cell-biology

Nature Communications, Published online: 06 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74087-9 Kir4.1/5.1 channels are vital for brain and kidney function. Here the authors combine structural, electrophysiological, and computational studies to reveal an inner-ring pore blockage mechanism by polyamines and inhibitors, providing the structural basis for inward rectification.

Scientific Reports, Published online: 06 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-55411-1 Gadd45α silencing alleviates cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury by suppressing FOXO1 signaling

Damage to DNA in cancer cells can lead to pieces breaking off chromosomes and floating away, like icebergs cracking off from a glacier.

Nature Reviews Neuroscience, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41583-026-01052-2 In this Tools of the Trade article, Colleen McLaughlin describes endocytome profiling, a systematic and quantitative approach for monitoring of cell-surface protein remodelling in the intact brain.

BMC Biology is exploring how organelles and molecular assemblies contribute to intercellular communication, development, tissue dynamics, and disease—across all biological systems and model organisms.

When thinking of the immune system, most people imagine white blood cells putting up a fight against invading germs in the bloodstream. But now, in research published in Molecular Cell, scientists detail a separate but equally important route by which our bodies fight infection—directly inside already infected cells. In the report, the authors define a […]

During learning, the brain requires an exceptional amount of glucose to be imported into specific neural circuits, where it is used to form new memory-related proteins. Adler et al. discover that microglia, the resident immune cells of the brain, are critical for this process via a mechanism called microglial-metabolic coupling.

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73990-5 Cells carry DNA and RNA signatures that mark disease states, but few tools can both sense them in living cells and link detection to cellular outputs. Here, the authors develop SONAR, which uses target-dependent ssDNA ligation inside cells to detect nucleic acids and drive programmable gene-control outputs.

Nature Communications, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74016-w Dual proteomics–lipidomics demonstrates that virus-induced lipid droplets rapidly recruit antiviral proteins and remodel lipids. These lipid–protein networks form signalling hubs, while specific long chain fatty acids enhance interferon responses and restrict viral replication.

From the earliest cell membranes to whale echolocation and plant waterproofing, lipids have quietly shaped the evolution of life. This article explores how these versatile molecules enabled containment, communication, adaptation, and survival across diverse organisms, revealing an often-overlooked chemical history that runs alongside the evolution of life itself.

Hyperoxia is both an essential therapy and a contributor to lung injury in acute respiratory distress syndrome. We hypothesized that adult female rats are relatively protected from hyperoxia-induced acute lung injury (HALI) compared with males and that this protection is associated with sex-dependent differences in lung mitochondrial bioenergetics and H 2 O 2 production. Adult rats were exposed t…

Researchers from VIB, KU Leuven, the UK-DRI and Muna Therapeutics, funded by, among others, ERC, have uncovered a critical biological transition that may determine whether Alzheimer's disease pathology leads to dementia.

June 2026 Tegan Horan, a Research Associate in the Cohen lab, has published a new manuscript in the Oxford Academic’s Molecular Biology and Evolution journal that sheds new light on the process by which mammals complete chromosome exchanges. Per Tegan: "During the production of eggs and sperm, pairs of chromosomes exchange pieces of DNA [...]

Nature Communications, Published online: 04 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-73837-z Distinct extracellular vesicle biogenesis pathways suggest specific co-enrichment of proteins sharing a biogenesis pathway. Here, the authors design an approach to examine this co-enrichment and show that it reflects vesicle biogenesis.

Nature Physics, Published online: 04 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41567-026-03327-y DNA methylation regulates cell differentiation. It is now shown that methylation dynamics in the early embryo follow a universal scaling law, suggesting that physical constraints rather than molecular specifics shape cell fate.

Leo James’s group, in the LMB’s PNAC Division, have identified a novel antimicrobial pathway in human cells, named antibody-directed xenophagy.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered that little-studied DNA structures play a central role in organizing the human genome and controlling gene activity, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The post Overlooked DNA Structures Help Organize the Genome appeared first on News Center .

A new study of over 18,000 adults suggests that the location of body fat, not just overall BMI, is critical to brain health. Researchers found evidence that deep belly fat is particularly damaging to the brain's white matter.

In response to stress or damage, cells undergo senescence and stop dividing. However, if senescent cells accumulate in tissues over the long term, chronic inflammation occurs and the risk of cancer increases. Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have now discovered a previously un...