entangled states that is more tolerant to noise and loss than other protocols.

It has been controversial whether the sizes of different regions of the brain can evolve independently of each other. This study identifies genetic loci responsible for independent size regulation in different brain regions, and finds brain size to be regulated independently of body size.

The charge-transfer characteristics of conjugated molecules are important in determining their electronic properties. Using resonant photoemission spectroscopy, Batraet al. quantify the through-space charge transfer in two model conjugated systems with femtosecond resolution.

Well-defined, monodisperse colloids of semiconducting polymers are required as new photonic and optoelectronic materials. Here, a Suzuki–Miyaura dispersion polymerization is used to produce monodisperse sub-micrometer particles of a range of semiconducting polymers.

Vascular calcification is commonly associated with advanced stages of atherosclerosis. Woldtet al. show that the nuclear hormone receptor PPARγ in vascular smooth muscle cells protects mice from vascular calcification by inhibiting Wnt5a signalling triggered by activation of the cell-surface receptor LRP1.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes can selectively stabilize telomeric i-motif DNA and have been suggested as a treatment for cancer. Here, carbon nanotubes are found to inhibit telomerase activity by stabilizing i-motif DNA, leading to telomere uncapping and altered telomere function in cancer cells.

Current methods for detecting proliferation in live cells cannot distinguish between dividing cells and cells that are progressing through the cell cycle. Here, a method is described that detects anillin in the contractile ring and in the midbody of cells during M-phase, providing a more accurate detection of dividing cells.

Achieving spin separation of charged particles in non-uniform magnetic fields is hindered by the Lorentz force. Kohdaet al. demonstrate spin separation in a semiconductor nanostructure by exploiting the effective magnetic field arising from the spin–orbit interaction and achieve highly polarized spin currents.

Spin liquids are states of matter in which the constituent spins of a magnet are highly correlated yet fluctuate strongly down to millikelvin temperatures. Here the authors report torque magnetometry measurements of the Mott insulator EtMe₃Sb[Pd(dmit)₂]₂and find it displays an ungapped quantum spin liquid state.

Fragile X syndrome is a major genetic cause of autism and is caused by loss of the fragile X mental retardation protein. In a mouse model of fragile X syndrome, Junget al. show that an absence of neuronal endocannabinoid signalling is responsible for the neurophysiological and behavioural defects.

The computational prediction of complex protein architectures has been used to design globular proteins, but the folding of collagen triple helices is difficult to predict. Here, a sequence-based scoring function for triple helix is developed and used to select sequences likely to self-assemble with high stability.