News & Comment

Activation of the unfolded protein response suppresses circadian clock genes, which contributes to translation repression and increased cell survival.

The transcription factor YY1 structurally mediates enhancer–promoter looping interactions and controls gene expression.

Navdeep Chandel highlights a study published in 1996 that — by showing that mitochondria can release cytochromecto initiate apoptosis — changed his view of the role of mitochondria in physiology.

Images are an integral part of reporting scientific data and conveying concepts in science. Janke and Chabrier argue for the importance of hand drawing — the original form of representation in science — as a complementary medium to photographs and schematics used in science publications today.

Inhibition of polymerase III in the gut is shown to promote animal lifespan downstream of the TOR complex 1.

The production of circular RNAs is enhanced when canonical splicing of parent genes or transcription termination at upstream genes is reduced.

The entire skin of a young patient with junctional epidermolysis bullosa was successfuly regenerated using a combination ofex vivogene therapy and stem-cell replacement therapy, which is a major achievement in the translation of stem cell-based therapies to the clinic.

In contrast to the prevailing view, abundant and efficiently translated mRNAs tend to have short, pruned poly(A) tails.

Tubulin in meiotic oocyte spindles is asymmetrically tyrosinated, and this spindle asymmetry can drive biased, non-Mendelian inheritance of chromosomes.

Ribosome subunits that fail to properly mature enter translation, cause translational stress and become targets of translation surveillance pathways.

Christopher Chen highlights the early studies of mechanoregulation of cell–matrix adhesions that established mechanobiology as a cross-discplinary research field

Applying force to the nucleus reduces the diffusion barrier at nuclear pores and promotes nuclear import of certain proteins, including the transcription regulator YAP, depending on their molecular properties.

Studies of mechanobiology lie at the interface of various scientific disciplines from biology to physics. Ulrich Schwarz discusses the importance of technological advances, quantification and modelling for the progress in understanding the role of forces in biology.

Transcription of enhancer RNA at intragenic enhancers can attenuate the expression of the host gene.

Anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins can drive their own expression and promote cell survival by regulating Hedgehog signalling transcription activator GLI.

John Abelson recounts the discovery of self-splicing RNA.

Low-level transcription persists during mitosis, and the reinstatement of robust gene expression occurs in a stepwise manner, starting with genes regulating cell organization and growth followed by the expression of cell type-specific genes.

The size and activity of nucleoli are cellular hallmarks of longevity and ageing, in model organisms and in humans.

The 2017 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award was awarded to Michael N. Hall (Biozentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland) “for discoveries concerning the nutrient-activated TOR proteins and their central role in the metabolic control of cell growth”.

Daniel Gerlich discusses how a study by the Hyman laboratory introduced the theory of liquid phase separation to cell biology and its implications for the understanding of cell organization and function.