Using a type I-F SRU as an example, Camara-Wilpert et al. demonstrate that SRUs inhibit CRISPR–Cas immunity via an RNA-based anti-CRISPR mechanism. The type I-F SRU produced a small non-coding RNA (Racr) that mimicked the type I-F CRISPR RNA but resulted in the formation of an aberrant Cas subcomplex that lacked Cas5f and Cas8f, which are essential for target recognition and cleavage. Moreover, the

The development of multidrug resistance in bacteria is a global public health concern, and the genetic and molecular determinants that enable multidrug resistance need to be resolved. It is notable, however, that multidrug resistance is not uniform across all strains of Escherichia coli and is instead concentrated in specific lineages, such as ST131. In an effort to understand this, Connor et al. have

Lysosomal degradation of extracellular and membrane proteins can be facilitated by lysosome-targeted chimeras (LYTACs). LYTACs are bifunctional compounds composed of a small molecule or antibody that recognizes a protein of interest linked to a peptide that directs the chimera to a lysosome-targeting receptor, such as the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor. The efficacy with which LYTACs

As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread around the world, the scientific community desperately searched for therapeutic interventions that could be used to treat and alleviate SARS-CoV-2 infection. Several vaccines were developed quickly (compared with conventional development timelines), tested and manufactured. Two of the earliest effective vaccines were produced using a new approach based on the

Extracellular stimuli can cause transient expression of immediate–early genes (IEGs) in mammalian cells, which further activate expression of late-response genes. The precise regulation of mRNA and protein levels of IEGs is crucial for the adaptive responses of cells to changes in their environment. However, the mechanism that underlies the rapid clearance of the protein products of IEGs is unclear

Original reference: Cell 186, 4059–4073.e27 (2023)

Sodium ion (Na+) levels need to be carefully regulated, which relies on ion channels and transporters that are present in the plasma membrane and organelle membranes, to ensure normal physiology and ion homeostasis. The measurement of organellar Na+ levels is difficult owing to the acidic nature of organelle lumens. To overcome the pH dependence, Zou et al. have developed a pH-insensitive Na+ reporter

A cell can be viewed as interconnected bioelectrical circuits that use electron transfer processes to communicate with each other, with cytochrome c (Cyt c) and its redox processes having a central role. The redox processes of Cyt c are known to occur via electron tunneling, and are crucial for its translocation into the cytosol and modulating its conformation for binding to apoptotic protease activating

Transition metal-catalyzed reactions are widely used for carbon–carbon bond formation in chemical synthesis, owing to their efficiency and reliability. However, the catalysts are often sensitive to moisture or oxygen so adapting transition metal-catalyzed reactions to work in living organisms has proven difficult, which limits their use for in situ synthesis. Synthesis of non-endogenous chemicals at

Original reference: J. Am. Chem. Soc. 145, 21454–21464 (2023)

Byong-Hun Jeon works in the Department of Earth Resources and Environmental Engineering at Hanyang University, South Korea. His research is focused on biodegradation of environmental contaminants. Nature Chemical Biology spoke to Byong-Hun about the chemical biology of phytoremediation and phycoremediation, and the opportunities that they offer.