Nature Communications

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77633-7 Developing NMN⁺ as an orthogonal redox cofactor could help biomanufacturing approach theoretical maximum yields. Here, the authors show that engineering the Rossmann fold can convert NAD(P)-dependent enzymes to selectively use the noncanonical cofactor NMN(H).

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77501-4 Human-driven environmental change is reshaping ecological communities worldwide. Analysing 4,748 sites across 129 studies, we show that formerly common species decline disproportionately compared to rare species in marine and terrestrial assemblages.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77461-9 IL2-based immunotherapies enhance anti-tumor immune responses, however, there is a significant risk of severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs). Here the authors show that combining a tumor-targeting cetuximab-based bispecific IL10 fusion protein with tumor-targeted IL2 enhances antitumor immunity and c…

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77587-w Somatic mutations in DNMT3A and TET2 are common in age-related clonal haematopoiesis and hematopoietic neoplasms. Here, the authors show that loss of TET2, unlike DNMT3A, makes cells more sensitive to PARP inhibitors by disrupting DNA replication, suggesting TET2 mutations may help predict treatment respons…

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77687-7 How animals survive without food depends on more than stored fat and sugar. This study shows that the fruit fly hormone CG14075/Marmite helps redirect amino acid use during starvation, working with a key hormone, AKH, to sustain energy balance.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77608-8 The plant hormone jasmonate undergoes complex enzymatic turnover that shape hormonal dynamics for optimal signaling. Here the authors show that separate enzyme systems catalyze stress induced formation of 11-OH- and 12-OH-jasmonic acid.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77629-3 Metal oxides support a broad range of polaritons. In this review, the authors extend this to the emerging family of two-dimensional metal oxides and cover the impact of crystal structure and extrinsic manipulation on the polaritons along with synthesis approaches and future photonics applications.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77393-4 Here the authors integrate single-nucleus transcriptomic and cellular analyse to reveal that brassinosteroid drives cell division, elongation, and subsequent lignification in the ligular region, thereby controlling leaf angle diversity in maize.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77657-z VAV1 is a blood-cell signaling protein linked to leukemia and autoimmune disease. Here, the authors discover CRBN molecular glues that degrade VAV1 via a non-canonical degron, using proteomics and AI-based structural modeling to guide the design of more potent degraders.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76876-8 Oxytocin receptor signaling in the nucleus accumbens supports pair bonding, but its role in attachment-related neural activity is unclear. Here, the authors show that Oxtr loss sex-specifically alters pair bonding and nucleus accumbens activity in prairie voles; in males, early activity predicts partner pre…

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77807-3 Metal-halide-perovskite quantum dots could enable efficient, low-cost light-emitting diodes, but unstable surfaces limit efficiency at high brightness. Zhang et al. use hydrogen sulfide to stabilize the surface, improve efficiency, minimize high-brightness losses, and extend operational lifetime.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77693-9 The study identifies a micropeptide that protects against vascular calcification, a major complication of chronic kidney disease. The micropeptide acts through a molecular glue-like mechanism to promote PKM2 degradation, suppress glycolysis and reduce vascular calcification in mice.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77279-5 Distinguishing amorphous ice phases like low-density (LDA) and high-density (HDA) primarily relies on global or long-range structural descriptors, leaving the microscopic basis of their differences unclear. This study achieved a data-driven, probabilistic framework that identifies local hydrogen density wit…

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-76736-5 This study combines an optical phasedarray LiDAR with an integrated photonic neural network to map three-dimensional scenes and classify materials using polarization-resolved optical echoes.

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77557-2 Protein language models are powerful tools for generative protein design, but because they are trained solely on natural sequences, they often struggle to generate proteins with enhanced or non-natural functions. This work a general framework that aligns generative protein language models with experimentall…

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77436-w Chiral polycyclic spirocycles are privileged molecular scaffolds for drug discovery and asymmetric synthesis, yet their efficient stereoselective construction remains challenging. Here, the authors report a Pd/Sadphos-catalyzed asymmetric dearomative cascade that delivers polycyclic spiro enones with three …

Nature Communications, Published online: 12 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77786-5 Photoelectrochemical performance strongly depends on charge separation within space charge layer, but the precise mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the authors disentangle the effect of space charge layer width and built-in electric field on charge dynamics using in-situ time-resolved techniques.

Nature Communications, Published online: 11 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77812-6 Anti-IgLON5 disease is a rare neuro-immunological disorder characterized by the production of autoantibodies against the cell adhesion molecule, IgLON5. Here, the authors examine the B cell receptor repertoire of an individual with this condition and present a cryo–electron microscopy structure of a patient…

Nature Communications, Published online: 11 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77711-w Mycorrhizal associations with trees help regulate nutrient cycling in forests. This study found that the dominance of arbuscular mycorrhizal trees across Japan is associated with climate warming and tree diseases and may influence forest nitrogen cycling.

Nature Communications, Published online: 11 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-77683-x Chronic loneliness was associated with poorer physical and mental health, while loneliness onset showed similar but weaker associations. Social isolation primarily affected mental health, while remission may confer cognitive benefits.