Table Of Contents Page, PNAS Volume 122, Number 14
This Week in PNAS
Core Concepts
QnAs
Commentaries
Perspectives
A well-functioning society requires well-functioning institutions that ensure prosperity,
fair distribution of wealth, social participation, security, and informative media.
Such institutions are built on a foundation of trust. However, while trust is ...
Evolutionary game theory (EGT)—overwhelmingly employed today for the study of cooperation
in various systems, from microbes to cancer and from insect to human societies—started
with the seminal 1973 paper by Maynard Smith and Price showing that limited ...
Letters
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Reply to Falkingham et al.: Trackway shows flap-running in feathered dinosaurs
View the original article:Theropod trackways as indirect evidence of pre-avian aerial behavior
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Brief Reports
The CRISPR-Cas system is a well-known adaptive immune system in bacteria, and a prominent
mechanism for evading this immunity involves anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, which employ
various methods to neutralize the CRISPR-Cas system. In this study, using ...
Uniformly distributed point sets of low discrepancy are heavily used in experimental
design and across a very wide range of applications such as numerical integration,
computer graphics, and finance. Recent methods based on Graph Neural Networks [T.
K. ...
Physical Sciences
Applied Physical Sciences
Supersonic impact of metallic microparticles onto metallic substrates generates extreme
interfacial deformation and high contact pressures, enabling solid-state metallic
bonding. Although higher impact velocities are generally believed to improve bond
...
Chiral structures assembled from colloids are of great interest for applications in
metamaterials and micromachines. However, similar to their molecular counterparts,
these assemblies often result in racemic mixtures. Achieving homochirality by breaking
...
Organic semiconductors (OSCs) are pivotal for next-generation flexible electronics
but are limited by an intrinsic trade-off between mobility and stability. We introduce
adaptive surface doping (ASD), an innovative strategy to overcome this dichotomy in
...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Allosteric proteins exhibit a functional response upon ligand binding far from the
active site. Clostridioides difficile toxins use allosteric binding by the endogenous cofactor myo-inositol hexakisphosphate to orchestrate self-cleavage from within the ...
Microbial colony development hinges upon a myriad of factors, including mechanical,
biochemical, and environmental niches, which collectively shape spatial patterns governed
by intricate gene regulatory networks. The inherent complexity of this phenomenon
...
Chemistry
Mechanical forces can induce chemical reactions, produce chemical signals, and alter
reaction kinetics. Here, using magnetic tweezers–based single-molecule force spectroscopy,
we study the force effects on the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) ...
In this study, we expand the repertoire of biological catalysts by showing that a
halogen bond (X-bond) can functionally replace the magnesium (Mg2+) cofactor in mouse endonuclease G (mEndoG). We mutated the metal coordinating glutamate E136 in mEndoG to ...
Signal duration and subcellular location are emerging as important facets of G protein–coupled
receptor (GPCR) function. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a clinically
relevant class B1 GPCR, stimulates production of the second messenger ...
Engineering
Intra-articular delivery of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) is likely
to be most effective in the early stages of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA),
when symptoms are minimal, and patients remain physically active. To ensure effective
...
Physics
One of the archetypal examples of active flows is a busy concourse crossed by people
moving in different directions according to their personal destinations. When the
crowd is isotropic—comprising individuals moving in all different directions—the ...
Social Sciences
Anthropology
Demographic interaction processes play a pivotal role during episodes of cultural
diffusion between different populations, particularly when these episodes can lead
to competition for the same resources and geographic space. The diffusion of farming
is ...
The Late Pleistocene of Eurasia is key for understanding interactions between early
modern humans and different types of archaic human groups. During this period, lithic
technology shows more diversity and complexity, likely indicating flexible adaptative
...
Economic Sciences
This study examines the long-term association between income and life expectancy in
Sweden between 1960 and 2021. The study is based on register data that include all
Swedish permanent residents aged 40 y and older. The results show that the gap in
life ...
Historical trends suggest the decline in the importance of land as a production factor,
as evidenced by the decline in the employment and gross domestic product (GDP) shares
of land-intensive industries. However, land continues to be a prominent store of ...
This study examines the relationship between academic achievement and strategic ability
to coordinate among middle school students. We designed an experimental framework
using repeated asymmetric Battle of the Sexes and Hawk–Dove games, to explore how
...
Environmental Sciences
We provide national-scale experimental evidence from China showing that transparency
by local governments improves the management of air pollution. Governments that perform
better have more reasons to be transparent, making the causal relationship between
...
Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
Americans dramatically overestimate the size of African American, Latino, Muslim,
Asian, Jewish, immigrant, and LGBTQ populations, leading to concerns about downstream
racial attitudes and policy preferences. Such errors are common whenever the public
is ...
Sustainability Science
We provide national-scale experimental evidence from China showing that transparency
by local governments improves the management of air pollution. Governments that perform
better have more reasons to be transparent, making the causal relationship between
...
Biological Sciences
Applied Biological Sciences
Skeletal muscles grow substantially during childhood. However, quantitative information
about the size of typically developing children’s muscles is sparse. Here, the objective
was to construct muscle-specific reference curves for lower leg muscle volumes ...
Biochemistry
In this study, we expand the repertoire of biological catalysts by showing that a
halogen bond (X-bond) can functionally replace the magnesium (Mg2+) cofactor in mouse endonuclease G (mEndoG). We mutated the metal coordinating glutamate E136 in mEndoG to ...
Voltage-sensor domains (VSDs), found in many voltage-sensitive ion channels and enzymes,
are composed of four transmembrane helices (TMHs), including the atypical, highly
positively charged S4 helix. VSDs are cotranslationally inserted into the membrane,
...
The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is a major regulator of cell and organismal
growth. Consequently, hyperactivation of PI3K and its downstream effector kinase,
Akt, is observed in many human cancers. Pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich ...
A hallmark of retrovirus replication is the translation of two different polyproteins
from one RNA through programmed –1 frameshifting. This is a mechanism in which the
actively translating ribosome is induced to slip in the 5′ direction at a defined
...
Pertussis toxin (PT) is a key protective antigen in vaccine- and natural immunity-mediated
protection from Bordetella pertussis infection. Despite its importance, no PT-neutralizing epitopes have been characterized
structurally. To define neutralizing ...
In eukaryotes, the origin recognition complex (ORC) promotes the assembly of minichromosome
maintenance 2 to 7 complexes into a head-to-head double hexamer at origin DNA in a
process known as replication licensing. In this study, we present a series of ...
Biophysics and Computational Biology
Allosteric proteins exhibit a functional response upon ligand binding far from the
active site. Clostridioides difficile toxins use allosteric binding by the endogenous cofactor myo-inositol hexakisphosphate to orchestrate self-cleavage from within the ...
The human voltage-gated potassium channels KCNQ2, KCNQ3, and KCNQ5 can form homo-
and heterotetrameric channels that are responsible for generating the neuronal M current
and maintaining the membrane potential stable. Activation of KCNQ channels requires
...
The Vibrio cholerae Cascade–TniQ complex unveiled a new paradigm in biology, demonstrating that CRISPR-associated
proteins can direct DNA transposition. Despite the tremendous potential of “knocking-in”
genes at desired sites, the mechanisms underlying ...
Genome maintenance and stability rely on the repair of DNA double-strand breaks. Breaks
can be repaired via the single-strand-annealing pathway mediated by the protein RAD52.
RAD52 oligomerizes to rings that are thought to promote annealing. However, ...
THIK1 tandem pore domain (K2P) potassium channels regulate microglial surveillance
of the central nervous system and responsiveness to inflammatory insults. With microglia
recognized as critical to the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, THIK1 ...
Cell Biology
The maintenance of lipid asymmetry (Mla) system in gram-negative bacteria transfers
phospholipids between the outer and inner membrane to maintain the outer membrane
asymmetry. Misplaced phospholipids are extracted from the outer leaflet of the outer
...
The cnidarian–dinoflagellate symbiosis relies on the regulation of resident symbiont
populations to maintain biomass stability; however, the relative importance of host
regulatory mechanisms [cell-cycle arrest (CC), apoptosis (AP), autophagy (AU), and
...
Bacterial invasion into the cytoplasm of epithelial cells triggers the activation
of the cellular autophagic machinery as a defense mechanism, a process known as xenophagy.
In this study, we identified HEATR3, an LC3-interacting region (LIR)-containing ...
Developmental Biology
The mature mammalian auditory sensory organ, the organ of Corti (OC), lacks the capacity
for regenerating hair cells, leading to permanent hearing impairment. In contrast,
the vestibular system has a limited capacity for hair cell regeneration, which we
...
Zinc (Zn2+) homeostasis is essential for gametogenesis and reproduction, and its deficiency
causes infertility. Oocytes contain higher Zn2+ levels than somatic cells, and Zn2+ concentrations in oocytes are far higher than those of other transition metals ...
In recent decades, the traditional paradigm of three distinct germ layers formed during
gastrulation has been revised with the identification of neuromesodermal progenitors
(NMPs). These progenitors emerge during gastrulation and contribute to both the ...
Ecology
Echolocating bats rely on active acoustic sensing to perceive their environment. When
multiple bats fly together, echolocating simultaneously, the calls emitted by nearby
conspecifics could interfere with and mask the echoes necessary for orientation. ...
High juvenile susceptibility drives infectious disease epidemics across kingdoms,
yet the evolutionary mechanisms that maintain this susceptibility are unclear. We
tested the hypothesis that juvenile susceptibility is maintained by high costs of
...
Pollinators are critical for food production and ecosystem function. Although native
pollinators are thought to be declining, the evidence is limited. This first, taxonomically
diverse assessment for mainland North America north of Mexico reveals that ...
Climate change is redistributing life on Earth, with profound impacts for ecosystems
and human well-being. While repeat surveys separated by multidecadal intervals can
determine whether observed shifts are in the expected direction (e.g., poleward or
...
Genetics
The tumor microenvironment (TME) encompasses various cell types, blood and lymphatic
vessels, and noncellular constituents like extracellular matrix (ECM) and cytokines.
These intricate interactions between cellular and noncellular components contribute
...
Immunology and Inflammation
Recent sero-epidemiological studies have strengthened the hypothesis that Epstein–Barr
virus (EBV) may be a causal factor in multiple sclerosis (MS). Given the complexity
of the EBV–host interaction, various mechanisms may be responsible for the disease
...
The lungs are constantly exposed to the external environment and a myriad of antigenic
challenges within the air. Chronic exposure to allergens and other airborne antigens
can result in the formation of lymphocyte aggregates in the lung, which can harbor
...
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive cancers, primarily
due to its complex tumor microenvironment (TME), which drives both disease progression
and therapy resistance. Understanding the molecular mechanisms governing TME ...
Medical Sciences
Intra-articular delivery of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) is likely
to be most effective in the early stages of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA),
when symptoms are minimal, and patients remain physically active. To ensure effective
...
Gamma Secretase Inhibitors (GSIs) effectively block oncogenic Notch homolog-1 (NOTCH1),
a characteristic feature of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias (T-ALL). However,
their clinical application has been stalled by the induction of severe ...
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common cause of inherited retinal degeneration
worldwide. It is characterized by the sequential death of rod and cone photoreceptors,
the cells responsible for night and daylight vision, respectively. Although the ...
Microbiology
Upon infection, the podophages usually eject a couple of proteins from the capsid
to form a transmembrane ejectosome on the host cell membrane that facilitates the
ejection of viral genome. However, it remains unclear how these proteins of pre-ejectosome
...
Lenacapavir (GS-6207; LEN) is a potent HIV-1 capsid inhibitor approved for treating
multidrug-resistant infection. LEN binds to a hydrophobic pocket between neighboring
capsid (CA) proteins in hexamers and stabilizes the capsid lattice, but its effect
on ...
The posttranslational modification (PTM) of innate immune sensor proteins by ubiquitin
or ubiquitin-like proteins is crucial for regulating antiviral host responses. The
cytoplasmic dsRNA receptor melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) ...
Neuroscience
Despite a century of development of antiseizure medications, up to a third of people
with epilepsy do not achieve seizure freedom with drug therapy. Deep brain stimulation
is of growing use, but just as with pharmacotherapy, is not universally effective.
...
Pathogenic coding mutations are prevalent in human neuronal transcription factors
(TFs) but how they disrupt development is poorly understood. Lmx1b is a master transcriptional
regulator of postmitotic Pet1 neurons that give rise to mature serotonin (5-HT)...
We often exert greater cognitive resources (i.e., listening effort) to understand
speech under challenging acoustic conditions. This mechanism can be overwhelmed in
those with hearing loss, resulting in cognitive fatigue in adults and potentially
impeding ...
Inducing apparent memory recall by tagging and optogenetically reactivating cells
in the hippocampus was demonstrated over a decade ago. However, the hippocampal dynamics
resulting from this reactivation remain largely unknown. While calcium imaging is
...
Homeostatic synaptic plasticity (HSP) is a neuronal mechanism that allows networks
to compensate for prolonged changes in activity by adjusting synaptic strength. This
process is crucial for maintaining stable brain function and has been implicated in
...
The brain criticality hypothesis postulates that brain dynamics are set at a phase
transition where information processing is optimized. Long-range temporal correlations
(TCs) characterizing the dissipation of information within a signal have been shown
...
There is a substantial body of evidence elucidating the pathophysiological aspects
of excitotoxicity in the mammalian cochlea. However, the question of whether the resultant
damage is reversible remains unresolved. To replicate an excitotoxic event, we ...
The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans feeds by rhythmic contraction and relaxation of a neuromuscular organ called the
pharynx, which draws in and filters water and bacterial food. This behavior is driven
by myogenic plateau potentials, long-lasting ...
Pharmacology
Signal duration and subcellular location are emerging as important facets of G protein–coupled
receptor (GPCR) function. The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R), a clinically
relevant class B1 GPCR, stimulates production of the second messenger ...
Physiology
Recent projections suggest that large geographical areas will soon experience heat
and humidity exceeding limits for human thermoregulation. The survivability limits
modeled in that research were based on laboratory studies suggesting that humans cannot
...
Plant Biology
Auxin Response Factor (ARF) plant transcription factors are the key effectors in auxin
signaling. Their DNA-Binding Domain (DBD) contains a B3 domain that allows base-specific
interactions with Auxin Response Elements (AuxREs) in DNA target sites. Land ...
Meiotic crossovers rearrange allele combinations and create offspring diversity. Crossovers
occur nonrandomly along chromosomes, predominantly in distal euchromatin and less
in pericentromeric heterochromatin marked with histone H3 lysine 9 dimethylation (...
Sustainability Science
Recent projections suggest that large geographical areas will soon experience heat
and humidity exceeding limits for human thermoregulation. The survivability limits
modeled in that research were based on laboratory studies suggesting that humans cannot
...
Systems Biology
Microbial colony development hinges upon a myriad of factors, including mechanical,
biochemical, and environmental niches, which collectively shape spatial patterns governed
by intricate gene regulatory networks. The inherent complexity of this phenomenon
...
High tumor mutational burden (TMB-H) is a predictive biomarker for the responsiveness
of cancer to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy that indicates whether immune
cells can sufficiently recognize cancer cells as nonself. However, about 30% of all
...
Splenic T cells are pivotal to the immune system, yet their function deteriorates
with age. To elucidate the specific aspects of T cell biology affected by aging, we
conducted a comprehensive multi–time point single-cell RNA sequencing study, complemented
...
Corrections
SI Corrections
Cover image: Pictured is a greater mouse-tailed bat. Aya Goldshtein et al. mounted microphones on greater mouse-tailed bats to record the acoustic signals bats use to navigate when exiting a cave alongside thousands of other bats. Although bats experienced acoustic masking due to the numerous echolocation signals emitted, the masking dropped within seconds as the bats rapidly spread apart in space. According to the authors, a sensorimotor model can explain how bats navigate to avoid collisions with other echolocating bats. See the article by Goldshtein et al., e2407810122. Image credit: Jens Rydell (photographer).
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