Nuclear organization articles from across Nature Portfolio

Eukaryotic transcriptional machinery often shows local enrichment in dynamic clusters at sites of high expression. A study of zebrafish embryos shows that such clusters can fine-tune the timing of zygotic genome activation by sequestering a component required for productive transcription, thus limiting its availability to other genes.

Characterization of nuclear and nucleolar dynamics during adipogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells points to nucleolar remodeling as an active, mechanoregulated mechanism triggered by cytoskeleton rearrangement.

Maintaining a healthy nuclear proteome during DNA damage is important but its regulation is poorly understood. The authors here show that a SUMO modification of the small heat shock protein Btn2 regulates yeast nuclear protein sequestration during stress.

Cells must respond to environmental changes. In three fungal species adapted to different temperatures, cellular responses are conserved yet tuned to each organism’s thermal niche, including the formation of adaptive biomolecular condensates.

Ugolini et al. show that transcription bodies regulate gene expression during zygotic genome activation in zebrafish development by sequestering CDK9 to limit the transcription of genes away from transcription bodies.

Meiosis is a specialized cell division for generating germ cells. The authors show that the lipid composition in the cellular membrane influences meiosis-specific chromosomal dynamics in mouse testis.

Eukaryotic transcriptional machinery often shows local enrichment in dynamic clusters at sites of high expression. A study of zebrafish embryos shows that such clusters can fine-tune the timing of zygotic genome activation by sequestering a component required for productive transcription, thus limiting its availability to other genes.

Macromolecules can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation to form condensates that have critical roles in biological functions and dysfunctions. A new study demonstrates that differences in micropolarity between components is a prime determinant of the multiphasic architecture of biomolecular condensates.

The interplay between DNA and its associated proteins has a crucial role in regulating gene expression and determining cellular identity. Here we revisit an earlier Nature Cell Biology study that established the chromatin signature associated with pluripotency.

Advances in profiling chromosome structure help reveal the regulatory roles of gene organization.

How spatial organization in the cell is achieved on the organelle scale is unclear. A new study finds that tethering specific proteins near the surface of micelle-like paraspeckles modifies their properties and determines whether these subnuclear organelles are separate from, adhere to, or are engulfed by nuclear speckles.