SLC7A5 is required for cancer cell growth under arginine-limited conditions.

Tumor cells must optimize metabolite acquisition between synthesis and uptake from a microenvironment characterized by hypoxia, lactate accumulation, and depletion of many amino acids, including arginine. We performed a metabolism-focused functional screen using CRISPR-Cas9 to identify pathways and factors that enable tumor growth in an arginine-depleted environment. Our screen identified the SLC-family transporter SLC7A5 as required for growth, and we hypothesized that this protein functions as a high-affinity citrulline transporter.

Synthesis and Characterisation of Phosphino-Aryloxide Rare Earth Complexes.

A series of homoleptic rare earth (RE) complexes bearing phosphino-aryloxide ligands (, ) has been prepared. The complexes have been characterised using multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography and elemental analysis. Structural characterisation highlighted the different RE-P interactions as a result of differing Lewis acidity and ionic size across the series, hinting at the possibility of FLP-type activity.

Heavy Alkaline Earth Cyclic (Alkyl)(Amino)Carbene Complexes Supported by Aryl-Silyl Amides.

A series of 8 trigonal planar, heavy alkaline earth (AE = Ca-Ba) metal complexes containing cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene (CAAC) ligands were prepared from AE bis(amide) species. Complexation can be achieved by first generating the free carbene or by direct addition of the free carbene, with the former route giving rise to unexpected mixed-amide AE complexes. The frontier molecular orbitals of the highly equatorial, 3-coordinate AE-CAAC species were also probed computationally, revealing the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) consisting predominantly of the π* system located on the carbene ligand.

A Year at the Forefront of Streptophyte Algal Evolution.

Land plants originated from an algal ancestor ∼500 million years ago in one of the most important evolutionary events for life on Earth. Extant streptophyte algae, their closest living relatives, have subsequently received much attention to better understand this major evolutionary transition. Streptophyte algae occupy many different environments, have diverse genomes and display contrasting morphologies (e.