Nutrient signalling

Cryogenic-electron microscopy is used to determine the structure of TFEB as presented to mTORC1 for phosphorylation and an explanation is found for the strong dependence of TFEB phosphorylation on FLCN and the RagC GDP state.

Reprogrammed metabolism is a hallmark of cancer. Here, Li, Zhang and colleagues describe how signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins alter cancer cell metabolism by sensing and transducing signals from the tumour environment and modulating signalling pathways, transcription factors, mitochondrial proteins and enzymes.

Food regulates taste perception, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not clear. Here, the authors reveal that sugar intake in Drosophila induces the gut to secrete Hedgehog into the circulation that suppresses sweet taste, sugar perception and preference.

The carbohydrate binding protein galectin-3 has been linked to diabetes and cancer. Here, authors show that galectin-3 is a sensor of LPS, an important modulator of the mTORC1 signaling, and a critical regulator of glucose metabolism.

Although T cell commitment to specific lineages coincides with the rearrangement of T cell receptor loci, it remains unclear whether metabolism also influences this process. Here, authors show that de novo hexosamine biosynthesis promotes  αβ T cell lineage commitment and γδ-TCR diversity and can be modulated by dietary supplementation.