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Salt cycles drive mixed clonal-aggregative multicellularity in a choanoflagellate
biology77.595 min read

Salt cycles drive mixed clonal-aggregative multicellularity in a choanoflagellate

23 minutes agoSource: Nature
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Pre-ZGA 3D genome architecture emerges modularly in Drosophila embryos
biology
75.705 min15 hours ago

Pre-ZGA 3D genome architecture emerges modularly in Drosophila embryos

Using Pico-C, a low-input Micro-C method, the study maps high-resolution 3D genome architecture across NC9–NC14 in early Drosophila embryos and reveals that chromatin loops and boundaries emerge in an ordered, modular fashion before major ZGA. Transcriptional elongation inhibition preserves some early loops but weakens promoter insulation, while sequence-based models show orthogonal motif-driven contributions to architecture. Co-depleting Zelda and GAF confirms locus-specific regulatory inputs, supporting a layered regulatory logic for genome establishment prior to ZGA.

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TimeVaults give cells a memory of their gene activity
biology1 month ago

TimeVaults give cells a memory of their gene activity

Researchers rewired vault proteins to create TimeVaults that capture and store messenger RNA produced by human cells over a 24-hour window, keeping a record for at least a week. The system acts as an unbiased cellular memoir of transcription, activated by a drug cue and reversible, and could shed light on cancer drug resistance and stem-cell biology without noticeably affecting cell behavior.

Widespread Presence of Persistent Lytic Phages in Bacterial Genomes
biology1 month ago

Widespread Presence of Persistent Lytic Phages in Bacterial Genomes

A large-scale genomic analysis revealed over 100,000 complete lytic phages embedded within bacterial genomes across diverse species and environments, challenging traditional phage classification and highlighting their potential in therapy and ecology. The study identified new phage lineages, expanded known groups, and found therapeutic phages naturally present in bacterial populations, suggesting a broader and more dynamic phage-bacteria interaction than previously understood.

biology2 months ago

NAC Regulates Nascent Chain Fate via Tunnel Sensing and Chaperone Activity

The study reveals that the nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) plays a multifaceted role in protein synthesis by coordinating translation, folding, and targeting through sequence-specific interactions both inside and outside the ribosome tunnel, including an intra-tunnel sensing mechanism that influences translation kinetics and proteostasis.

Neutrophil Compartment Structure
biology2 months ago

Neutrophil Compartment Structure

The article presents NeuMap, a comprehensive transcriptional map of neutrophil diversity across tissues, developmental stages, and disease conditions in mice and humans, revealing a limited set of conserved functional states or hubs that are dynamically regulated by signals and transcription factors, with implications for understanding neutrophil roles in health and disease.

Genomic convergence drove the rise of land animals
biology3 months ago

Genomic convergence drove the rise of land animals

The study reveals that independent terrestrialization events in animals involved convergent genomic adaptations, including gene gains and losses related to osmoregulation, stress response, immunity, and sensory functions, with three major temporal windows identified during Earth's history, highlighting both predictable and lineage-specific evolutionary responses to land colonization.