Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (original) (raw)

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Putting together pieces of the LIN28A pathway puzzle

Two recent studies provide mechanistic insights into how LIN28A controls changes in cell fate identity, focusing on either a let-7-independent or let-7-dependent pathway of action involving LIN28A.

Identifying nature’s smallest fractals

Snowflakes, seashells and Romanesco broccoli are striking examples of fractal geometries in nature. A recent study published in Nature defines a set of molecular mechanisms for fractal assembly by identifying a nanometer-scale, regular fractal assembled from a native protein found in blue-green algae that likely arose as an evolutionary accident.

AlphaFold3 takes a step toward decoding molecular behavior and biological computation

AlphaFold 3 represents a breakthrough in predicting the 3D structures of complexes directly from their sequences, offering insights into biomolecular interactions. Extending predictions to molecular behavior and function requires a shift from viewing biomolecules as static 3D structures to dynamic conformational ensembles.

Structure of the poxvirus core

Poxviruses range from deadly smallpox to attenuated vaccinia virus used in vaccines and oncolytic vectors. Despite their broad, if antithetical, effects on humankind, the mechanistic details of poxvirus assembly are not known. Here we discuss advances in revealing the structure of the palisade layer which underlies the viral core morphology.

Announcements

NSMB’s 30th anniversary Collection

January 2024 marks 30 years since we published the first volume of NSMB. We will be celebrating this milestone throughout 2024, reflecting on the road covered and looking towards the future.

Join us as we reflect on the Past and Future of NSMB

In January 2024, NSMB will celebrate the 30th anniversary of publishing its first issue. To celebrate, we would like to give our readers, center stage and invite you to send us your comments and letters to the editors, reflecting both on the past and the upcoming years. Details: https://rdcu.be/doiBQ

Latest Research articles

Structural insights into translocation and tailored synthesis of hyaluronan

Hyaluronan (HA) is an essential glycosaminoglycan. Here, the authors provide mechanistic insights into how HA synthase synthesizes HA and creates a membrane-spanning secretion channel, as well as how channel-lining residues modulate the HA length distribution.

Structural insights into CXCR4 modulation and oligomerization

Here, cryo-electron microscopy structures reveal how the chemokine receptor CXCR4 oligomerizes and how it is regulated by its physiological ligand CXCL12, the small-molecule drug AMD3100 and the monoclonal antibody REGN7663.

Cryo-EM structures of the Spo11 core complex bound to DNA

High-resolution structures of DNA-bound multiprotein Spo11 complexes, the DNA-cleaving ensembles that initiate meiotic recombination, elucidate the structural basis of its DNA-binding specificity and explain recombination initiation patterns in vivo.

Latest Reviews & Analysis