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Volume 25 Issue 3, March 2024

‘Making synthetic cells’, inspired by the Comment on p157 and Viewpoint on p162.

Cover design: Vicky Summersby.

Comment

  • In this Comment, Hub Zwart discusses the importance of embedding philosophical reflection into research aiming at creating a synthetic cell.

    • Hub Zwart
    Comment

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Research Highlights

  • Rapid reactivation of gene expression following mitosis-induced silencing is facilitated by a network of redundantly acting nuclear receptors that function as mitotic bookmarks.

    • Lisa Heinke
    Research Highlight
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Journal Club

  • Ernst and Renne highlight two papers, one that discovered and another that structurally defined the ER–mitochondria encounter structure (ERMES) that facilitates the exchange of lipids between the ER and mitochondria.

    • Mike F. Renne
    • Robert Ernst
    Journal Club
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Viewpoint

  • Scientists are captivated by the prospect of creating a fully synthetic cell, offering the potential to revolutionize biology, medicine and biotechnology. In this Viewpoint, a panel of experts discusses the definitions of a synthetic cell and highlights current achievements, challenges and future opportunities of building such systems.

    • Katarzyna P. Adamala
    • Marileen Dogterom
    • T-Y Dora Tang
    Viewpoint
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Reviews

  • Translation is controlled mainly during its initiation. Recent studies in yeast and mammals provide new insights into the mechanism of translation initiation regulation in health and in various diseases, and open avenues for the development of innovative therapies targeting the translation machinery.

    • Jailson Brito Querido
    • Irene Díaz-López
    • V. Ramakrishnan
    Review Article
  • Intrinsically disordered regions of proteins lack a defined 3D structure and exist in a collection of interconverting conformations. Recent work is shedding light on how — through their conformational malleability and adaptability — intrinsically disordered regions extend the repertoire of macromolecular interactions in the cell and contribute to key cellular functions.

    • Alex S. Holehouse
    • Birthe B. Kragelund
    Review Article
  • Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are relics of ancient retroviral infections, which provide coding and non-coding sequences to the human genome. Emerging evidence reveals how HERVs contribute to immune responses and embryogenesis and how infections and mutations can dysregulate them and contribute to neurodegeneration, inflammation and oncogenesis.

    • Nicholas Dopkins
    • Douglas F. Nixon
    Review Article
  • Lysosomes orchestrate key cellular functions such as nutrient sensing, degradation of macromolecules and stress adaptation. This Review discusses the integration of signalling pathways at the lysosome and highlights the interaction of lysosomes with other organelles and mechanisms that ensure lysosome homeostasis.

    • Carmine Settembre
    • Rushika M. Perera
    Review Article
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Amendments & Corrections

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