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Xue-Jun Zhang, Jun Wang and colleagues identify mutations in MVK in disseminated superficial actinic porokeratosis, a disorder characterized by defects in epidermal keratinization. MVK encodes mevalonate kinase, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol and isoprenoids.

The full-term developmental profile of male germ cells remains undefined. Here, the authors use single-cell sequencing to investigate the transcriptome landscapes of mouse male germ cells throughout development and find several critical regulators for prenatal cell-fate determination.

Chiral multiferroics are rare materials. Here the authors report that ferroelectric, magnetic orders, and chirality coexist in copper hybrid perovskites and reveal a hybrid-improper chiral transfer mechanism by defining a pseudo-scalar order parameter.

Water-responsive supercontractile polymer films composed of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(ethylene glycol)-α-cyclodextrin inclusion complex contract by more than 50% of their original length within seconds after wetting and become soft and stretchable hydrogel thin films that can be used in bioelectronic interfaces.

Population analysis of 516 wild and domesticated broomcorn millet genomes and a graph-based pangenome based on de novo assemblies of 32 representative accessions identify genomic variations associated with domestication traits.

Influenza virus is attenuated for vaccine production using PROTAC degradation technology.

Genome assemblies for the SunUp transgenic papaya and its progenitor Sunset identify three transgene-insertions in SunUp. Resequencing of 86 papaya genomes highlights the impacts of breeding and geographic origin.

Biobanks of genetic data have been primarily in European populations, which gives us an incomplete understanding of complex traits across populations. Here, the authors initiate the Westlake BioBank for Chinese (WBBC) pilot project with 4,535 whole genome sequences and 5,841 high-density genotypes from China, characterizing large-scale genomic variation in Chinese populations.

Sarcomas are rare tumours with many different subtypes and clinical outcomes; a broader knowledge of their genetic features is required. Here, the authors analyse 2138 soft tissue and bone sarcomas across 45 subtypes using MSK-IMPACT targeted sequencing and find genomic groups that are distinct from histological subgroups.

The fabrication of single-metal-atom chains in an atomically precise way is challenging. Now, a chemical vapour co-deposition method is reported for the synthesis of highly ordered single-atom chains of platinum with lengths of up to 20 nm on a wafer-scale. The metallic behaviour of the single-metal-atom chain is revealed by electronic measurements, first-principle calculations and complex network modelling.

The gbu gene cluster, present in the human gut microbiota member Emergencia timonensis, converts γ-butyrobetaine (γBB) to trimethylamine in the conversion of dietary l-carnitine, which is found in red meat, to the proatherosclerotic metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide. Individuals with high plasma γBB levels had increased risk of cardiovascular events.

Caloric restriction is a common approach to weight reduction, however, weight regain is common. Here the authors report that caloric restriction reduces the abundance of Parabacteroides distasonis in the gut and alters serum bile acid (BA) profile, which contribute to weight regain in mice.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used for the development of prognostic signatures to predict tumour metastasis. Here the authors identify an immune-associated nine-lncRNA signature for predicting metastasis in a multicentre cohort of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer patients.

Ho and colleagues report that mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired mitophagy triggered by the tumor microenvironment lead to subsequent epigenetic changes and cause permanent T cell exhaustion and dysfunction.

Moisture sorption is a common occurrence in polyelectrolyte systems, but not yet fully understood. Here the authors, combining thermogravimetric analysis, vibrational spectroscopy, molecular force field and quantum chemical computations, provide insights into the binding of water in monovalent conjugated polyelectrolytes, establishing a model of the surface hydration of the ion clusters.

BRD4 has a pro-tumorigenic role but non-cell-autonomous mechanisms of BRD4 activation need to be elucidated. Here the authors unravel a mechanism by which CAFs activate BRD4 and induce resistance to BET inhibitors in cancer cells through IL6/IL8 signaling.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by gastrectomy is considered standard of care for locally advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) cancers. Here the authors report the results of a phase 2 trial of neoadjuvant sintilimab (anti-PD1) plus chemoradiotherapy in patients with locally advanced G/GEJ tumors.

Rechargeable solid-state sodium-ion batteries hold great promise for safer and more energy-dense energy storage. Here, the authors show a new sodium-based halide, Na_3-xY_1-xZr_xCl₆, for sodium-all-solid-state batteries with enhanced ionic conductivity and long-term cycling stability.

The mechanisms of the partial reproductive isolation between the two subspecies of rice remains obscure. Here, the authors show that the two adjacent genes form a killer-protector system to induce hybrid male sterility and reproductive isolation between indica and japonica.

Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) mediate recruitment of septins to the plasma membrane in fungal appressoria, leading to formation of a septin ring at the point of plant infection. VLCFA biosynthesis-inhibiting chemicals prevent septin assembly and have broad-spectrum fungicidal activity.

Reliable detection of mutations below 0.5% variant allele frequency remains a key challenge for circulating tumor DNA sequencing assays.

2,5-Dihydroxypyridine dioxygenase NicX uses a mononuclear non-heme Fe(II) to catalyze the oxidative pyridine ring cleavage of the pollutant 2,5-hydroxypyridine. Here, the authors report crystal structures of NicX, identify residues involved in substrate stabilization and Fe(II) coordination, and propose the catalytic mechanism of NicX.

Dong, Hao, Zhang, Zhu, Cheng et al. use single-cell RNA sequencing to characterize 28 haematopoietic cell populations and subsequently follow the fate and kinetics of HSCs upon transplantation in the mouse.

Hybrid halide perovskite single crystals show excellent optoelectronic properties but their small size and large thickness limit their application. Herein Liu et al. grow large area ultrathin flexible crystalline membrane of layered perovskite and demonstrate high detectivity in the flexible photosensors.

Sequencing of haploid sugarcane, Saccharum spontaneum, allows assembly of a prototypical version of the sugarcane chromosome set. This new reference genome will serve as a resource to accelerate sugarcane improvement.

PD-L1 is highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC). Here, the authors show that nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) transcriptionally activates PD-L1 expression and inhibits T cell activity in TNBC.

Broomcorn millet is one of the earliest domesticated plants and has the highest water use efficiency among cereals. Here, the authors report its genome assembly and annotation, which provides a valuable resource for breeders and paves the way for studying plant drought tolerance and C₄ photosynthesis.

Na+-H+ exchanger 1 (Nhe1) regulates extracellular pH by extruding protons in exchange for extracellular Na+ . Here, Liu et al. show that Nhe1 promotes the development and acidification of atherosclerotic lesions and that pH-sensitive probes can be used to monitor plaque growth and acidification.

Encoding functionalities in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is important for widening their application field but the development of fluorescent COFs is hampered by a lack of guiding design principles. Here the authors demonstrate tuning and switching of the photoluminescence in 2D COFs made of non-emissive building blocks.

Samples of different body regions from hundreds of human donors are used to study how genetic variation influences gene expression levels in 44 disease-relevant tissues.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a prevalent malignancy in Taiwan. Here, the authors show that OSCC in Taiwanese show a frequent deletion polymorphism in the cytidine deaminases gene cluster APOBEC3 resulting in increased expression of A3A, which is shown to be of clinical prognostic relevance.

Observational analyses from the China Kadoorie Biobank found that alcohol consumption was associated with higher risks of 61 diseases in Chinese men, with most of these associations confirmed by genetic analyses.

Organic heterostructures with controlled geometry on the micro and nanoscale are important in nanotechnology, but epitaxial growth processes with high lattice mismatching are challenging to achieve. Here, the authors report a visualisation process for morphology evolution on epitaxial growth.

Scientists study the coupling, guiding and polarizing of electromagnetic waves in graphene and demonstrate a graphene-based fibre polarizer that exhibits a transverse-electric-pass polarization at an extinction ratio of up to ∼27 dB in the telecommunications band.