Cell cycle progression is characterized by the periodic synthesis and destruction of a host of regulatory proteins that produces oscillating waves of activity, such as cyclin‐dependent kinase (Cdk) activity, to drive unidirectional advancement through the cell cycle. These waves of activity also ensure cells select the optimal mechanism to repair damaged DNA. Cells utilize two major DNA repair pathways

Immunophilins comprise a family of proteins characterized by the presence of a specific sequence that usually shows peptidyl‐prolyl‐(cis/trans )‐isomerase (PPIase) activity, i.e., the reversible cis/trans interconversion of Xaa─Pro bonds. The “PPIase domain” also binds immunosuppressive drugs, a property used to group immunophilins into two main subfamilies: FKBPs (FK506‐binding proteins) and CyPs

We're nearing that time of year when many get excited (negatively as well as positively) about the issue of a certain journal metric. For the disappointed (particularly in “niche” areas), this is not just “sour grapes”: it's a major problem, and if we aren't able to harness human intelligence to improve on the said metric, we'd better enlist the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI). There is a lot

As noted by Lee et al. in this issue, persistent organic pollutants (POPs) released from adipose during weight loss in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients may attenuate cardiovascular (CV) benefits[1] that should accompany >5% weight reduction and concomitant fall in CV disease risk factors.[2] POP contributions to CV complications is a valuable and timely topic to explore, given the slow rate of POP elimination

Remarkably, over the last decade, nervous tissues have been reported from fossils over 500 million years old.[1] Such evidence is providing unique insights into the nascent evolution of animal nervous systems during the Cambrian Explosion, as well as helping to resolve phylogenetic ambiguities between basal animals. Yet these discoveries, from geological deposits like the renowned Burgess Shale, are

Admixture, the genetic exchange between populations, is a topic of great interest in evolutionary biology. It has been found using observational approaches, and appears to be a common phenomenon in the history of many species across the tree of life. The advent of genomics has provided new ways to detect admixture, quantify the amount of introgressed DNA and pinpoint it in genomes. As a consequence

The AUG codon is a classical signal that tells the ribosome where protein synthesis (translation) should start. Despite in‐depth knowledge about translation initiation, the reason for the evolutionary assignment of this role to AUG is not clear. It was proposed that high metabolic costs of methionine synthesis, the amino acid coded by AUG, allow for the precise regulation of translation initiation

Teeth are highly mineralized structures that develop in specific morphogenetic zones along the jaws within a distinct superficial epithelial unit, the dental lamina.[1] Both represent shared derived characters of all living vertebrates with jaws,[2] but form, number, and arrangement of teeth vary greatly so that they produce either homodont (all teeth are similar) or heterodont (teeth differ morphologically)