A critical window of translational control during brain development

A critical prenatal window in mouse neocortex development controlled by translation emerges from characterization of the transcriptome-to-proteome transition at codon resolution.

See Harnett, Ambrozkiewicz et al.

Unusual G-quadruplex fold is a mark for gene silencing

An unusual G-quadruplex fold in poly(UG) RNAs marks them as vectors for gene silencing.

See Roschdi, Yan et al.

Synergistic assembly of SHOC2, MRAS and PP1C

High-resolution crystal structure of the SHOC2–MRAS–PP1C complex provides insights into the complex assembly, RAF dephosphorylation and MRAS selectivity versus canonical RAS isoforms.

See Bonsor et al.

Hand-over-hand substrate threading by AAA-ATPases

Dynamic release of the ribosomal maturation factor Rlp24 from the pre-60S ribosome by the AAA-ATPase Drg1 occurs through hand-over-hand substrate translocation.

See Prattes, Grishkovskaya et al.

Tail-anchored membrane proteins

Characterization of the guided entry of tail-anchored proteins (GET) pathway in Giardia intestinalis provides a model for the insertion of tail-anchored membrane proteins.

See Fry et al.

Loop extrusion on supercoiled DNA

Single-molecule experiments reveal that condensin-induced DNA looping is stimulated by positive supercoils on DNA.

See Kim et al.

A brake for the chromatin looping cycle

Two studies on 3D genome organization find that cohesin acetylation puts a brake on chromatin loop extrusion through recruitment of PDS5.

See Bastié, Chapard et al.and van Ruiten et al.

H1 & ssDNA enter a new phase

Single-molecule imaging and manipulation reveals how linker histone H1 preferentially forms phase-separated droplets with single-stranded nucleic acids rather than with double-stranded DNA and nucleosomes, suggestive of a non-canonical nuclear function.

See Leicher et al.

Curare stabilizes desensitized nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Cryo-EM structures reveal how the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is desensitized in response to an agonist, and how the arrow poison curare, extracted from Strychnos toxifera (pictured) and other plants, antagonizes the channel by stabilizing the desensitized state.

See Rahman et al.

Oxytocin signaling's cation dependence

A cryo-EM structure and functional analyses of oxytocin bound to its receptor reveal the structural determinants of the magnesium ion dependence of vasopressin/oxytocin family receptors.

See Article by Meyerowitz, Robertson et al.

Piwi-directed heterochromatin

Panoramix SUMOylation on chromatin connects the piRNA pathway to heterochromatin formation in Drosophila.

See Article by Andreev, Yu, et al.

IMPDH1 filament architectures

A series of cryo-EM structures of human IMPDH1 variants reveal polymorphic filaments, which provides a basis for their role in retinal function and disease.

See Article by Burrell et al.