Contents
April 2020
Vol 6, Issue 14
Vol 6, Issue 14
Contents
Research Articles
- “Skin-like” fabric for personal moisture management
A super breathable skin-like fabric with artificial sweating glands to excrete fluid droplets and repel external liquids.
- The hypertrophic cardiomyopathy mutations R403Q and R663H increase the number of myosin heads available to interact with actin
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy–causing mutations disrupt a key regulatory off state of myosin in thick filaments.
- Massive generation of metastable bulk nanobubbles in water by external electric fields
We describe a groundbreaking approach to generate long-lived bulk nanobubbles in water by external electric fields.
- Molecular targeting of FATP4 transporter for oral delivery of therapeutic peptide
Targeting the FATP4 transporter is an effective way to transport peptides and enhance oral bioavailability of peptide drugs.
- A multifunctional surfactant catalyst inspired by hydrolases
Enzyme-inspired catalysis using self-assembled amphiphiles mimic and localize multiple chemical units common to hydrolases.
- A metal-free blue chromophore derived from plant pigments
The red pigments of beets are used to produce BeetBlue, a biocompatible blue dye.
- Fluctuation-induced force in homogeneous isotropic turbulence
We find an analog to the quantum Casimir effect in a turbulent fluid.
- Scattering of adiabatically aligned molecules by nonresonant optical standing waves
The state-dependent alignment of molecules affects their scattering from nonresonant standing waves.
- Designer, injectable gels to prevent transplanted Schwann cell loss during spinal cord injury therapy
An injectable gel improves cell transplantation therapy for spinal cord injury.
- Metal-free activation of molecular oxygen by covalent triazine frameworks for selective aerobic oxidation
Low-cost metal-free catalysts enable O2 activation as a key step in many important sustainable processes.
- Virus-host coexistence in phytoplankton through the genomic lens
A dynamic accordion chromosome may promote sustained production of giant viruses by the smallest photosynthetic eukaryote.
- B cell Sirt1 deacetylates histone and non-histone proteins for epigenetic modulation of AID expression and the antibody response
Sirt1 mediates epigenetic modulation of B cell AID expression and antibody response by deacetylating histones, Dnmt1 and NF-κB p65.
- A chemically unmodified agonistic DNA with growth factor functionality for in vivo therapeutic application
This study identifies an oligonucleotide that activates a growth factor receptor and exerts its antiapoptotic activity in vivo.
- IL-27 signaling activates skin cells to induce innate antiviral proteins and protects against Zika virus infection
IL-27 signaling activates the production of antiviral proteins in the skin and inhibits Zika virus infection.
- Evaluating the fake news problem at the scale of the information ecosystem
Mainstream news, mainly on television, vastly outweighs fake news, and news itself is a small fraction of U.S. media consumption.
- Lubricated friction around nanodefects
Nanoscale lubrication measurements around nanodefects point to local molecular ordering as the main cause for friction.
- Quantum computation solves a half-century-old enigma: Elusive vibrational states of magnesium dimer found
Quantum computations unravel the mystery of spectral lines that have escaped experimental detection for decades.
- MAP6 is an intraluminal protein that induces neuronal microtubules to coil
MAP6 enters the lumen and induces coiling in a previously unidentified class of neuronal microtubules.
- The unconventional biogenesis of Kv7.1-KCNE1 complexes
The cardiac IKs (Kv7.1-KCNE1) channel assembles at ER-PM junctions before translocated to the plasma membrane.
- Australopithecus afarensis endocasts suggest ape-like brain organization and prolonged brain growth
Endocranial imprints suggest that “Lucy’s” species had an ape-like brain and may have had a long dependence on caregivers.
- ENL initiates multivalent phase separation of the super elongation complex (SEC) in controlling rapid transcriptional activation
SEC can compartmentalize P-TEFb via LLPS from the inactive soluble HEXIM1 complex to regulate rapid transcriptional events.
- Symmetry breaking in hydrodynamic forces drives meiotic spindle rotation in mammalian oocytes
Actin cytoskeletal asymmetry produces unbalanced hydrodynamic forces to drive spindle rotation during mouse meiotic division.
- Goldilocks conditions required for earthquakes to trigger basaltic eruptions: Evidence from the 2015 Ambrym eruption
Modeling suggests that partially cooled and crystallized basaltic magmas are more susceptible to triggering from earthquakes.
- Parallel PRC2/cPRC1 and vPRC1 pathways silence lineage-specific genes and maintain self-renewal in mouse embryonic stem cells
Stem cell identity is maintained by diverse Polycomb complexes cooperating to ensure robust silencing of key developmental genes.
- Direct observation of minibands in a twisted graphene/WS2 bilayer
We show the first direct observation of minibands in the electronic structure of a twisted heterobilayer using microfocused ARPES.
- Layer-resolved ultrafast extreme ultraviolet measurement of hole transport in a Ni-TiO2-Si photoanode
Ultrafast charge carrier migration through all the layers of a nanojunction is observed and quantified.
- Measles virus nucleo- and phosphoproteins form liquid-like phase-separated compartments that promote nucleocapsid assembly
Measles virus proteins form liquid droplets where they can encapsidate their genomic material.
- Vaporizable endoskeletal droplets via tunable interfacial melting transitions
Interfacial melting of an internal solid hydrocarbon “skeletal” phase initiates vaporization of liquid fluorocarbon droplets.
- Inhibition of protective immunity against Staphylococcus aureus infection by MHC-restricted immunodominance is overcome by vaccination
MHC restriction determines whether S. aureus infection elicits protection, but vaccine efficacy is unconstrained by MHC haplotype.
- Epitope-directed antibody selection by site-specific photocrosslinking
We selected epitope-specific antibodies by cross-linking hits to the site-specific photocrosslinker on the target antigen.
- Role of allosteric switches and adaptor domains in long-distance cross-talk and transient tunnel formation
Transfer of labile intermediate in bifunctional enzymes occurs via transient molecular tunnels controlled by allosteric signals.
- Methanotrophic bacterial symbionts fuel dense populations of deep-sea feather duster worms (Sabellida, Annelida) and extend the spatial influence of methane seepage
Hidden in plain sight: Methanotrophic feather duster worms redefine the methane seep sphere of influence.
- Force-induced gene up-regulation does not follow the weak power law but depends on H3K9 demethylation
Rapid up-regulation of endogenous mechanoresponsive genes by force depends on demethylation of histone H3 lysine-9 trimethylation.
- There is no liberal media bias in which news stories political journalists choose to cover
Despite most journalist being liberal, they do not discriminate against conservatives by what news they choose to cover
- Biomechanical simulations reveal a trade-off between adaptation to glacial climate and dietary niche versatility in European cave bears
Biomechanical simulations show a “trade-off” between hibernation length and a restricted herbivorous diet for European cave bears.
- Ribosome-associated vesicles: A dynamic subcompartment of the endoplasmic reticulum in secretory cells
Ribosome-associated vesicles are a novel, dynamic ER-derived organelle.
- A tripartite ssDNA mycovirus from a plant pathogenic fungus is infectious as cloned DNA and purified virions
A multipartite DNA virus was isolated from a plant pathogenic fungus, which is infectious as cloned DNA and purified virions.
- Pretargeted delivery of PI3K/mTOR small-molecule inhibitor–loaded nanoparticles for treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Dual pretargeting with anti-CD20 and anti–HLA-DR allows effective therapeutic delivery of a BEZ235 nanoformulation to NHL cells.
- Genome elimination mediated by gene expression from a selfish chromosome
A selfish B chromosome in the jewel wasp actively mediates its own drive by expression of the haploidizer gene.
Review
- Quantum biology revisited
We revise the interpretation of coherence signals in photosynthetic systems and clarify what they tell us about light harvesting.
About The Cover
ONLINE COVER Despite the essential role that phytoplankton play as the foundation of ocean ecosystems, little is known about the many viruses that infect them or how their populations shift over time. Viruses and their microalgae hosts typically follow 'boom and bust' dynamics, in which the most common varieties are periodically replaced with virus-resistant strains. However, it appears this isn't always the case—Yau et al. observed a phytoplanktonic microalgae and a large double-stranded DNA virus system both continuously grow in their lab for over a decade. To understand this anomaly, the researchers used single cell isolation, high quality long read genomic sequencing of both the microalgae and the virus, and mathematical modeling to identify the mechanisms that allowed the pair to peacefully coexist for such an unexpectedly long time. Their findings suggest that the microalgae's virus-resistant cells continuously produce a small number of cells that are susceptible to the virus, allowing the virus to continue to thrive. This mechanism essentially allows populations to hedge their bets, producing cells that may be a better fit for future environments. [CREDIT: D.P. WILSON/SCIENCE SOURCE]
