Base by Base

Perera J et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2026.123:e2507065123 - Gamma-PNA triplet ligands with Janus bases selectively bind expanded rCUG repeats, displace MBNL1, and show length-dependent cooperativity with partial splicing rescue. Key terms: rCUG repeats, gamma PNA, Janus bases, MBNL1 displacement, myotonic dystrophy type 1. Study Highlights: The authors designed compact three-unit bifacia...

Strobl et al., Nature Communications - Human epidermal Langerhans cells exposed to Ixodes ricinus tick saliva and Borrelia burgdorferi adopt a tolerogenic state with CXCR4/CCR7-driven emigration that impairs T cell priming. Key terms: Langerhans cells, tick saliva, Borrelia burgdorferi, CXCR4/CCR7 migration, immune tolerance. Study Highlights: The study uses clinical human tick bite biopsies, an e...

Girelli et al., Nature Communications - MHz-XPCS of ferritin solutions at EuXFEL shows anomalous, cage-trapped protein diffusion with reduced long-time transport and ~1.2 nm rattling at high concentration. Key terms: ferritin, MHz-XPCS, anomalous diffusion, cage effects, hydrodynamic function. Study Highlights: The study probes crowded ferritin solutions using megahertz X-ray Photon Correlation Sp...

Nature Communications - Transcription start sites experience a high influx of heritable variants fueled by early development Music: Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode. Article title: Transcription start sites experience a high influx of heritable variants fueled by early development Journal: Nature Communications DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-66201-0 License: CC BY 4.0 Inter...

Zahid S et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65609-y - Cryo-EM and biophysical analyses show Mycobacterium tuberculosis Ku assembles into DNA-bound oligomeric filaments that synapse DNA ends and are required for survival under DNA-damaging conditions. Key terms: Ku-Mtb, non-homologous end joining, cryo-EM, DNA synapsis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Study Highlights: Deletion of ku...

Holcik L et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65530-4 - GuaCAMOLE is an alignment-free algorithm that estimates and removes genomic GC-content-dependent sequencing bias to produce more accurate species abundance estimates from single metagenomic samples. Key terms: GC bias, metagenomics, species abundance, GuaCAMOLE, colorectal cancer. Study Highlights: GuaCAMOLE combines Kraken2/...

Küry S et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65556-8 - This study describes 26 distinct PSMC5 variants in 44 individuals and demonstrates that PSMC5 loss impairs proteasome function, driving proteotoxic stress, mitochondrial and lipid dysregulation, sterile type I interferon activation, and neurodevelopmental deficits. Key terms: PSMC5, proteasome, neurodevelopment, interferon, mit...

Antunes et al., Nature Communications - The study shows that spatial segregation of core and subtelomeric chromosome compartments, demarcated by protein-rich boundaries and controlled by a phosphoinositide regulator, is required to silence subtelomeric VSG genes. Key terms: RAP1, PIP5Pase, VSG, Hi-C, chromatin. Study Highlights: Hi-C and Pore-C reveal that T. brucei chromosomes are organized into...

Chen T et al., Nature Communications - Cryo-EM structures, uptake assays, and molecular dynamics show that PIP2 lipids bind at the AE1 dimer interface and inhibit the OF⇌IF conformational transition while substrate binding lowers the transition barrier. Key terms: AE1, PIP2, bicarbonate transport, cryo-EM, molecular dynamics. Study Highlights: Three high-resolution cryo-EM states were solved: two...

Winterhalter et al., Nature Communications - Cas9 nickases in Bacillus subtilis show that single-strand nicks in either template strand arrest DNA replication, create single-end double-strand breaks, and require homologous recombination plus PriA-dependent helicase reloading for replication restart. Key terms: DNA replication, recombinational repair, AddAB, PriA, SSB. Study Highlights: Site-specif...

Gao J et al., Nature Communications - H4 tail lysine residues drive liquid-liquid phase separation of 12‑mer nucleosome arrays, while H3 tail acetylation and the histone chaperone Nap1 increase internal dynamics and lower droplet viscosity. Key terms: Nap1, H3 acetylation, H4 acetylation, liquid-liquid phase separation, nucleosome arrays. Study Highlights: H4 tail lysine residues are the primary d...

Deivendran D et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65687-y - Single-cell and spatial multi-omic profiling maps the genetic and transcriptional changes from normal keratinocytes through actinic keratoses to invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. Key terms: keratinocytes, actinic keratosis, TP53, ARID2, spatial transcriptomics. Study Highlights: Single-cell genotyping of 137 ker...

McGowan TJ et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65703-1 - Activated muscle stem cells express and secrete laminin-α2 to remodel their niche, and loss of MuSC-derived laminin-α2 slows MuSC proliferation and delays regeneration in mouse models and human iPSC-derived precursors. Key terms: laminin-α2, muscle stem cells, LAMA2 MD, regeneration, proliferation. Study Highlights: Activat...

Nieminuszczy J et al., Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65594-2 - This study shows the CIP2A-TOPBP1 complex coordinates two mitotic double-strand break repair pathways, MiDAS and MMEJ, by recruiting SLX4/SMX components and Polθ to mitotic chromatin. Key terms: CIP2A, TOPBP1, SLX4, MiDAS, MMEJ. Study Highlights: TOPBP1 BRCT1/2 binds SLX4 phosphorylated at Thr1260, a CDK1-dependent modi...

Zhao X et al., Nature Communications - In developing neural progenitors PCM1 localizes to the mother centrosome and to Notch ligand-containing endosomes, promoting Par-3/dynein assembly and Rab5-to-Rab11 trafficking to bias posterior-directed endosome segregation and preserve progenitor fate. Key terms: PCM1, centrosome asymmetry, endosome dynamics, radial glia progenitors, Notch signaling. Study...

Kutchukian C et al., Nature Communications - Disruption of the PIKfyve/Fig4/Vac14 complex drives ULK1-dependent trafficking of PI4KIIα and ATG9A to lysosomes, elevating lysosomal PI(4)P to promote membrane repair and induce mitochondrial fragmentation with increased respiration. Key terms: PIKfyve, PI4KIIα, PI(4)P, ULK1, lysosomal repair. Study Highlights: PIKfyve complex disruption or pharmacolog...

Canalda-Baltrons A et al., Nature Communications - Long-read assemblies and a pangenome reference graph uncover widespread structural variants that shape Mycobacterium tuberculosis evolution and contribute to drug resistance. Key terms: structural variation, pangenome graph, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, drug resistance, long-read sequencing. Study Highlights: The authors built an M. tuberculosis pa...

Pidathala S et al., Nature Communications - High-resolution cryo-EM structures of human SV2A reveal that orthosteric ligands induce an occluded MFS conformation and a secondary allosteric pocket modulates ligand binding. Key terms: SV2A, allosteric modulation, cryo-EM, levetiracetam, padsevonil. Study Highlights: The authors report sub-3 Å cryo-EM structures of human SV2A in the apo state and in c...

Feng H et al., Nat Commun - A comprehensive, unbiased benchmark compares five DNA foundation models across 57 datasets and multiple tasks, finding mean token embeddings improve classification and that model strengths vary by task and pre-training. Key terms: DNA foundation models, mean token embedding, sequence classification, variant effect, gene expression. Study Highlights: The study evaluated...

Sun Z et al., Nature Communications - Mitochondrial NEK7 is imported via MTS peptides, binds SDHB to stabilize complex II conformation, prevent reverse electron transport and ROS, and thereby protects against spontaneous and experimentally induced liver fibrosis. Key terms: NEK7, SDHB, reverse electron transport, ROS, liver fibrosis. Study Highlights: NEK7 localizes to hepatocyte mitochondria thro...

Shraim R et al., Nat Commun - A GWIS of 338,977 UK Biobank White British participants using a cumulative weighted ambient UVB measure identified 307 independent loci for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, including 162 novel variants. Key terms: vitamin D, gene-environment interaction, ambient UVB, GWAS, circadian rhythm. Study Highlights: The study linked a cumulative and weighted ambient UVB (CW-D-UVB) dose f...

Godin P et al., Nature Communications - A single intramuscular injection of an AAV9 vector encoding feline anti‑Müllerian hormone (fcMISv2) in prepubertal kittens produced sustained supraphysiological AMH, was well tolerated, and prevented breeding‑induced ovulation and pregnancy in adult females. Key terms: gene therapy, anti-Müllerian hormone, feline sterilization, adeno-associated virus, popula...

Pineda PS et al., Nature Communications - A telomere-to-telomere Wagyu assembly uncovers a natural neocentromere on the cattle X formed by inverted repeats and transposable element expansion, adds hundreds of new genes, and improves variant discovery. Key terms: cattle genomics, neocentromere, centromere evolution, telomere-to-telomere, structural variants. Study Highlights: The UOA_Wagyu_1 haplot...

Ricci C et al., Nature Communications - Reduction of CYFIP1 delays callosal axon growth and arborization by lowering intracellular calcium and impairing mitochondrial function. Key terms: cyfip1, axon development, calcium, mitochondria, callosal connectivity. Study Highlights: In vivo, Cyfip1+/- mice show delayed callosal axon growth at P5 and reduced axonal branching during P15 arborization that...

Genome Biology and Evolution - The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer’s Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment Music: Enjoy the music based on this article at the end of the episode. Article title: The Genomic Basis of the Svalbard Reindeer’s Adaptation to an Extreme Arctic Environment Journal: Genome Biology and Evolution DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaf160 License: This episode is based on an open...