Browse Articles

DNTTIP2 coordinates RNA exosome activities to ensure fidelity of human ribosome assembly

Abstract The RNA exosome-associated helicase Mtr4/MTR4 (yeast/human) is recruited by adaptor proteins bearing Arch-Interacting Motifs (AIMs) to selectively degrade RNA substrates. Although the exosome targets diverse RNAs, only a few adaptors have been identified. Here, we extend the inventory of human adaptors to include a pre-tRNA splicing-ligase complex component, a spliceosome-associated factor, and DNTTIP2, a constituent of the small ribosomal subunit (40S) precursor, the 90S pre-ribosome. Structure-guided studies reveal how the DNTTIP2 AIM -docked processive exosome core and its associated distributive exonuclease EXOSC10, which contact distant sites on the 90S pre-ribosome, cooperate to degrade part of the 5′-external transcribed spacer (5’-ETS), a key RNA scaffold that coordinates early 40S assembly. By contrast, productive pre-ribosomal RNA trimming within the 90S pre-ribosome necessitates EXOSC10, which safeguards against uncontrolled processive degradation by the DNTTIP2 AIM -docked exosome core. We propose that multivalent contacts provide a mechanistic framework by which the RNA exosome coordinates its distinct enzymatic activities, ensuring selective processing and surveillance during ribonucleoprotein particle maturation.

Non-canonical pore architecture underlies constitutive gating of human retinal TRPM1

Facile mechanical refinement of sulfide solid electrolytes for stable all-solid-state Li metal batteries

Trap-induced white circularly polarized persistent luminescence from a host-guest molecular system

Abstract Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL), which encodes non-replicable optical information in the characteristics of chirality, wavelength, and time, holds significant promise for advanced information technologies. However, effective strategies for systematically regulating multiple optical properties remain elusive. Herein, we report a general approach that imparts hour-level dual-band persistent luminescence to CPL materials through the introduction of trap states into an organic host-guest molecular system. The electrons released from traps repopulate both the singlet and triplet states of the chiral guest molecules, producing dual-band white circularly polarized persistent luminescence for 4 h at room temperature. Systematic characterization reveals that two different chiral configurations leave the trap depth basically unaltered, while conferring pronounced CPL activity on these composites with a maximum luminescence dissymmetry factor g lum of 1.6 × 10 −3 /−2.3 × 10 −3 . Leveraging these characteristics, we present a proof-of-concept demonstration of warm-white circularly polarized persistent luminescence materials for Morse-code encryption and multimodal information storage.

Biosynthetic mechanism and ecological function of chirality in Solanum steroidal alkaloids

Vitamin B12 alleviates spliceosomopathy via phospholipid remodeling

Abstract mRNA splicing represents a fundamental level of gene regulation that alters proteomic diversity and cellular state. Its dysfunction can profoundly rewire metabolism, yet underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we investigate Verheij syndrome, caused by mutations in core splicing factor PUF60 , using a Caenorhabditis elegans model, human cell lines, and patient-derived samples. We demonstrate that RNP-6/PUF60 deficiency disrupts splicing of genes governing one-carbon metabolism and phospholipid remodeling, impairing S-adenosylmethionine/S-adenosylhomocysteine cycling and phosphatidylcholine synthesis. These perturbations trigger the integrated stress response and compromise mTORC1 signaling, causing developmental growth defects. Vitamin B 12 supplementation restores metabolic balance by reactivating S-adenosylmethionine-dependent phospholipid remodeling and mTORC1 activity, effectively rescuing Verheij-like phenotypes. Similar responses arise from perturbing another splicing factor, PRP-19. Mechanistically, intron retention of nhr-114/HNF4 transcription factor drives these phenotypes, while restoring its splicing rescues them. Our findings implicate vitamin B 12 -dependent one-carbon metabolism as a metabolic modulator with therapeutic potential to mitigate Verheij syndrome and other spliceosomopathies.

Ultrafast electron acceleration by space chorus

All-optical Mie void sensor for complex nanoplastic mixtures

Abstract The fragmentation and direct release of plastic debris have emerged as a pressing ecological concern. Once dispersed, these particles infiltrate food webs, accumulate within organisms, and bind toxic co-contaminants, posing long-term risks to ecosystems and human health. Despite growing awareness, the characterization of nanoplastics remains highly challenging. Moreover, obtaining additional information, such as particle shape or material composition, further exacerbates these detection hurdles. Here, we introduce a photonic sensing platform based on nanoscale voids that enables the simultaneous material- and morphology-sensitive detection of particles below 500 nm. Void arrays embedded in a high-refractive-index material act in parallel as both sorting elements and color reporters. Spherical and elongated particles are selectively trapped in circular and elliptical voids, while different polymer types are distinguished simultaneously. This approach offers a scalable route toward optical identification of nanoplastics in environmental settings. Its compatibility with high-throughput analysis positions it as a promising tool for real-time studies.

Electrical control of exchange bias in sub-10 nm regime enabled by single-nanotube patterning

The efficacy, immunogenicity and safety of the LZ901 vaccine for herpes zoster virus in adults 40 years of age or older: a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial

Melt burst events in a dominantly amagmatic lithosphere at Gakkel Ridge in the Arctic Ocean

Abstract Alternation of magmatic and amagmatic seafloor along the slow and ultraslow spreading ridges is common. Yet, temporal variation is obscured by sediments blanketing oceanic basement away from spreading centers. Here we analyze aeromagnetic data covering zero age to ~35 Ma oceanic crust at the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge to characterize magmatic and amagmatic lithospheric domains and their links to melt supply. Amagmatic seafloor unexpectedly dominates ~68% of the Eurasian Basin, while only 32% of magmatic seafloor over the last 35 Ma. The melt supply exhibits cycles initiating over a short episode of robust magmatism followed by a longer intermediate magmatism, then starved magmatism. These observations suggest that strong lithosphere presumably characterizing this ultraslow spreading ridge may prevent a continuous melt supply, instead favoring episodic melt bursts. Our study indirectly constraints the extent and duration of melting events and lithospheric accretion through the Gakkel Ridge history, away from the present spreading axis.

Angstrom-fluidic chemical synapses for accurate cancer diagnosis

Push until it breaks: engineering is stronger when we know its limits

A functional atlas of transposon-encoded products and their integration into host networks

Tuning electron back-donation to switch reaction pathway in CO2 hydrogenation

Glycosylation orchestrates megakaryocytic fate of hematopoietic stem cells via Wnt-MUC13 signaling

Asymmetric fluorinated sulfonamide electrolyte solvent for high-voltage and wide-temperature Li-metal batteries

Spatiotemporally coupled sulfur chemistry for stable silicon-90+ anodes

Bulk delivery of a preassembled apical surface initiates epithelial lumen formation

Abstract During de novo lumenogenesis, epithelial cells establish luminal identity by directing apical cargo to an apical membrane initiation site (AMIS). Although this process has been widely studied, the mechanisms governing AMIS formation and its progression into a luminal precursor remain poorly understood. Here we combine quantitative light and electron microscopy with proximity proteomics to demonstrate that apical cargo is delivered to the AMIS in large apical precursor organelles, termed vacuolar apical compartments (VACs). VACs possess a microvilli-rich cortex and undergo exocytic fusion at the AMIS to generate a nascent lumen. Lumen initiation is tightly coordinated with the assembly and rearrangement of apical cell junctions and requires the Crumbs complex protein PatJ. Together, our results show that PatJ is a key structural determinant of the apical-lateral interface and indicate that VACs act as specialized transport organelles that deliver a preassembled apical surface to the AMIS, enabling rapid and efficient lumen initiation.

Deterministic wet etching of aspheric fiber microlenses with tunable conic geometry for tailored optical functionality

Abstract Efficient coupling between guided optical fiber modes and radiated fields in the surrounding medium remains a fundamental limitation across photonics, sensing, and biophotonics. Micro-lensed fibers offer a promising solution, yet scalable fabrication with predictable geometry and deterministic optical performance has remained elusive. Here, we introduce laser-controlled wet-chemical etching (LCWCE), a single-parameter strategy that directly sculpts micro-lenses, from hyperbolic to parabolic and prolate elliptical profiles, on standard optical fibers. Local laser illumination establishes an axially confined etching-rate gradient, enabling sub-micrometer control of curvature and working distance independent of fiber type or internal structure. A physics-separated multiphysics framework combining wave optics, heat-transfer, and temperature-dependent etching kinetics captures the observed geometry evolution and validates the underlying mechanism. LCWCE enables milliwatt-scale, minimal-power fiber-based optical trapping, as well as minimally invasive in vivo dendritic detection and single-cell neural interrogation beyond 1.5 mm depth in live brains, transforming ubiquitous optical fibers into scalable, high-performance photonic probes.