Psilocybin reshapes brain networks through activity-dependent plasticity, including a weakening of recurrent cortical loops that could underlie its therapeutic effects.
Kidney podocytes of the blood-urine filter form autoimmunoglobulin-triggered extracellular vesicles (AIT-EVs) for intra- and extracellular waste removal into the urine, a cellular reaction that links basal immune complex clearance to podocyte injury and allows non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of kidney autoimmune activity.
The force-sensing ion channel PIEZO2 is an essential regulator of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), a pathway that controls blood volume. Loss of PIEZO2 in the kidney cells that produce renin disrupts cellular calcium dynamics and levels of the enzyme in mice, linking mechanotransduction in the kidney to the RAAS.
A fin-like structural loop in GPX4 is critical for anchoring the enzyme to cellular membranes, thereby preventing ferroptosis. A patient-associated R152H mutation destabilizes this loop, leading to ferroptotic neurodegeneration in human cells and mouse models and revealing Alzheimer’s-like molecular signatures. These findings position ferroptosis as a critical driver (and potential therapeutic target) of neurodegenerative disease.
(Cell187, 7637–7654.e1–e29; December 26, 2024)
Single-cell proteomics finds asymmetries between sister blastomeres from the 2-cell stage in human and mouse embryos, defining two states: alpha and beta. Alpha-beta asymmetry can be traced back to the zygote, is triggered by fertilization, and is linked to differential developmental potential, with beta blastomeres having a higher potential.
Umbrella toxin particles produced by Actinobacteria contain five spokes tipped with variable lectin domains. Here, Zhao et al. show that these lectins mediate species-specific binding to a previously unrecognized cell surface carbohydrate polymer and propose that the modular nature of umbrella particles enables bet hedging against unpredictable competitor encounters.
A complete hierarchical thermo-decoding mechanism in plants connects cell membrane lipid remodeling during heat stress to the downstream signaling cascade in the nucleus. Field trials demonstrate the potential application of this mechanism in customized heat-tolerant crop design in rice.
Cells in tissues need to know when to start growing and when to stop growing to quickly heal wounds but prevent tumorous overgrowth. Membrane potential allows cells to sense physical forces, including those from neighboring cells, and thereby regulates growth.
Addition of a pre-TCR domain to chimeric antigen receptors boosts mRNA translation and enables durable tumor control by T cells in both blood and solid cancers.
A natural experiment found that herpes zoster vaccination reduced the occurrence of mild cognitive impairment and deaths due to dementia, indicating that the vaccine may slow the progression of dementia throughout its clinical disease course.
Methanogenic archaea use the one-component system AmzR to sense methylamines and regulate the expression of methylamine-metabolizing genes. Unlike other prokaryotic one-component systems, the DNA-binding motif of AmzR resembles a structural fold typically found in eukaryotic transcription factors. This discovery narrows the gap between prokaryotic and eukaryotic regulatory proteins.
