Fossilized carotenoid hydrocarbons provide a window into the physiology and biochemistry of ancient microbial phototrophic communities for which only a sparse and incomplete fossil record exists. However, accurate interpretation of carotenoid-derived biomarkers requires detailed knowledge of the carotenoid inventories of contemporary phototrophs and their physiologies. Here we report two distinct patterns

The rational creation of two-component conjugated polymer systems with high levels of phase purity in each component is challenging but crucial for realizing printed soft-matter electronics. Here, we report a mixed-flow microfluidic printing (MFMP) approach for two-component π-polymer systems that significantly elevates phase purity in bulk-heterojunction solar cells and thin-film transistors. MFMP

Selective packaging of the HIV-1 genome during virus assembly is mediated by interactions between the dimeric 5ʹ-leader of the unspliced viral RNA and the nucleocapsid (NC) domains of a small number of assembling viral Gag polyproteins. Here, we show that the dimeric 5′-leader contains more than two dozen NC binding sites with affinities ranging from 40 nM to 1.4 μM, and that all high-affinity sites

Ion channels in excitable cells function in macromolecular complexes in which auxiliary proteins modulate the biophysical properties of the pore-forming subunits. Hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-sensitive HCN4 channels are critical determinants of membrane excitability in cells throughout the body, including thalamocortical neurons and cardiac pacemaker cells. We previously showed that

Pacemaker neurons exert control over neuronal circuit function by their intrinsic ability to generate rhythmic bursts of action potential. Recent work has identified rhythmic gut contractions in human, mice, and hydra to be dependent on both neurons and the resident microbiota. However, little is known about the evolutionary origin of these neurons and their interaction with microbes. In this study

Resilience to environmental stressors due to climate warming is influenced by local adaptations, including plastic responses. The recent literature has focused on genomic signatures of climatic adaptation, but little is known about how plastic capacity may be influenced by biogeographic and evolutionary processes. We investigate phenotypic plasticity as a target of climatic selection, hypothesizing

Coordinated, purposeful movements learned with one effector generalize to another effector, a finding that has important implications for tool use, sports, performing arts, and rehabilitation. This occurs because the motor memory acquired through learning comprises representations that are effector-independent. Despite knowing this for decades, the neural mechanisms and substrates that are causally

A series of epidemiological explorations has suggested a negative association between national bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccination policy and the prevalence and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, these comparisons are difficult to validate due to broad differences between countries such as socioeconomic status, demographic structure, rural vs. urban settings, time of

Control of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae continues to be challenging. The success of this pathogen is favored by its ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance and to spread and persist in both the environment and in humans. The emergence of clinically important clones, such as sequence types 11, 15, 101, and 258, has been reported worldwide. However, the mechanisms

Circulating tumor cell (CTC)-based liquid biopsies provide unique opportunities for cancer diagnostics, treatment selection, and response monitoring, but even with advanced microfluidic technologies for rare cell detection the very low number of CTCs in standard 10-mL peripheral blood samples limits their clinical utility. Clinical leukapheresis can concentrate mononuclear cells from almost the entire

Alignment-free classification tools have enabled high-throughput processing of sequencing data in many bioinformatics analysis pipelines primarily due to their computational efficiency. Originally k-mer based, such tools often lack sensitivity when faced with sequencing errors and polymorphisms. In response, some tools have been augmented with spaced seeds, which are capable of tolerating mismatches

The cytoskeleton plays a key role in establishing robust cell shape. In animals, it is well established that cell shape can also influence cytoskeletal organization. Cytoskeletal proteins are well conserved between animal and plant kingdoms; nevertheless, because plant cells exhibit major structural differences to animal cells, the question arises whether the plant cytoskeleton also responds to geometrical

Aerosol indirect effects are one of the leading contributors to cloud radiative properties relevant to climate. Aerosol particles become cloud droplets when the ambient relative humidity (saturation ratio) exceeds a critical value, which depends on the particle size and chemical composition. In the traditional formulation of this problem, only average, uniform saturation ratios are considered. Using

DNA-encoded chemical libraries are collections of compounds individually coupled to unique DNA tags serving as amplifiable identification barcodes. By bridging split-and-pool combinatorial synthesis with the ligation of unique encoding DNA oligomers, million- to billion-member libraries can be synthesized for use in hundreds of healthcare target screens. Although structural diversity and desirable

Vertebrates, from zebra fish to humans, have an innate immune recognition of many bacterial flagellins. This involves a conserved eight-amino acid epitope in flagellin recognized by the Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). Several important human pathogens, such as Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni, have escaped TLR5 activation by mutations in this epitope. When such mutations were introduced into

A ship encounters a higher drag in a stratified fluid compared to a homogeneous one. Grouped under the same “dead-water” vocabulary, two wave-making resistance phenomena have been historically reported. The first, the Nansen wave-making drag, generates a stationary internal wake which produces a kinematic drag with a noticeable hysteresis. The second, the Ekman wave-making drag, is characterized by

Axon–axon interactions are essential for axon guidance during nervous system wiring. However, it is unknown whether and how the growth cones communicate with each other while sensing and responding to guidance cues. We found that the Parkinson’s disease gene, leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2), has an unexpected role in growth cone–growth cone communication. The LRRK2 protein acts as a scaffold and

Within a year of the slaying of Julius Caesar, Okmok volcano in the Aleutian Islands (Fig. 1) begat one of the greatest eruptions of the past 2,500 y, according to research in PNAS (1). The study explores the repercussions of climatic change induced by the eruption for the unstable Roman Republic.

Despite rapidly growing interest in deep-sea mineral exploitation, environmental research and management have focused on impacts to seafloor environments, paying little attention to pelagic ecosystems. Nonetheless, research indicates that seafloor mining will generate sediment plumes and noise at the seabed and in the water column that may have extensive ecological effects in deep midwaters (1), which

The health effects of racism are so well established that the American Public Health Association launched a National Campaign Against Racism in 2015 (1). Racial disparities in adverse environmental exposures reflect underlying structural and institutional racism ingrained in land use patterns, development policy, facility siting, and municipal zoning decisions, which influence community proximity to

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae that still results in 20,000 to 140,000 deaths per year worldwide according to the World Health Organization. Once the bacterium reaches the small intestine after ingestion, it hangs on to the intestinal mucus and starts producing a proteinaceous multimeric toxin consisting of one catalytic A subunit and a pentamer of glycolipid-binding

Voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel (Cav1.2) blockers (LCCBs) are major drugs for treating hypertension, the preeminent risk factor for heart failure. Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) remodeling is a pathological hallmark of chronic hypertension. VSMC remodeling is characterized by molecular rewiring of the cellular Ca2+ signaling machinery, including down-regulation of Cav1.2 channels and up-regulation

The nonshivering heat production in mitochondria-rich brown or beige adipocytes allows rodents and humans to adapt to cold stress (1). The best-characterized thermogenic effector is uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), which dissipates energy as heat by proton transport across the mitochondrial inner membrane. Of note, there are also important UCP1-independent pathways mediating brown adipose tissue (BAT)

Historically, many biologists assumed that evolution and ecology acted independently because evolution occurred over distances too great to influence most ecological patterns. Today, evidence indicates that evolution can operate over a range of spatial scales, including fine spatial scales. Thus, evolutionary divergence across space might frequently interact with the mechanisms that also determine

Sometimes, there’s more to a lava flow than meets the eye. Beneath a fresh, sterile, and steaming hot surface, molten rock can still be chewing its way into the ground, carving caves that can stretch dozens of kilometers. On Earth, such lava tubes (once cooled) are a challenge for spelunkers. On the moon and Mars, these features are piquing the interest of planetary geologists, astrobiologists, and

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed epidemic modeling at the forefront of worldwide public policy making. Nonetheless, modeling and forecasting the spread of COVID-19 remains a challenge. Here, we detail three regional-scale models for forecasting and assessing the course of the pandemic. This work demonstrates the utility of parsimonious models for early-time data and provides

PLANT BIOLOGY Correction for “Regulators of nitric oxide signaling triggered by host perception in a plant …

NEUROSCIENCE Correction for “Loss of nucleus accumbens low-frequency fluctuations is a signature of chronic pain,” by Meena M. Makary, Pablo Polosecki, Guillermo A. …

MICROBIOLOGY Correction for “Bile acids and ceramide overcome the entry restriction for GII.3 human norovirus replication in human intestinal enteroids,” by Kosuke Murakami, …

IMMUNOLOGY AND INFLAMMATION Correction for “GABA-stimulated adipose-derived stem cells suppress subcutaneous adipose inflammation in obesity,” by Injae Hwang, Kyuri …

The extent to which immune cell phenotypes in the peripheral blood reflect within-tumor immune activity prior to and early in cancer therapy is unclear. To address this question, we studied the population dynamics of tumor and immune cells, and immune phenotypic changes, using clinical tumor and immune cell measurements and single-cell genomic analyses. These samples were serially obtained from a cohort

How can governments and nonprofits design aid programs that afford dignity and facilitate beneficial outcomes for recipients? We conceptualize dignity as a state that manifests when the stigma associated with receiving aid is countered and recipients are empowered, both in culturally resonant ways. Yet materials from the largest cash transfer programs in Africa predominantly characterize recipients

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has upended almost every facet of academia (1). Almost overnight the system faced a sudden transition to remote teaching and learning, changes in grading systems, and the loss of access to research resources. Additionally, shifts in household labor, childcare, eldercare, and physical confinement have increased students’ and faculty’s mental health needs

Human navigation relies on inputs to our paired eyes and ears. Although we also have two nasal passages, there has been little empirical indication that internostril differences yield directionality in human olfaction without involving the trigeminal system. By using optic flow that captures the pattern of apparent motion of surface elements in a visual scene, we demonstrate through formal psychophysical

Visual awareness is thought to result from integration of low- and high-level processing; instances of integration failure provide a crucial window into the cognitive and neural bases of awareness. We present neurophysiological evidence of complex cognitive processing in the absence of awareness, raising questions about the conditions necessary for visual awareness. We describe an individual with a

Widespread belief in misinformation circulating online is a critical challenge for modern societies. While research to date has focused on psychological and political antecedents to this phenomenon, few studies have explored the role of digital media literacy shortfalls. Using data from preregistered survey experiments conducted around recent elections in the United States and India, we assess the

In the indeterminate nodules of a model legume Medicago truncatula, ∼700 nodule-specific cysteine-rich (NCR) peptides with conserved cysteine signature are expressed. NCR peptides are highly diverse in sequence, and some of these cationic peptides exhibit antimicrobial activity in vitro and in vivo. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding their structural architecture, antifungal activity,

The mechanical principles for fast snapping in the iconic Venus flytrap are not yet fully understood. In this study, we obtained time-resolved strain distributions via three-dimensional digital image correlation (DIC) for the outer and inner trap-lobe surfaces throughout the closing motion. In combination with finite element models, the various possible contributions of the trap tissue layers were

Puzzle-shaped pavement cells provide a powerful model system to investigate the cellular and subcellular processes underlying complex cell-shape determination in plants. To better understand pavement cell-shape acquisition and the role of auxin in this process, we focused on the spirals of young stomatal lineage ground cells of Arabidopsis leaf epidermis. The predictability of lobe formation in these

The intracellular redox state is one of the key factors regulating various physiological phenomena in the cell. Monitoring this state is therefore important for understanding physiological homeostasis in cells. Various fluorescent sensor proteins have already been developed to monitor intracellular redox state. We also developed fluorescent redox sensor proteins named Oba-Q and Re-Q, the emissions

The Casparian strip (CS) is a tight junction-like structure formed by lignin impregnation on the walls of endodermal cells in plant roots. The CS membrane domain (CSDM), demarked by the CASP proteins, is important for orienting lignification enzymes. Here, we report that an endodermis-expressed multicopper oxidase, LACCASE3 (LAC3) in Arabidopsis, locates to the interface between lignin domains and

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, several national governments have applied lockdown restrictions to reduce the infection rate. Here we perform a massive analysis on near–real-time Italian mobility data provided by Facebook to investigate how lockdown strategies affect economic conditions of individuals and local governments. We model the change in mobility as an exogenous

The interplay between spin–orbit coupling and structural inversion symmetry breaking in solids has generated much interest due to the nontrivial spin and magnetic textures which can result. Such studies are typically focused on systems where large atomic number elements lead to strong spin–orbit coupling, in turn rendering electronic correlations weak. In contrast, here we investigate the temperature-dependent

Topological electrons in semimetals are usually vulnerable to chemical doping and environment change, which restricts their potential application in future electronic devices. In this paper, we report that the type-II Dirac semimetal VAl3 hosts exceptional, robust topological electrons which can tolerate extreme change of chemical composition. The Dirac electrons remain intact, even after a substantial

Oscillators are at the heart of optical lasers, providing stable, transform-limited pulses. Until now, laser oscillators have been available only in the infrared to visible and near-ultraviolet (UV) spectral region. In this paper, we present a study of an oscillator operating in the 5- to 12-keV photon-energy range. We show that, using the Kα1 line of transition metal compounds as the gain medium,

Food and drug products contain diverse and abundant small-molecule additives (excipients) with unclear impacts on human physiology, drug safety, and response. Here, we evaluate their potential impact on intestinal drug absorption. By screening 136 unique compounds for inhibition of the key intestinal transporter OATP2B1 we identified and validated 24 potent OATP2B1 inhibitors, characterized by higher

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes present in mammals with 16 isoforms that differ in terms of catalytic activity as well as cellular and tissue distribution. CAs catalyze the conversion of CO2 to bicarbonate and protons and are involved in various physiological processes, including learning and memory. Here we report that the integrity of CA activity in the brain is necessary

Huntington disease (HD) is caused by an expansion mutation of the N-terminal polyglutamine of huntingtin (mHTT). mHTT is ubiquitously present, but it induces noticeable damage to the brain’s striatum, thereby affecting motor, psychiatric, and cognitive functions. The striatal damage and progression of HD are associated with the inflammatory response; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain

Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most common drug-resistant form of epilepsy in adults. The reorganization of neural networks and the gene expression landscape underlying pathophysiologic network behavior in brain structures such as the hippocampus has been suggested to be controlled, in part, by microRNAs. To systematically assess their significance, we sequenced Argonaute-loaded microRNAs to define

The insular cortex (INS) is extensively connected to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA), and both regions send convergent projections into the caudal lateral hypothalamus (LHA) encompassing the parasubthalamic nucleus (PSTN). However, the organization of the network between these structures has not been clearly delineated in the literature, although there has been an upsurge in functional studies

Axon regeneration is regulated by a neuron-intrinsic transcriptional program that is suppressed during development but that can be reactivated following peripheral nerve injury. Here we identify Prom1, which encodes the stem cell marker prominin-1, as a regulator of the axon regeneration program. Prom1 expression is developmentally down-regulated, and the genetic deletion of Prom1 in mice inhibits

The cytosolic DNA sensor cGMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) synthesizes the noncanonical cyclic dinucleotide 2′3′-cGAMP to activate the adaptor protein stimulator of IFN genes (STING), thus awakening host immunity in response to DNA pathogen infection. However, dengue virus (DENV), an RNA virus without a DNA stage in its life cycle, also manipulates cGAS-STING–mediated innate immunity by proteolytic degradation

Excessive tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is known to cause significant pathology. Paradoxically, deficiency in TNF (TNF−/−) also caused substantial pathology during respiratory ectromelia virus (ECTV) infection, a surrogate model for smallpox. TNF−/− mice succumbed to fulminant disease whereas wild-type mice, and those engineered to express only transmembrane TNF (mTNF), fully recovered. TNF deficiency

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, an infectious disease in the tropics and subtropics with high morbidity and mortality. The facultative intracellular bacterium induces host cell fusion through its type VI secretion system 5 (T6SS5) as an important part of its pathogenesis in mammalian hosts. This allows it to spread intercellularly without encountering extracellular

Through a process called “bioturbation,” burrowing macrofauna have altered the seafloor habitat and modified global carbon cycling since the Cambrian. However, the impact of macrofauna on the community structure of microorganisms is poorly understood. Here, we show that microbial communities across bioturbated, but geochemically and sedimentologically divergent, continental margin sites are highly

Neurotropic strains of mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), a coronavirus, cause acute and chronic demyelinating encephalomyelitis with similarities to the human disease multiple sclerosis. Here, using a lineage-tracking system, we show that some cells, primarily oligodendrocytes (OLs) and oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), survive the acute MHV infection, are associated with regions of demyelination

In eukaryotic cells, the N-terminal amino moiety of many proteins is modified by N-acetyltransferases (NATs). This protein modification can alter the folding of the target protein; can affect binding interactions of the target protein with substrates, allosteric effectors, or other proteins; or can trigger protein degradation. In prokaryotes, only ribosomal proteins are known to be N-terminally acetylated

The skin of humans and animals is colonized by commensal and pathogenic fungi and bacteria that share this ecological niche and have established microbial interactions. Malassezia are the most abundant fungal skin inhabitant of warm-blooded animals and have been implicated in skin diseases and systemic disorders, including Crohn’s disease and pancreatic cancer. Flavohemoglobin is a key enzyme involved

After acute kidney injury (AKI), patients either recover or alternatively develop fibrosis and chronic kidney disease. Interactions between injured epithelia, stroma, and inflammatory cells determine whether kidneys repair or undergo fibrosis, but the molecular events that drive these processes are poorly understood. Here, we use single nucleus RNA sequencing of a mouse model of AKI to characterize

Albuminuria is an independent risk factor for the progression to end-stage kidney failure, cardiovascular morbidity, and premature death. As such, discovering signaling pathways that modulate albuminuria is desirable. Here, we studied the transcriptomes of podocytes, key cells in the prevention of albuminuria, under diabetic conditions. We found that Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was significantly down-regulated