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Airborne PET nanoplastics alter tobacco’s chemical risk
Atmospheric micro(nano)plastics (MNPs), including polyethylene terephthalate (PET), enter plants via leaves, accumulating in tissues. Foliar PET nanoplastic exposure alters Nicotiana benthamiana nicotine biosynthesis, favoring the more potent (S)-isomer even without growth inhibition. This accumulation reveals a contamination pathway for combustible consumer products, demonstrating that MNPs-induced alteration of a plant’s endogenous biochemistry represents a significant and previously uncharacterized risk to agricultural sustainability and human health.
Body ownership gates tactile awareness by reshaping the somatosensory functional connectivity
We all likely agree that tactile experience contributes to the emergence of the feeling of ownership over one’s own body. Is the opposite true? We answered this question by testing whether and how the sense of body ownership gates our tactile experience. In two experiments, we exploited a well-known multisensory illusion (Rubber Hand Illusion) to induce participants to feel a fake hand as belonging to their body, while their own hand was left in a disembodiment state (illusory-phases). After each illusory phase, a tactile stimulus was delivered to either the fake (embodied) hand or the real (disembodied) hand (testing-phases). Experiment 1 shows that the illusory phase significantly modulates the subjective feeling of touch experienced in the testing-phase, increasing tactile sensations when participants observed the fake (embodied) hand being touched (visual-touch), and decreasing them when the real (disembodied) hand was touched (real-touch). Experiment 2 investigated, by using TMS-EEG, the neural mechanism supporting this diametrical modulation of subjective feeling of touch, focusing on alpha-band oscillatory networks as the neural correlate of somatosensory awareness. S1 alpha-band connectivity fully matches the behavioral results, significantly increasing in visual-touch and decreasing in real-touch. In both experiments, a greater embodiment experienced in the illusory-phase significantly predicted higher behavioral and neurofunctional responses to visual-touch and lower responses to real-touch in the testing-phase. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that the sense of body ownership exerts a top-down modulation on tactile awareness and may do so by increasing or decreasing the strength of the somatosensory network involved in tactile awareness.
Single-nucleus and spatial transcriptomics reveal the cell populations of intercalary meristems in bamboo
Intercalary meristems (IcMs), specialized developmental zones that drive rapid stem elongation in monocots, exhibit distinct spatiotemporal dynamics; however, their genetic basis remains poorly understood due to their transient activity and cellular heterogeneity. Moso bamboo ( Phyllostachys edulis )—with its exceptional daily growth rates of up to 114.5 cm, prolonged IcM activity spanning 45 to 60 d, and large, accessible culm structure—provides an ideal system for building a comprehensive IcM cell atlas. Here, we integrated a chromosome-level genome assembly of Moso bamboo with a high-resolution anatomical atlas to delineate three critical developmental stages of IcM activity: the initial cell division phase (ID), the rapid cell division phase (RD), and the rapid cell elongation phase (RE). By combining single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics, we reconstructed a dynamic single-nucleus transcriptomic continuum spanning from proliferative to elongation states. Multiomics integration, along with in situ hybridization and ultrastructural imaging, identified IcM cells as short-columnar cells adjacent to elongating ground tissue parenchyma (Gp) cells, with the IcM1 subpopulation functioning as stem-like cells essential for maintaining the proliferative capacity. Pseudotemporal trajectory analysis revealed transcriptional transitions from stem-like IcM states to differentiated Gp cells. Functional experiments revealed that clrGene008562 , a WOX2 homolog, enhances callus regeneration, indicating its potential role in promoting cell division and differentiation processes relevant to IcM development. These findings provide a comprehensive molecular and cellular framework for understanding IcM function and offer valuable multiomics resources for advancing meristem research in bamboo and other Poaceae species.
Uncovering inequalities in new knowledge learning by large language models across different languages
As large language models (LLMs) gradually demonstrate their potential to boost productivity and become integral tools for problem-solving in daily life worldwide, understanding the linguistic inequalities they introduce is becoming increasingly important. Prior research has primarily focused on static analyses of disparities in existing knowledge and capabilities of LLMs across languages. However, LLMs are continuously evolving, acquiring new knowledge to provide current, relevant responses and deliver precise, expert-level answers in specific domains. Investigating linguistic inequalities within this dynamic learning process is, therefore, also essential. In this paper, we explore inequalities in new knowledge learning by LLMs across different languages and four key dimensions: effectiveness, transferability, prioritization, and robustness. Through extensive experiments in both in-context learning and fine-tuning settings, with proprietary and open-source models, we reveal four key findings: 1) LLMs face greater challenges in efficiently and accurately learning new knowledge in lower-resource languages; 2) knowledge learned by LLMs tends to be more easily transferred to higher-resource languages than to lower-resource ones; 3) new knowledge in higher-resource languages is more likely to be retained and prioritized; and 4) LLMs are more robust against incorrect or misleading information in higher-resource languages. We further analyze the underlying causes of these inequalities from linguistic perspectives, pretraining characteristics, and tokenizer design, and propose a preliminary mitigation strategy through the lens of linguistic neurons. This work highlights the urgent need to recognize and address emerging linguistic inequalities in the development of LLMs.
Stabilizing calcium nitride for efficient, long-term electrochemical ammonia synthesis
Electrochemical ammonia synthesis at ambient conditions via calcium-mediated nitrogen fixation holds considerable promise but is impeded by fundamental gaps such as poor gas–liquid interface stability, sluggish hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) kinetics, and instability of the critical intermediate calcium nitride. To systematically address these barriers, we i) introduced a high surface-area Ni-based anode specifically selected for enhancing HOR kinetics and minimizing solvent oxidation; ii) substituted the conventionally used tetrahydrofuran solvent with dimethoxyethane (DME) to significantly improve chemical stability; and iii) developed a tailored flow cell configuration to enhance gas–liquid mass transport and stabilize reaction intermediates. Employing in-situ Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we provided direct evidence of stabilized calcium nitride formation, elucidating the crucial roles of solvent stability and electrode composition in sustaining reactive intermediates. As a result of these combined innovations, our system demonstrates substantial performance improvements, achieving a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 34.35 ± 1.76% in short-term tests and sustaining ~20% FE over extended continuous operation (~56 h). At elevated current densities, the improved gas–liquid interface stability enables robust ammonia production, reaching partial current densities of approximately 219 mA cm − 2 at ~29% FE. Isotope-labeling studies with 15 N 2 confirmed the direct electroreduction of N 2 , while kinetic analyses underscored the impact of anode material selection on HOR efficiency and overall electrochemical stability. These insights establish critical mechanistic understanding and clear design principles for future calcium-mediated electrochemical nitrogen fixation systems, enabling stable, efficient, and selective ammonia synthesis.
Merkel cell mechanotransduction facilitates adult neurogenesis and cognition in an enriched environment
The tactile system empowers us to act on and interact with the changes of the external environment. In rodents, tactile sensation, a fundamental sense, is largely mediated via the vibrissae and the barrel cortex. However, it remains unclear how tactile perception reshape the brain when exploring a novel environment. Here, we showed that exposure to an enriched environment (EE) failed to enhance adult neurogenesis and cognition in the mice with defective touch perception due to loss of a mechanotransduction channel Piezo2 in Merkel cells. Moreover, we found an EE-activated neuraxis, in which the dentate gyrus received tactile input through a circuit that originated from the somatosensory cortex (S1) and relayed via dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Defective touch perception diminished the S1 to SNc afferent, thereby reducing dopamine release. Notably, stimulation of the S1 to SNc afferent restored EE-induced adult neurogenesis and cognition in the mice with defective touch perception. Therefore, our study highlighted the important role of intact tactile processing in brain function.
Interprotomer communication and functional asymmetry in H/ACA snoRNPs
H/ACA small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (H/ACA snoRNPs) facilitate essential cellular processes such as RNA modification, folding, and stability. Here, we present multiple cryo-EM structures of endogenous insect H/ACA snoRNPs containing two protomers assembled on a two-hairpin H/ACA snoRNA. By characterizing key protein–protein and protein–RNA interactions, we reveal the coordination of pseudouridylation activity across the two protomers which explains the predominance of two-hairpin structures in eukaryotic H/ACA snoRNAs. Moreover, we found that several mutations in H/ACA proteins associated with dyskeratosis congenita (DC) directly impair pseudouridine formation suggesting how these mutations disrupt RNA modification and ribosome biogenesis in this disease. Additionally, we uncover coordinated structural changes between Nop10, Nhp2, and the N-terminal extensions of Cbf5 in the 3′ protomer that resemble active and inactive conformations and may regulate H/ACA snoRNP activity. In summary, this study provides detailed insight into the structure and function of RNA modification-competent H/ACA snoRNPs, which play pivotal roles in cellular processes including ribosome biogenesis, rRNA folding, (m)RNA modification, and telomere maintenance.
Proteasome stress activates YAP/TAZ through the RAP2–MAP4Ks–LATS1/2 pathway and its therapeutic implications in solid tumors
Tumor cells heavily depend on proteasome-mediated protein turnover, making the proteasome an attractive therapeutic target. Clinically, proteasome inhibitors are effective against hematologic cancers but show limited success with solid tumors, and the reasons for this difference are not well understood. Activation of yes-associated protein (YAP)/TAZ, the downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, is a key mechanism behind drug resistance in cancers. Here, we demonstrate that proteasome stress acts as an upstream signal of the Hippo pathway in solid tumor cells. When the proteasome is inhibited, RAP2 undergoes ubiquitination and becomes inactive, which in turn disrupts the RAP2–MAP4Ks–NF2–LATS1/2 signaling pathway, leading to the activation of YAP/TAZ. YAP/TAZ activation promotes cell survival and resistance to proteasome inhibitors. Conversely, blocking YAP/TAZ can overcome this resistance and restore cancer cell sensitivity to these drugs. In diffuse-type gastric cancer—an aggressive solid tumor with a poor prognosis and limited treatment options—combined inhibition of the proteasome and YAP/TAZ effectively suppresses tumor growth. Therefore, this study identifies proteasome stress as an upstream signal of the Hippo pathway and provides a mechanistic basis for combination cancer therapy.
Heavy-tailed update distributions arise from information-driven self-organization in nonequilibrium learning
Like human decision-making under real-world constraints, artificial neural networks may balance free exploration in parameter space with task-relevant adaptation. In this study, we identify consistent signatures of criticality during neural network training and provide theoretical evidence that such scaling behavior arises naturally from information-driven self-organization: a dynamic balance between the maximum entropy principle that promotes unbiased exploration and mutual information constraint that relates updates with task objective. We numerically demonstrate that the power-law exponent of updates remains stable throughout training, supporting the presence of self-organized criticality. Furthermore, we show that the loss landscape exhibits exponential ruggedness under small perturbations, transitioning to power-law ruggedness at larger scales, in the absence of mini-batch noise, indicating an intrinsic geometric landscape. We also observe a power-law distribution in the intervals between large updates, indicating an intermittent learning process. Together, these findings suggest that neural network learning reflects a nonequilibrium process governed by the fundamental trade-off between randomness and relevance, highlighting its dynamic nature and offering insights into the interpretability of AI systems.
DNA methylation shapes transcription factor binding beyond canonical CpG contexts
Cytosine methylation is a key epigenetic modification that regulates transcription factor (TF) binding and gene expression. While most current understanding of methylation-sensitive TF binding derives from studies focused exclusively on fully methylated CpG sites, alternative forms—such as non-CpG and hemimethylation—are increasingly recognized as widespread and functionally important, particularly in embryonic stem cells and neurons. However, the direct impact of these alternative methylation contexts on TF–DNA interactions remains poorly defined, largely because current binding assays introduce methylation enzymatically, which precludes strand-specific and position-resolved measurements. Here, we systematically profile the methylation sensitivity of 18 human TFs spanning 11 structural families using chemically synthesized DNA libraries containing position-specific 5-methylcytosines (5mC) in CpG, non-CpG, and hemimethylated contexts, measured via high-throughput protein-binding microarrays. Our results reveal extensive TF sensitivity to methylation state, position, and strand orientation, including strong binding of several TFs to non-CpG and hemimethylated sites. The presence of 5mC can dramatically alter TF–DNA interactions: transforming low-affinity sites into high-affinity ones by enabling new contacts or silencing otherwise favorable motifs through steric hindrance. Genomic analyses further show that the methylation-sensitive sequences identified in vitro are represented within enhancers and regulatory elements, exhibiting distinct methylation patterns across cell types. Together, our findings uncover a previously hidden layer of methylation-dependent TF–DNA recognition, broadening the understanding of epigenetics in transcriptional regulation.
Geography of masting creates greater synchrony in seed scarcity than in seed abundance
Interannually highly variable and synchronized production of large seed crops by perennial plants, called masting, drives resource pulses and famines with cascading effects on food webs. While the spatial scale of masting synchrony is well documented, it remains unclear how synchrony differs between years of seed abundance and failure, and how such dynamics extend across species and space. These gaps are important to resolve, as they determine the magnitude and spatial extent of masting effects on food webs. Using a 36-y dataset from 431 sites spanning seven dominant tree species in temperate Europe, we provide evidence that seed failures are more spatially synchronized than mast peaks, indicating that regional coherence in seed production is structured primarily by reproductive failure. Among-species synchrony was localized. This suggests that in temperate forests, mobile seed consumers are unlikely to experience coordinated starvation–satiation cycles, in contrast to highly synchronous tropical dipterocarp systems. From an applied perspective, failure years affect seed availability over broad regions, limiting sourcing options for afforestation and restoration, and underscoring the value of spatially explicit masting forecasting. Because mast peaks and failures differ fundamentally in their food web consequences, our findings highlight the need to better understand and anticipate the ecological impacts of synchronized seed scarcity.
Mapping rare protein-coding variants on multi-organ imaging traits
Correction for Heinen et al., Species introductions shift seed dispersal potential more than extinctions across 120 island plant–frugivore communities
Observation of positronium diffraction
Abstract Diffraction of matter waves is a fundamental consequence of quantum mechanics, directly illustrating the core principles of wave-particle duality, quantum superposition, and quantum interference. De Broglie’s proposal that particles exhibit wave-like properties has been experimentally confirmed for electrons, neutrons, and composite systems such as helium atoms, molecules and clusters. Here, we report the observation of positronium diffraction using a high-quality, energy-tunable positronium beam transmitted through graphene. Time-of-flight selection and spatially resolved detection reveal a distinct 1st-order diffraction peak at a position consistent with the prediction from matter-wave considerations for positronium. This work provides the direct and definitive evidence of quantum interference in positronium beams and confirms that it behaves as a single quantum entity rather than two independent interfering particles. This groundbreaking experimental milestone marks a major advance in fundamental physics, not only demonstrating positronium’s wave nature as a bound lepton-antilepton system but also opening pathways for precision measurements involving positronium.
Derepression of transposable elements in the mouse prefrontal cortex disrupts social behavior
The neurobiological origins of social behaviors are poorly understood. Previous studies have linked the function of a single Krüppel-associated box zinc finger protein (KZFP), ZFP189, in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC), with the regulation of transposable elements (TEs), immune genes, and social behaviors. Here, we expand the scope of inquiry to explore the relationship between collective PFC KZFP function and social behaviors by altering the function of the cognate KZFP interacting protein TRIM28 within the PFC of male and female mice. We reprogrammed natural TRIM28 WT by replacing the endogenous, transcriptionally repressive domain with a synthetic, enhanced transcriptional activation domain VP64-p65-Rta (TRIM28 VPR ) or by excising the transcriptional regulatory domain (TRIM28 NFD ). Upon intra-PFC viral-mediated delivery of TRIM28 variants, we observed that inversion of TRIM28 transcriptional control via HSV-TRIM28 VPR selectively produced deficits in social behaviors, without affecting nonsocial behaviors. RNA sequencing of manipulated PFC revealed that HSV-TRIM28 VPR drove transcriptional escape of all classes of TEs, particularly those located within intronic and enhancer regions proximal to downregulated immune genes. HSV-TRIM28 VPR -mediated social deficits were reversible by intra-PFC repletion of interferon cytokines. These data point to PFC KZFP–TRIM28 interactions as necessary to stabilize genomic TEs to enable cis -regulation of key immune gene expression, which enhances organismal capacity for complex, prosocial behaviors.
All-optical temporal integration mediated by subwavelength heat antennas
Abstract Optical computing systems deliver unrivalled processing speeds for scalar operations. Yet, integrated implementations have been constrained to low-dimensional tensor operations that fall short of the vector dimensions required for modern artificial intelligence. We demonstrate an all-optical neuromorphic computing system based on time division multiplexing, capable of processing input vectors exceeding 250,000 elements within a unified framework. The platform harnesses optically driven thermo-optic modulation in standing wave optical fields, with titanium nano-antennas functioning as wavelength-selective absorbers. Counterintuitively, the thermal time dynamics of the system enable simultaneous time integration of ultra-fast (50 GHz) signals and the application of programmable, non-linear activation functions, entirely within the optical domain. This unified framework constitutes a leap towards large-scale photonic computing that satisfies the dimensional requirements of AI workloads.
Crucial roles of mesenchymal <i>Gata2</i> in murine epididymal development
Androgens drive the morphogenesis and differentiation of the Wolffian duct (WD) into the epididymis, an essential organ for male reproduction, by binding to the androgen receptor (AR). However, it remains unclear whether other transcriptional programs operate beyond the central androgen/AR signaling in promoting WD development. We found that mesenchyme-specific deletion of the transcription factor Gata2 resulted in defective epididymal coiling in the corpus and caudal regions. The defective coiling did not result from androgen signaling deficiency, as there were no abnormalities in testicular androgen production, AR/ Ar expression, or androgen-responsive genes, and dihydrotestosterone supplementation did not restore epididymal coiling in cultured WDs. Instead, Gata2 deletion led to the loss of epididymal identity, as evidenced by the reduced expression of epididymal mesenchymal markers. The epididymal defect persisted into adulthood, with the uncoiled corpus and caudal epididymis exhibiting abnormal epithelial morphology and lumen environments, resulting in an unfavorable environment for sperm storage. Our results demonstrate the androgen-independent role of mesenchymal GATA2 in promoting epididymal development and highlight the importance of proper fetal development in male reproduction.
Defence-mediated phloem restriction of a plant virus facilitates insect transmission
Abstract Plant viruses are causal agents of devastating diseases in crops and pose a threat to food security. Viruses transmitted by phloem-feeding insects are frequently restricted to the phloem; the mechanism determining this tissue tropism and its consequences for the viral cycle have remained elusive. Here we show that phloem restriction of tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV) depends on the allele of the C4 gene it carries. The Y35 allele produces a plasma membrane-associated C4 protein; TbCSV(Y35) is phloem-limited. The Y41 allele, however, produces two C4 variants, targeted to the plasma membrane and chloroplasts, respectively. Chloroplast-localized C4 interferes with salicylic acid-mediated defenses, which causes a destabilization of PENETRATION3 (PEN3), a subsequent decrease in callose deposition, and the escape of TbCSV(Y41) to the surrounding parenchyma cells. Interestingly, Y41 expands the host range of TbCSV, but Y35 is prevalent in nature. We determine that phloem restriction favors acquisition and transmission by the insect vector, conferring a competitive advantage to TbCSV(Y35). Importantly, PEN3 also determines phloem restriction of an RNA virus. In summary, we demonstrate that PEN3 activity and likely callose deposition confine viruses to the phloem, which favors viral spread by facilitating acquisition by the insect vector.