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Biological sciences encompasses all the divisions of natural sciences examining various aspects of vital processes. The concept includes anatomy, physiology, cell biology, biochemistry and biophysics, and covers all organisms from microorganisms, animals to plants.
Stabilization of a branch structure would intuitively suggest a direct connection between trunk and bough, but in actin filament networks, cortactin clamps the branching Arp2/3 complex to the daughter filament. This has fundamental consequences for mechanistic understanding of actin branch turnover and cortactin biology.
Efforts to develop an electronic newspaper providing information at the touch of a button took a step forward 50 years ago, and airborne bacteria in the London Underground come under scrutiny, in the weekly dip into Nature’s archive.
ADP-ribosylation regulates the activity of numerous proteins involved in the DNA damage response and repair. A new study shows that telomeric DNA can be ADP-ribosylated by PARP1, and prompt removal of the ADP-ribose by TARG1 is essential to preserve telomere integrity, unveiling DNA–ADP-ribosylation as a novel player in telomere stability.
A randomized controlled trial showed that following a personalized dietary program led to significant improvements in cardiometabolic and gut health as well as reductions in body weight compared to following standard dietary advice according to US Department of Agriculture guidelines.
c-di-AMP is essential for bacterial signaling. Here, the authors identify the GlcNAc-sensing regulator DasR as a c-di-AMP receptor and provide molecular insight into their signaling effect on the developmental and antibiotic biosynthesis control across Actinobacteria.
Telomeres are endogenous cellular targets of DNA ADP-ribosylation (DNA-ADPr). TARG1-regulated DNA-ADPr is coupled to lagging telomere DNA strand synthesis, and persistent DNA-ADPr, due to TARG1 deficiency, leads to telomere shortening and fragility.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Victor Tieu describes the development of MEGA, a platform that exploits the RNA-targeting capability of CRISPR–Cas13d and demonstrates its use to improve the anti-tumour activity of CAR T cells.
Stabilization of a branch structure would intuitively suggest a direct connection between trunk and bough, but in actin filament networks, cortactin clamps the branching Arp2/3 complex to the daughter filament. This has fundamental consequences for mechanistic understanding of actin branch turnover and cortactin biology.