Search

A multiancestry genome-wide association study of chronic alanine aminotransferase elevation identifies candidate risk loci for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, with replication in external cohorts defined by histology or imaging.

Tools for gaining long-term genetic access to mu-opioid receptor (MOR) neural cell types are limited. Here, the authors develop a suite of adeno-associated viral tools allowing selective genetic access to MOR cell types, and showcase their use across species.

Individuals over eighty years of age are less likely to mount a good immune response against SARS-CoV-2 (measured by neutralization titres) after the first dose of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, but achieve good neutralization after the second dose.

Understanding the effect of vaccination on emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern is of increasing importance. Here, James et al. report that two doses of vaccination with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine induce more robust immune responses to the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 SARS-CoV-2 lineages than does natural infection.

Proteome analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) colorectal cancer specimens reveals that DNA- or RNA-level measurements cannot reliably predict protein abundance, colorectal tumours can be separated into distinct proteotypes, and that copy number alterations drive mRNA abundance changes but few extend to protein-level changes.

An improved biological age estimation machine learning model uses readily available blood biomarkers, offering a practical and cost-efficient method of estimating biological age with pre-existing clinical assays, available to the general population.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms are composed of exopolysaccharides, exogenous DNA, and proteins. Here, da Silva et al show that protein LecB binds to matrix exopolysaccharide Psl, thus contributing to increased retention of bacterial cells and exopolysaccharide in growing biofilms.

Data-driven composite sleep health scores, combining self-reported sleep duration, snoring, chronotype, insomnia, and sleepiness, provide heritable, interpretable phenotypes and novel GWAS discoveries elucidating regulatory pathways.

Gene expression patterns have been associated with functional activity patterns in the brain. Here the authors determine how gene expression patterns in the human brain supports brain phenotypes obtained from resting state fMRI imaging, identifying brain regions and genes relevant to autism.

A study of SARS-CoV-2 variants examining their transmission, infectivity, and potential resistance to therapies provides insights into the biology of the Delta variant and its role in the global pandemic.

PET or SPECT, is that the question? Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are both tomographic techniques that enable 3D-localization of the tumour and can be combined with CT for hybrid imaging; but is one better that the other? In oncology imaging nothing is black or white, and Rod Hicks and Michael Hofman provide us with an in-depth analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of each technique.

A century after being predicted by theory, the authors detect and quantify the genomic signature of assortative mating in ~400,000 contemporary human genomes, and report new genetic evidence for assortative mating on height and educational attainment.

The authors here report high melting temperatures of MgSiO₃ at 500 GPa by direct shockwave loading of pre-synthesized dense bridgemanite. This is essential data to understand the thermal evolution of the interiors of terrestrial (exo-)planets.

Always-on” 24 h blood pressure (BP) lowering effect of renal denervation with sufficient reduction of nighttime and morning BP that is difficult to control even by office BP-guided intense titration of multiple antihypertensive drugs.

The spike protein of the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 has a higher affinity for ACE2 than Delta, and a marked change in its antigenicity increases Omicron’s evasion of therapeutic and vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies.

The cytokine IL-6 controls the survival, proliferation and effector functions of lymphocytes. Jones and colleagues show that activation of CD4⁺ T cells leads to suppression of STAT1 activation by tyrosine phosphatases and changes the effector characteristics of memory CD4⁺ T cells in response to IL-6.

A new method for measuring plant biodiversity based on spectral reflectance profiles captures variation in productivity comparable to that of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity.

Small molecules are identified that inhibit the ubiquitin-specific protease USP7 with high affinity and specificity as explained by co-crystal structures, and are shown to reduce tumour growth in mice.

Current therapies for RA focus on inhibition of synovitis, but do not adequately repair the bone damage that results from the imbalance of the osteoblast–osteoclast axis. Targeting key molecules involved in osteoclastogenesis and osteoblastogenesis might reduce bone destruction and enhance repair of erosions in this disease.

Using genetically engineered models, Genovese and colleagues study patterns of convergent evolution in renal cancer, and pinpoint dysregulation of interferon signaling as a means of adaptation to chromosomal instability in metastatic progression.

A comprehensive analysis of antibody neutralization activity against a panel of authentic isolates and chimeric SARS-CoV-2 variants shows markedly diminished neutralizing activity against the variant B.1.351, first identified in South Africa.

A high-resolution gene expression atlas of prenatal and postnatal brain development of rhesus monkey charts global transcriptional dynamics in relation to brain maturation, while comparative analysis reveals human-specific gene trajectories; candidate risk genes associated with human neurodevelopmental disorders tend to be co-expressed in disease-specific patterns in the developing monkey neocortex.

The authors define molecular mechanisms by which distinct domains of the ubiquitin editing enzyme A20 contribute to the regulation of inflammation and cell death.

Stable isotope-labelled amino acid incorporation into proteins reveals that genetically homogeneous yeast colonies contain metabolically distinct subpopulations that cross-feed each other and are phenotypically diverse.

AMPK regulates cellular energy balance using its γ subunit as an energy sensor of cellular AMP and ADP to ATP ratios. Here, the authors show that γ2 AMPK activation lowers heart rate by reducing the activity of pacemaker cells, whereas loss of γ2 AMPK increases heart rate and prevents the adaptive bradycardia of endurance training in mice.

Complete vaccine-mediated immune control of highly pathogenic Mycobacterium tuberculosis is possible if immune effector responses can intercept the infection at its earliest stages.

Clinical trials of BAFF blockade with belimumab have shown partial efficacy for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), so other therapeutic options are required. Here, the authors present a new small molecule inhibitor that targets NIK with a similar efficacy to BAFF inhibition in two mouse models of SLE.

A large meta-analysis combining genome-wide and custom high-density genotyping array data identifies 63 new susceptibility loci for prostate cancer, enhancing fine-mapping efforts and providing insights into the underlying biology.