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This Review discusses the effects of three age-associated stressors—loss of proteostasis, oxidative damage and dysregulated nutrient sensing—on global protein synthesis and highlights how altered translation is used by the cell as a stress sensor.
Statistical thinking is a core part of solid, trustworthy biology. However, many studies still include insufficient sample sizes, have poor experimental design or select an incorrect statistical method for the hypothesis being tested. Here we present ten statistical tips for cell biology.
Programmes that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science are under attack in the USA. Data indicate that diversity in the scientific workforce increases creativity and success in tackling challenging problems. Loss of promising talent supported by these programmes will substantially weaken our research capacity, limit innovation and substantially reduce discoveries important for driving scientific advancements.
The German Stem Cell Network (GSCN) connects science, society and policy to advance stem cell research. Since 2013, it has promoted innovation, ethics and public engagement. Recognizing Europe’s need for stronger collaboration, the GSCN aims to build a pan-European network to enhance research and translation, and to support young scientists.
This Collection highlights recent papers published across the Nature Portfolio and BMC Biology - from steps towards the use of stem cells in the clinic, to efforts to map and model development and disease, as well as studies expanding our understanding of aging, regeneration, and stem cell states.
In this cross-journal Collection, we invite research into the complex signalling pathways of innate immunity, emphasising the activation and regulation of pattern recognition receptors in response to microbial and endogenous triggers.
Intellectual freedom for scientists, unconstrained by commercial interests and direct application, fuels unexpected discoveries. Curiosity-driven, basic science has yielded a deeper understanding of how life forms develop and function in their environment and has had wide implications for health and our planet. Investing in this is vital for scientific progress and worth protecting in a democracy.
We celebrate our 25th anniversary with this Focus & Collection. We not only look back through biological discoveries, but also discuss the roles of cell biologists in sustainability, our ongoing commitments to DEI, and mentoring the next generation.
Xu et al. identify REPRODUCTIVE MERISTEM transcription factors that are required for RNA-directed DNA methylation at CLASSY3 target loci in male and female reproductive tissues of Arabidopsis.
della Volpe et al. augment the ex vivo expansion potential of human haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) by inhibiting ferroptosis with liproxstatin-1 or ferrostatin-1. Treated HSCs have enhanced in vivo repopulation capacity.
Williams et al. report a growth arrest mechanism in residual cancer persister cells through targeted therapy-induced upregulation of type I interferon signalling, which is negatively regulated by apoptotic DNA endonuclease DFFB to allow tumour relapse.
Lu, Wang et al. profile H3K36me2 throughout oocyte-to-embryo transition, pre-implantation and early post-implantation development and report a role for H3K36me2 in post-implantation embryos to re-establish lineage-specific DNA methylation.
Lee et al. show that Ca2+ triggers condensates enriched with PDIA6, an ER-resident disulfide isomerase and chaperone, along with other protein disulfide isomerase family proteins and some chaperones that in turn enhance folding of proinsulin.
Zhou et al. design protein-based artificial kinetochore constructs as decoys to prevent premature chromosomal separation in aged oocytes. These constructs compete with chromosomal kinetochores, reducing excessive bipolar microtubule pulling forces.
Phase separation is a mechanism for non-organellar macromolecule segregation typical in the cell cytosol and nucleus. Two recent studies revealed functional phase separation within the endoplasmic reticulum, where calcium-mediated condensates co-ordinate chaperones and disulfide catalysts to enhance secretory protein production.
We present CellNavi, a deep learning framework that predicts driver genes that orchestrate cellular transitions by modelling cell states on a biologically meaningful manifold. We demonstrated how CellNavi predictions of driver genes have potential applications in advancing cell therapy, uncovering key factors that drive cellular diseases, and identifying crucial genes involved in drug responses.
Ageing and cancer are often seen as divergent tissue fates. In our study, we identify a protective programme, called senescence-coupled differentiation (or seno-differentiation), that eliminates cancer-prone stem cells by pushing them to differentiate. Whether melanocyte stem cells follow this path or bypass it under carcinogenic stress determines tissue outcomes: hair greying or melanoma development.
This Review discusses the effects of three age-associated stressors—loss of proteostasis, oxidative damage and dysregulated nutrient sensing—on global protein synthesis and highlights how altered translation is used by the cell as a stress sensor.
The regulatory mechanisms that drive oncogene expression in gliomas remain poorly understood. A study now identifies a role for widespread rearrangements of the enhancer connectome. Such rearrangements are linked to known genetic risk variants, revealing how genetic predisposition contributes to malignancy.
The German Stem Cell Network (GSCN) connects science, society and policy to advance stem cell research. Since 2013, it has promoted innovation, ethics and public engagement. Recognizing Europe’s need for stronger collaboration, the GSCN aims to build a pan-European network to enhance research and translation, and to support young scientists.
Statistical thinking is a core part of solid, trustworthy biology. However, many studies still include insufficient sample sizes, have poor experimental design or select an incorrect statistical method for the hypothesis being tested. Here we present ten statistical tips for cell biology.
Programmes that support diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in science are under attack in the USA. Data indicate that diversity in the scientific workforce increases creativity and success in tackling challenging problems. Loss of promising talent supported by these programmes will substantially weaken our research capacity, limit innovation and substantially reduce discoveries important for driving scientific advancements.
As biomedical research prioritizes human models and translational promise, classic model organisms are increasingly dismissed. Here we argue that they have a lasting value, both in enabling discovery and in cultivating scientific thinking, by training researchers in systems reasoning, integrative thinking and independent inquiry.
We hypothesize that stress-induced RNA structural changes, stabilized by RNA-binding proteins in biomolecular condensates, propagate via conformational catalysis in a prion-like manner across generations. Our model suggests that RNA structure encodes heritable memory, and its roles should be explored in epigenetic inheritance, evolutionary adaptation and disease.
Our understanding of distinct and diverse modes of cell death and their contributions to homeostasis and disease has significantly progressed in recent years. In this Focus, we highlight exciting advances in this field with commissioned content, an Editorial, Research Highlights and a selection of related research articles published by Nature Cell Biology.