Cryo-EM structure of the NDH-PSI-LHCI supercomplex from Spinacia oleracea.

The nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) dehydrogenase (NDH) complex is crucial for photosynthetic cyclic electron flow and respiration, transferring electrons from ferredoxin to plastoquinone while transporting H across the chloroplast membrane. This process boosts adenosine triphosphate production, regardless of NADPH levels. In flowering plants, NDH forms a supercomplex with photosystem I, enhancing its stability under high light.

Proliferative and viability effects of two cyanophages on freshwater bloom-forming species Microcystis aeruginosa and Raphidiopsis raciborskii vary between strains.

Viruses that infect cyanobacteria are an integral part of aquatic food webs, influencing nutrient cycling and ecosystem health. However, the significance of virus host range, replication efficiency, and host compatibility on cyanobacterial dynamics, growth, and toxicity remains poorly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of cyanophage additions on the dynamics and activity of optimal, sub-optimal, and non-permissive cyanobacterial hosts in cultures of Microcystis aeruginosa and Raphidiopsis raciborskii.

Multiomics approach identifies dysregulated lipidomic and proteomic networks in Parkinson's disease patients mutated in TMEM175.

Parkinson's disease (PD) represents one of the most frequent neurodegenerative disorders for which clinically useful biomarkers remain to be identified and validated. Here, we adopted an untargeted omics approach to disclose lipidomic, metabolomic and proteomic alterations in plasma and in dermal fibroblasts of PD patients carrying mutations in TMEM175 gene. We revealed a wide dysregulation of lysosome, autophagy, and mitochondrial pathways in these patients, supporting a role of this channel in regulating these cellular processes.

Mechanisms of RCD-1 pore formation and membrane bending.

Regulator of cell death-1 (RCD-1) governs the heteroallelic expression of RCD-1-1 and RCD-1-2, a pair of fungal gasdermin (GSDM)-like proteins, which prevent cytoplasmic mixing during allorecognition and safeguard against mycoparasitism, genome exploitation, and deleterious cytoplasmic elements (e.g., senescence plasmids) by effecting a form of cytolytic cell death.

Discovery of the First Efficacious Adenosine 2A Receptor Negative Allosteric Modulators for High Adenosine Cancer Immunotherapies.

Inhibition of the adenosine 2A receptor (AR) is recognized as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy but is challenged by the ubiquity of AR function in the immune system. To develop a safe yet efficacious immunotherapy, the discovery of a novel negative allosteric modulator (NAM) was preferred. Leveraging an in-house, sensitive, high-throughput screening cellular assay, novel AR NAM scaffolds were identified, followed by an extensive structure-activity relationship (SAR) study, leading to the discovery of potent 2-amino-3,5-dicyanopyridine derivatives.

Effect of polymer architecture on the properties and in vitro cytotoxicity of drug formulation: A case study with mono- and di-gradient amphiphilic poly(2-Oxazoline)s.

Due to the straightforward single-step synthesis, amphiphilic gradient copoly(2-oxazoline)s are becoming more popular alternative to their block analogue for the development of next-generation drug delivery systems. Here, we investigated the influence of polymer architecture on the physiochemical and biological assessment of nanoformulations formed by the self-assembly of gradient copoly(2-oxazoline)s. Two different architectures were synthesized: hydrophilic-grad-hydrophobic (mono-gradient) and hydrophobic-grad-hydrophilic-grad-hydrophobic (di-gradient) which contained a hydrophilic monomer, 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline (EtOx) and a hydrophobic monomer, 2-phenyl-2-oxazoline (PhOx).

High fructose rewires gut glucose sensing via glucagon-like peptide 2 to impair metabolic regulation in mice.

Background: Increased fructose consumption contributes to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), but the mechanisms are ill-defined. Gut nutrient sensing involves enterohormones like Glucagon-like peptide (Glp)2, which regulates the absorptive capacity of luminal nutrients. While glucose is the primary dietary energy source absorbed in the gut, it is unknown whether excess fructose alters gut glucose sensing to impair blood glucose regulation and liver homeostasis.

Elucidating the physicochemical interactions between fibrinogen and surfactant mixtures: Implications for pharmaceutical sciences.

This study investigates the physicochemical interactions between fibrinogen (Fib), a key glycoprotein in blood clotting, and a mixture of two biologically active compounds: dicloxacillin (Diclox), an antibiotic; and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), a cationic surfactant. Understanding these interactions is crucial for enhancing drug delivery systems and optimizing pharmaceutical formulations. Molecular docking simulations and various spectroscopic techniques, including UV-Vis, fluorescence, and circular dichroism, were employed to explore how this mixture affects the structural and functional properties of fibrinogen.

Resting-state electroencephalographic rhythms depend on sex in patients with dementia due to Parkinson's and Lewy Body diseases: An exploratory study.

Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are more prevalent in males than females. Furthermore, they typically showed abnormally high delta (< 4 Hz) and low alpha (8-10 Hz) rhythms from resting-state electroencephalographic (rsEEG) activity. Here, we hypothesized that those abnormalities may depend on the patient's sex.

Assembly and architecture of endogenous NMDA receptors in adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

The cerebral cortex and hippocampus are crucial brain regions for learning and memory, which depend on activity-induced synaptic plasticity involving N-methyl-ᴅ-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). However, subunit assembly and molecular architecture of endogenous NMDARs (eNMDARs) in the brain remain elusive. Using conformation- and subunit-dependent antibodies, we purified eNMDARs from adult rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus.

Centromeric chromatin clearings demarcate the site of kinetochore formation.

The centromere is the chromosomal locus that recruits the kinetochore, directing faithful propagation of the genome during cell division. Using cryo-ET on human mitotic chromosomes, we reveal a distinctive architecture at the centromere: clustered 20- to 25-nm nucleosome-associated complexes within chromatin clearings that delineate them from surrounding chromatin. Centromere components CENP-C and CENP-N are each required for the integrity of the complexes, while CENP-C is also required to maintain the chromatin clearing.

Expression of fatty acid binding proteins in mesenteric adipose tissue.

Adipose is a complex tissue comprised of adipocytes, immune cells, endothelial and progenitor stem cells. In humans, there are at least nine defined adipose depots, each containing variable numbers of genetically identified adipocyte clusters suggesting remarkable heterogeneity and potential functionality in each depot with respect to lipid metabolism. Although subcutaneous and visceral depots are commonly analyzed for biochemical and molecular functions, the mesenteric depot has been overlooked yet strongly implicated in lipid mediated immune surveillance.

Role of Ribosomal Protein bS1 in Orthogonal mRNA Start Codon Selection.

In many bacteria, the location of the mRNA start codon is determined by a short ribosome binding site sequence that base pairs with the 3'-end of 16S rRNA (rRNA) in the 30S subunit. Many groups have changed these short sequences, termed the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence in the mRNA and the anti-Shine-Dalgarno (ASD) sequence in 16S rRNA, to create "orthogonal" ribosomes to enable the synthesis of orthogonal polymers in the presence of the endogenous translation machinery. However, orthogonal ribosomes are prone to SD-independent translation.

One hundred thirty-four germ line PU.1 variants and the agammaglobulinemic patients carrying them.

Leukopoiesis is lethally arrested in mice lacking the master transcriptional regulator PU.1. Depending on the animal model, subtotal PU.

Myelin ensheathment and drug responses of oligodendrocytes are modulated by stiffness of artificial axons.

Myelination is a key biological process wherein glial cells such as oligodendrocytes wrap myelin around neuronal axons, forming an insulative sheath that accelerates signal propagation down the axon. A major obstacle to understanding myelination is the challenge of visualizing and reproducibly quantifying this inherently three-dimensional process in vitro. To this end, we previously developed artificial axons (AAs), a biocompatible platform consisting of 3D-printed hydrogel-based axon mimics designed to more closely recapitulate the micrometer-scale diameter and sub-kilopascal mechanical stiffness of biological axons.

Cryo-EM structure and regulation of human NAD kinase.

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) is a crucial reducing cofactor for reductive biosynthesis and protection from oxidative stress. To fulfill their heightened anabolic and reductive power demands, cancer cells must boost their NADPH production. Progrowth and mitogenic protein kinases promote the activity of cytosolic NAD kinase (NADK), which produces NADP, a limiting NADPH precursor.

The oxygen level in air directs airway epithelial cell differentiation by controlling mitochondrial citrate export.

Oxygen controls most metazoan metabolism, yet in mammals, tissue O levels vary widely. While extensive research has explored cellular responses to hypoxia, understanding how cells respond to physiologically high O levels remains uncertain. To address this problem, we investigated respiratory epithelia as their contact with air exposes them to some of the highest O levels in the body.

Insights into the representativeness of biodiversity assessment in large reservoir through eDNA metabarcoding.

Monitoring biodiversity on a large scale, such as in hydropower reservoirs, poses scientific challenges. Conventional methods such as passive fishing gear are prone to various biases, while the utilization of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has been restricted. Most eDNA studies have primarily focused on replicating results from traditional methods, which themselves have limitations regarding representativeness and bias.

Young, female and scientist: exploring barriers, challenges and opportunities.

Different societal, systemic and personal barriers exist at various stages along a female researcher's career that can potentially undermine their success. The equation for women to reach higher positions in STEM is a multivariable one, and while there has been considerable progress towards addressing some of these compared with the past, current solutions are inadequate and do not address all facets. Here, we asked female winners of the FEBS Open Bio poster prize about their experiences regarding barriers they have faced at the predoctoral and postdoctoral stages, their opinions on how these can be addressed and their advice to new students entering a PhD degree.

An open chat between Prof Asifa Akhtar and Klaudia Jaczynska.

To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025, we invited Prof Asifa Akhtar, Vice President of the Max Planck Society's Biology and Medicine section, Director at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg, Honorary Professor at the Albert Ludwigs University and recipient of the 2025 FEBS | EMBO Women in Science Award to meet and chat with Klaudia Jaczynska, final year PhD student at Jose Rizo's laboratory in UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, and 2024 FEBS Open Bio Article Prize winner. We invited them to talk about challenges limiting equal representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, initiatives to foster supportive environments as a research institute and the importance of highlighting diverse examples of success.

Macromolecular interactions and geometrical confinement determine the 3D diffusion of ribosome-sized particles in live cells.

The crowded bacterial cytoplasm is composed of biomolecules that span several orders of magnitude in size and electrical charge. This complexity has been proposed as the source of the rich spatial organization and apparent anomalous diffusion of intracellular components, although this has not been tested directly. Here, we use biplane microscopy to track the 3D motion of self-assembled bacterial genetically encoded multimeric nanoparticles (bGEMs) with tunable size (20 to 50 nm) and charge (-3,240 to +2,700 e) in live cells.

Vegetation-climate feedbacks across scales.

Vegetation is often viewed as a consequence of long-term climate conditions. However, vegetation itself plays a fundamental role in shaping Earth's climate by regulating the energy, water, and biogeochemical cycles across terrestrial landscapes. It exerts influence by consuming water resources through transpiration and interception, lowering atmospheric CO concentration, altering surface roughness, and controlling net radiation and its partitioning into sensible and latent heat fluxes.

Trauma-Induced Stress Distribution in Primary Incisors Restored With Preformed Zirconia Crowns: 3D Finite Element Analysis.

Background/aims: Preformed zirconia crowns have emerged as the preferred choice for restoring damaged primary incisors. However, they differ from natural teeth in their biophysical properties and can potentially alter the overall response of crowned teeth to a traumatic load. This in silico study aimed to compare the response of three different traumatic loading conditions for the (i) natural (M1) and (ii) zirconia-restored tooth models (M2) models.

Congenital Titinopathy: Comprehensive Characterization of the Most Severe End of the Disease Spectrum.

Unlabelled: Congenital titinopathy has recently emerged as one of the most common congenital muscle disorders.

Objective: To better understand the presentation and clinical needs of the under-characterized extreme end of the congenital titinopathy severity spectrum.

Methods: We comprehensively analyzed the clinical, imaging, pathology, autopsy, and genetic findings in 15 severely affected individuals from 11 families.