Molecular biology articles from across Nature Portfolio

We describe how transcription start site (TSS) choice of thousands of genes results in transcript isoforms with potential for distinct post-transcriptional regulation affecting translation and cell behavior. We show that dynamic switching between initiation sites defines cancer proliferation, differentiation and treatment response, indicating start site determination as a potential diagnostic tool.

A study of AAV gene therapy in monkeys proposes that integrated vectors may drive long-term transgene expression.

Ventricular arrhythmias are associated with aging and are a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. A new study shows that hyperactivation of p38γ/δ MAPKs is a key driver of stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias via increased phosphorylation of ryanodine receptor 2 at Ser2367 and impaired localization of potassium voltage-gated channel K_v4.3.

How nuclear architecture assists the replication stress response is still largely unknown. Here the authors show that nuclear actin polymerization rapidly extends upon mild DNA damage. By limiting Primpol activity, this response mediates fork slowing and reversal, protecting chromosome stability.

Cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug, can cause long-lasting kidney injury. The authors explore miRNA:mRNA interactions in cisplatin-injured kidneys and find that such a cisplatin inducible miRNA as miR-429-3p suppresses the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids, leading to stimulation of ferroptotic cell death.

The molecular phenotypic features of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) remain elusive. Here, the authors perform mass spectrometry-based proteomic profiling for 269 EOC patients and reveal molecularly distinct features and potential therapeutic targets among the histological subtypes of EOC.

Martin et al. report that the EP400/TIP60 complex can compensate for function of the SWI/SNF complex to remodel chromatin at some promoters.

We describe how transcription start site (TSS) choice of thousands of genes results in transcript isoforms with potential for distinct post-transcriptional regulation affecting translation and cell behavior. We show that dynamic switching between initiation sites defines cancer proliferation, differentiation and treatment response, indicating start site determination as a potential diagnostic tool.

A study of AAV gene therapy in monkeys proposes that integrated vectors may drive long-term transgene expression.

Ventricular arrhythmias are associated with aging and are a leading cause of sudden cardiac death. A new study shows that hyperactivation of p38γ/δ MAPKs is a key driver of stress-induced ventricular arrhythmias via increased phosphorylation of ryanodine receptor 2 at Ser2367 and impaired localization of potassium voltage-gated channel K_v4.3.

DNA polymerase θ (POLQ) repairs mitotic DNA breaks; this requires RHINO and PLK1, averts genomic instability and may underlie effects of POLQ inhibitors in HDR-deficient cancer cells. We discuss recent work on mitotic DNA break processing and repair, the need for multiple DSB repair pathways and implications of therapeutic POLQ targeting in cancer.

Florian Heyd describes a paper that pointed towards alternative splicing as a driver of human cognitive abilities.