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The role of microRNAs in chemotherapy resistance remains to be elucidated. Bockhorn et al.report that microRNA-30c, a human breast tumour prognostic marker, has a key role by targeting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition promoter twinfilin 1 and downstream interleukin-11 expression.
Inorganic polyphosphates have been identified in the central nervous system. Holmström and colleagues examine neuroglial cultures in vitro and cardiorespiratory responses in vivo, and find that inorganic polyphosphates trigger calcium-dependent activation of astrocytes and increase cardiorespiratory activity.
Understanding the influence of disorder on the properties of two-dimensional materials is of increasing importance, given the interest in these compounds for electronic applications. Using a scanning transmission electron microscope, Dumcencoet al. quantify the atomic mixing in two-dimensional films of Mo1–xWxS2.
In metals, plasmon properties are fixed once the structure is built, but in graphene they can be altered by electric or magnetic fields. Using electrical time-of-flight measurements, Kumada et al. show wide plasmon velocity tunability in graphene with a varying magnetic field.
Plant pathogens encode effector proteins that trigger immunity in plants carrying appropriate resistance genes. Here Qutob et al. show non-Mendelian interactions between naturally occurring Phytophthora sojaealleles that result in transgenerational gene silencing and gain of virulence in soybean plants.
In outwardly rectifying potassium channels, depolarization initiates conformational changes in voltage-sensing domains. Goldschen-Ohmet al. find that movement of three specific domains correlates with conductance levels, and rearrangements of a fourth domain results in preinactivation subconductance states.
Delivery of lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs), is important for lysosome stability and function. Here, Pols et al. identify a previously uncharacterized pathway for transport of lysosome-associated membrane proteins LAMPs directly from the trans-golgi network to late endosomes.
RNase P is a key enzyme implicated in transfer RNA maturation that removes the 5′-leader sequences from transfer RNA precursors. In this study, a biophysical characterization of a novel protein-only variant of RNase P, known as PRORP (PROteinaceous RNase P), reveals that transfer RNA recognition by PRORP is similar to that by ribonucleoprotein RNase P.
Inspired by neural networks, reservoir computing uses nonlinear transient states to perform computations, offering faster parallel information processing. Brunner et al.show a photonic approach to reservoir computing capable of simultaneous spoken digit and speaker recognition at high data rates.
Cell migration requires motor protein-driven delivery of proteins to the leading edge. This study shows that p68 RNA helicase behaves as a microtubule-based motor upon binding calmodulin, and that blocking this interaction inhibits cancer cell metastasis.
The development of biological tubes is regulated by mutual interactions between cells and luminal extracellular matrix. Donget al. show that retrograde recycling of luminal chitin deacetylase regulates Drosophila tracheal tubule geometry by restricting length independently of diameter.
For future optical information processing applications, including quantum computing, ever more complex quantum photonic devices are needed. Metcalf et al. present an integrated photonic device capable of three-photon quantum operation, including Hong-Ou-Mandel-type interference between three photons.
Natural populations are complex systems where interactions can lead to chaotic dynamics. This study tests how cyclic and chaotic microbial predator–prey communities synchronize, showing different phase-locking responses for cyclic and chaotic systems.
The flowering time and clock-related protein GIGANTEA has been broadly implicated in the development and physiology of plants. Kim and colleagues studyArabidopsisand find that GIGANTEA modulates salt stress via the release of the protein kinase SOS2, which is required for salt tolerance.
Porous materials are well studied for gas capture and separation technologies. Here, the authors report nitrogen-rich, nanoporous polymers, which display very high CO2/N2 selectivity with increasing temperature, which may be attributable to an entropically driven N2-phobicity effect.
Atomic force microscopy provides surface topography images with atomic resolution, but a quantitative measurement of the force while imaging has been missing. Now, Platzet al. present a method based on modulating the cantilever oscillation amplitude to rapidly measure the interaction between tip and surface.
The antibiotic streptomycin increases errors in protein translation, but it is unclear how streptomycin exerts its effect on the ribosome. Demirci et al. present X-ray crystal structures that reveal conformational changes induced by streptomycin, which may inspire future efforts in antibiotics design.