Articles in 2024

Extracellular vesicles carry proteins and lipids between cells. In a giant step forward for the field, a 2007 study published in Nature Cell Biology showed that secreted vesicles contain genetic material that is active within acceptor cells, reviving interest in extracellular vesicle-based communication in plant and animal biology.

Intellectual freedom for scientists, unconstrained by commercial interests and direct application, fuels unexpected discoveries. Curiosity-driven, basic science has yielded a deeper understanding of how life forms develop and function in their environment and has had wide implications for health and our planet. Investing in this is vital for scientific progress and is worth protecting in a democracy.

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial in embryogenesis and can be exploited by cancer cells to gain metastatic abilities. A hallmark of EMT is E-cadherin loss. In 2000, Snail was reported as the first E-cadherin repressor identified in the context of EMT, advancing our understanding of embryonic development and cancer progression.

Totipotency is the absence of any developmental restriction, a feature naturally found in the early embryo right after fertilization. Generating an in vitro totipotent stem cell model is not a trivial task. For this reason, a set of stringent criteria for the identification of bona fide totipotent stem cells have been proposed.

The interplay between DNA and its associated proteins has a crucial role in regulating gene expression and determining cellular identity. Here we revisit an earlier Nature Cell Biology study that established the chromatin signature associated with pluripotency.

As cell biologists, we aim to better our communities, but basic research is costly: instruments require energy, experiments consume copious single-use materials. Though governments, international bodies and universities must work to reduce this carbon footprint, we find sustainable research can also be shaped by individual actions in the lab.

As Nature Cell Biology turns 25 years old, we asked cell biologists across the globe to share their thoughts on what a productive mentor–mentee relationship looks like and their views on training the next generation of cell biologists.

The different compartments of the mammary stem cell hierarchy develop into distinct breast cancer subtypes as a result of specific genetic lesions. A recent study identifies aberrant ERBB3^low luminal progenitors with altered proteostasis and translation as the cell of origin of BRCA2-mutant breast cancer.

Joyce, Pascual et al. identify luminal progenitors as likely cells-of-origin in BRCA2-mutant breast cancer, exhibiting dysregulated proteostasis and translation, which may be therapeutically targeted via mTORC1 inhibition.

β-adrenergic signalling induces thermogenesis in mature brown adipocytes through a well-known cAMP–protein kinase A (PKA) pathway and also promotes the growth and differentiation of new thermogenic adipocytes. A study now demonstrates that β-adrenergic agonists drive this pathway through a PKA-independent mechanism involving cAMP–EPAC1.

Reverte-Salisa et al. show that, in preadipocytes, EPAC1 enhances brown adipose tissue growth and increases the function of thermogenic fat in obesogenic conditions. Activation of EPAC1 induces human brown adipocyte proliferation and differentiation.

tRNA transcriptome composition and regulation are poorly understood. A study reports tRNA transcriptome reprogramming during human cell differentiation, where the abundance of individual tRNA gene transcripts is drastically changed, but each pool of tRNAs containing the same anticodon remains stable.

Using modification-induced misincorporation tRNA sequencing, Gao and Behrens find that on differentiation, reduced mTORC1 signalling activates MAF1, which restricts RNA polymerase III to human tRNA housekeeping genes, to ensure that tRNA anticodon pools remain stable.

Bravo González-Blas et al. uncover enhancer-gene regulatory networks underlying hepatocyte identity and their zonation state by combining single-cell and spatial multiomics with massively parallel reporter assays and deep learning.

van der Weijden et al. perform genomic, proteomic and metabolic analyses and find that FOXO1-mediated fatty acid oxidation maintains mouse embryos in diapause.

The transcriptional coactivators TAZ and YAP pair with transcriptional enhanced associate domains (TEADs) to regulate transcription. TAZ and YAP nuclear condensates ensure optimal transcription. A new study reports that FUS regulates TAZ condensates by maintaining them in a fluid state to drive transcription of target genes.

Shao et al. report that FUS interacts with the transcriptional coactivator TAZ, maintaining liquid-like properties of TAZ biomolecular condensates and enhancing TAZ transcriptional activity.

Different gut microbial metabolites have the potential to promote and protect against colorectal cancer (CRC). A study now links trans-3-indoleacrylic acid (IDA), a metabolite derived from Peptostreptococcus anaerobius, with colorectal carcinogenesis through a distinct ferroptosis pathway AHR–ALDH1A3–FSP1–CoQ₁₀.

Sissoko et al. show that CENP-T local concentration regulates its ability to recruit the outer kinetochore, which may restrict complete kinetochore formation to regions with higher-order inner kinetochore assemblies.