Articles in 2022

Proof of concept of the viability of a plant-derived photosynthetic system based on nanothylakoid units encapsulated in a chondrocyte membrane to enhance cell anabolism in chondrocytes is demonstrated.

A bright, long-duration gamma-ray burst observed by the Swift observatory has hybrid high-energy properties, suggesting that its origin is the merger of a compact binary.

NeoCoV and its close relative, PDF-2180, can efficiently bind to and use specific bat ACE2 orthologues and, less favourably, human ACE2 as entry receptors through their receptor-binding domains on the spike protein.

Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites produced in vitro recapitulate the P. falciparum life cycle from gametocyte to gametocyte without mosquitoes or primates.

A study shows that cross-reactivity of microbial antigens and self-antigens presented by HLA-B*27 may be important in the pathogenesis of diseases associated with HLA-B*27 and identifies the shared binding motif responsible.

Results are presented that indicate that alterations to gene regulatory three-dimensional architecture are a critical mechanism that enables structural variant-based oncogene activation in cancer genomes and sheds light on the essential elements for such gene activation events.

A non-genetic mechanism of sex determination in the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is described, and the male development 1 gene is identified as a potential target for interventions that block malaria transmission.

Provora is an ancient supergroup of microbial predators that are genetically, morphologically and behaviourally distinct from other eukaryotes, and comprise two divergent clades of predators—Nebulidia and Nibbleridia—that differ fundamentally in ultrastructure, behaviour and gene content.

The diverse yet patterned expression of clustered protocadherins regulates the precise spatial arrangement and synaptic connectivity of excitatory neurons in the mouse neocortex.

Forward genetics analyses and targeted genetic manipulation in mice show that regulation of sleep quantity and quality is mediated by the LKB1–SIK3–HDAC4–HDAC5 pathway.

An adipocyte-selective product of the Clstn3 locus (CLSTN3β) facilitates the use of stored triglyceride by limiting lipid droplet (LD) expansion, defining a molecular mechanism that regulates LD form and function to facilitate lipid utilization in thermogenic adipocytes.

Nitrogen-fixing trees are favoured by herbivorous animals relative to non-fixing trees, increasing their carbon opportunity cost and potentially constraining global nitrogen fixation.

Analysis of the long-duration GRB 211211A led to observations of emission properties differing from all known type I bursts, yet its multiband behaviour suggests a non-massive-star origin, pointing towards a new progenitor type.

Three alternative CO₂ emission-mitigation pathways were analysed for the global plastics sector, covering their production to waste management. A circular bioeconomy strategy could achieve negative emissions in the long term, while at the same time allowing landfilling to be phased out and reducing resource consumption.

Cell-specific respiration rates differ by more than 1,000× among prokaryoplankton genera, and the majority of respiration was found to be performed by minority members of prokaryoplankton, whereas cells of the most prevalent lineages had extremely low respiration rates.

Analysis of two-million-year-old ancient environmental DNA from the Kap København Formation in North Greenland shows there was an open boreal forest with diverse plant and animal species, of which several taxa have not previously been detected at the site, representing an ecosystem that has no present-day analogue.

Installation of multiple C–O bonds by concurrent oxygenation of contiguous C–H bonds in a selective fashion is highly desirable, and this is achieved by repeated operation of a potent oxidative catalyst via electrophotocatalysis.

Pre-existing high-affinity antibodies alter germinal centre and memory B cell selection by lowering the activation threshold for B cells and through direct masking of their cognate epitopes, thereby permitting a diverse set of abundant lower-affinity clones targeting alternate epitopes to participate in the immune response.

Rhythmic trafficking of dendritic cells to the tumour draining lymph node governs a circadian response of tumour-antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells that is dependent on the circadian expression of the co-stimulatory molecule CD80.

FXR regulates the levels of ACE2 in tissues of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems that are affected by COVID-19, and inhibiting FXR with ursodeoxycholic acid downregulates ACE2 and reduces susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.