Browse Articles

Since Nature Structural and Molecular Biology was started 30 years ago, our understanding of transcription and mRNA processing has been revolutionized through structural and mechanistic studies. Here, we present our personal views of the advances in understanding the production of mature eukaryotic mRNAs over the past decade.

Branch point selection is required for pre-mRNA splicing, and its mis-regulation is associated with many diseases. Two structural studies provide insights into the dynamics of active site formation and the spliceosomal proteins that may contribute to activation of the correct branch point in eukaryotic introns.

Targeted biologics delivery requires programming multicomponent protein nanomaterials to enable selective targeting and response to environment changes in a single unified framework. A novel protein nanoparticle platform has been designed to modulate cell-surface target specificity, cargo packaging, and pH-dependent release of encapsulated cargo, providing exciting possibilities in biologics delivery.

Designed novel protein nanoparticle technology integrates antibody targeting and responds to changes in environmental conditions to release protected molecular cargoes, opening new applications for precision medicine.

The authors elucidate by cryo-EM the mechanism by which DNA polymerases Rev1 and Polζ cooperate in translesion DNA synthesis.

Stabilization of a branch structure would intuitively suggest a direct connection between trunk and bough, but in actin filament networks, cortactin clamps the branching Arp2/3 complex to the daughter filament. This has fundamental consequences for mechanistic understanding of actin branch turnover and cortactin biology.

ADP-ribosylation regulates the activity of numerous proteins involved in the DNA damage response and repair. A new study shows that telomeric DNA can be ADP-ribosylated by PARP1, and prompt removal of the ADP-ribose by TARG1 is essential to preserve telomere integrity, unveiling DNA–ADP-ribosylation as a novel player in telomere stability.

Telomeres are endogenous cellular targets of DNA ADP-ribosylation (DNA-ADPr). TARG1-regulated DNA-ADPr is coupled to lagging telomere DNA strand synthesis, and persistent DNA-ADPr, due to TARG1 deficiency, leads to telomere shortening and fragility.

The authors uncovered an antiparasitic molecule that exhibits broad-spectrum activity against parasitic flukes through engagement of a recently discovered transient receptor potential ion channel.

Systemic RNA interference (RNAi) in Caenorhabditis elegans is initiated by SID-1-mediated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) internalization. By combining cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), in vitro and in vivo assays, we show how SID-1 specifically recognizes dsRNA and provide important insights into dsRNA internalization by SID-1.

Using cryo-EM, the authors elucidate the mechanisms of TRPV1 regulation by bioactive lipids, namely phosphoinositides and the inflammatory lipid lysophosphatidic acid.

The antidepressant vortioxetine affects rodent and human 5-HT₃ receptors differently. López-Sánchez et al. use a variety of methods, including structure determination of vortioxetine-bound human and mouse 5-HT₃ receptors, to reveal the basis of these differences.

The human cytoskeleton consists of three major classes of filaments: microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments. Here, we summarize recent progress in deciphering the structure and function of intermediate filaments and their implications for human disease.

The authors used cryo-EM to visualize the arrangement of lipids at the closed groove of a TMEM16 scramblase and to reveal that both the structures and distributions of the protein’s conformations depend on the lipid composition and nanodisc scaffold.

Here the authors develop a method to quantify all combinations of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine at individual CpG dyads, including in single cells, to identify the relationship between the local 5mC density, histone marks and maintenance methylation fidelity.

The structures of the retrovirus-derived human syncytin-1 and suppressyn in complexes with their shared receptor reveal an ancient cellular recognition mechanism that underlies key morphological and immunological functions in placenta.

Spliceosome biogenesis and recycling remains a largely unexplored area. Two papers now reveal how protein chaperones remodel the 20S U5 snRNP, leading to formation of the U4/U6.U5 tri-snRNP.

Chromatin condensation does not impede nucleosome sliding by ISWI remodelers. Notably, ATP energy is used not only for remodeling but also for enzyme mobility and to prevent solidification of chromatin. A ‘monkey-bar’ model rationalizes the findings.

In C. elegans, systemic RNAi is initiated by SID-1-mediated dsRNA internalization. Here the authors present cryo-EM structures of SID-1 homologs and the SID-1–dsRNA complex, elucidating the structural basis for dsRNA recognition and uptake by SID-1.

This study provides structural and biochemical insight into how mammalian PIWI proteins use a limited supply of piRNAs to silence a vast array of ever-evolving transposons in the germline.