Molecular Biology
- CRISPR-induced double-strand breaks trigger recombination between homologous chromosome arms
CRISPR–Cas9 enables recombination between homologous chromosome arms at predefined sites and also underscores the need for caution when applying CRISPR technologies in translational medicine.
- Molecular characterization of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii telomeres and telomerase mutants
This study characterizes the sequence, end structure, and length distribution of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii telomeres and shows that telomerase mutants are defective in telomere maintenance.
- ATP hydrolysis by KaiC promotes its KaiA binding in the cyanobacterial circadian clock system
ATP hydrolysis in the KaiC hexamer triggers the exposure of its C-terminal segments into the solvent so as to capture KaiA, providing mechanistic insights into the circadian periodicity regulation.
- Robust repression of tRNA gene transcription during stress requires protein arginine methylation
This work examines how protein arginine methylation of Rpc31, a subunit of RNA Pol III, promotes negative regulation of tRNA biogenesis in the context of cellular stress.
- PKAc is not required for the preerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei
The mutant salivary gland sporozoites lacking PKAc are able to glide, invade hepatocytes, and mature into hepatic merozoites, which release successfully from the merosome, however, fail to initiate blood stage infection when inoculated into mice.
- The m6A pathway protects the transcriptome integrity by restricting RNA chimera formation in plants
This study reveals that an m6A-assisted polyadenylation pathway comprising conserved m6A writer proteins and a plant-specific m6A reader contributes to transcriptome integrity in Arabidopsis thaliana by restricting RNA chimera formation at rearranged loci.
- Tumor-intrinsic response to IFNγ shapes the tumor microenvironment and anti–PD-1 response in NSCLC
Using an immunocompetent mouse model of NSCLC, this study demonstrates that tumor-intrinsic response to IFNγ determines response to anti–PD-1 through alterations in the tumor microenvironment.
- The hypoxia-response pathway modulates RAS/MAPK–mediated cell fate decisions in Caenorhabditis elegans
Atmospheric oxygen levels modulate the RAS/MAPK signaling pathway in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans through a cross-talk between the DELTA/NOTCH and hypoxia signaling pathways. These mechanisms may permit the animals to adapt their development to changes in the environment.
- Loss of PGC-1α in RPE induces mesenchymal transition and promotes retinal degeneration
Sustained loss of PGC-1α in RPE cells triggers mitochondrial/autophagic dysfunction and oxidative damage resulting in epithelial dedifferentiation and mesenchymal transition. RPE dysfunction caused by deletion of the PGC-1 coactivators in vivo causes retinal degeneration.