Oil painting of a mitochondrion

Insights into mitochondrial DNA packaging

A study by Isaac et al. presents mtFiber-seq, a method that measures individual mitochondrial genome packaging at nucleotide resolution, providing insight into the  architecture of mtDNA packaging.

  • R. Stefan Isaac
  • Thomas W. Tullius
  • L. Stirling Churchman
Article

Announcements

  • NSMB cover

    January 2024 marks 30 years since we published the first volume of NSMB. We will be celebrating this milestone throughout 2024, reflecting on the road covered and looking towards the future.

  • NSMB cover first issue

    In January 2024, NSMB will celebrate the 30th anniversary of publishing its first issue. To celebrate, we would like to give our readers, center stage and invite you to send us your comments and letters to the editors, reflecting both on the past and the upcoming years. Details: https://rdcu.be/doiBQ

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology is a Transformative Journal; authors can publish using the traditional publishing route OR via immediate gold Open Access.

Our Open Access option complies with funder and institutional requirements.

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  • Examining artificial embryos (gastruloids), Merle et al. uncover precise gene organization and proportional growth, providing insights into fundamental principles of developmental processes in mammalian systems.

    • Mélody Merle
    • Leah Friedman
    • Thomas Gregor
    Article
  • The biogenesis and recycling of the ‘heart’ of the human spliceosome, the U5 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP), requires CD2BP2 and TSSC4. Here the authors present cryo-electron microscopy structures that reveal how these protein chaperones orchestrate the ATP-independent (re)generation of the U5 snRNP.

    • Daria Riabov Bassat
    • Supapat Visanpattanasin
    • Clemens Plaschka
    Brief Communication
  • Here the authors report the structure of the human 20S U5 snRNP, providing new insights into the assembly of the spliceosome building blocks.

    • Sarah Schneider
    • Irina Brandina
    • Wojciech P. Galej
    Brief CommunicationOpen Access
  • Here, the authors determine the structure of the human outer kinetochore KMN network complex, showing that it forms an extended and rigid rod-like structure and that it exists in an auto-inhibited state which can be relieved by phosphorylation.

    • Stanislau Yatskevich
    • Jing Yang
    • David Barford
    ArticleOpen Access
  • During cell division, kinetochores anchor chromosomes to spindle microtubules. Here, the authors report a comprehensive structure–function analysis of the kinetochore’s main microtubule receptor, the KMN network, shedding new light on its organization.

    • Soumitra Polley
    • Tobias Raisch
    • Andrea Musacchio
    ArticleOpen Access
  • In addition to the usual dose of compelling science, our March issue features thoughtful reflections on the last 30 years from readers, as well as past and present editors. Perhaps influenced by these pieces or by our stunning cover — or maybe it is just the changing seasons — we are in an introspective mood this month.

    Editorial
  • Over the past 30 years, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (NSMB) has covered an enormous breadth of subjects in the broad field of molecular and structural biology. Here, some of the journal’s past and present editors recount their editorial experience at NSMB and some of the more memorable papers they worked on.

    • Guy Riddihough
    • Christopher Surridge
    • Dimitrios Typas
    Feature
  • Over the past 30 years, the field of structural biology and its associated biological insights have seen amazing progress. In this Comment, I recount several milestones in the field and how we can apply lessons from the past toward an exciting future, especially as it relates to drug discovery.

    • Cheryl H. Arrowsmith
    Comment
  • First discovered more than five decades ago, protein ubiquitylation has proven to be an omnipresent post-translational modification regulating virtually every eukaryotic cellular process. With novel clinical applications and recent studies demonstrating ubiquitylation of biomolecules other than proteins, the interest in ubiquitin will not waver any time soon.

    Editorial
  • In addition to its role in proteasomal degradation, ubiquitin has multiple roles in autophagy. It can mark proteins for autophagic degradation and actively drive autophagosome formation. Recent work shows that ubiquitin can also be conjugated to phospholipids and other biomolecules.

    • Noboru Mizushima
    Comment