Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a foodborne pathogen that causes bloody diarrhea and hemolytic uremic syndrome by disrupting the intestinal brush border. During infection, EHEC injects the transmembrane virulence factor Tir into enterocytes; upon insertion into the apical membrane, Tir mediates bacterial attachment and drives formation of actin-rich pedestals needed for colonization. How Tir is […]
Investigating the axoneme CCDC40 protein reveals new insights in trypanosome morphogenesis and division
Cilia and flagella contribute to cell morphogenesis in multiple organisms. In the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the flagellum is attached along the length of the cell body and acts as a guide for cell division, while its motility function is required for the completion of cytokinesis. To tease apart the contributions of flagellum length and motility […]
An ASXL3-thyroid hormone axis in parvalbumin interneurons controls autism-like behaviors
Pathogenic variants in ASXL3 underlie autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but how they perturb neural circuits and whether defects are reversible remain unclear. Here we show that Asxl3 haploinsufficiency in mice reduces cortical thickness and upper-layer projection neurons while increasing parvalbumin (PV) interneuron density and producing ASD-like behavioral abnormalities. Mechanistically, Asxl3 loss derepresses the thyroid hormone […]
Functional Interaction of SKA and NDC80 Complexes at Kinetochores Promoting Anaphase Onset in Mitosis
The kinetochore and spindle complex (SKA) and NDC80 complexes are essential kinetochore elements that ensure highly accurate chromosome segregation and successful progression through mitosis. The SKA heterodimer complex consists of SKA1, SKA2, and SKA3 subunits, and the NDC80 complex contains NDC80, NUF2, SPC24, and SPC25 subunits. Through live cell fluorescence timelapse imaging assays and expression […]
Hippocampal astrocytes contribute to encoding context-specific aversive stimuli to regulate fear-related behavior
In contextual fear conditioning, subjects learn to associate a neutral environment with an aversive stimulus and exhibit fear responses to that context, signaling danger. Neuronal activity in hippocampal-amygdala circuits has been shown extensively to underlie the conditioning and recall of contextual fear memories, yet the direct contribution of astrocytes to integrating stimulus and contextual information […]
TGIF is a golgin-like protein required for Golgi structural maintenance and function in Toxoplasma gondii
The Golgi is an essential organelle that serves as a central hub for endomembrane trafficking. In the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, a single Golgi stack is essential for parasite survival; however, the molecular determinants governing Golgi structure and function remain poorly understood. Here, we characterize a Golgi-associated protein that is required for Golgi integrity and […]
Dimeric Alix nucleates ESCRT-III CHMP4 polymerization
Alix is a key adaptor protein of the endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) membrane remodeling machinery. Although Alix-mediated recruitment of the ESCRT-III subunit CHMP4 is well established, the molecular mechanisms underlying Alix activation and ESCRT-III polymerization remain poorly understood. Here, we present the crystal structure of the dimeric Alix V-domain (Alix-V) in complex […]
A unified ensemble-allosteric framework reconciles gain- and loss-of-function disease mutations in the IP3 receptor
Missense mutations in multidomain signalling proteins often produce divergent functional phenotypes despite preserved structural integrity, posing a fundamental challenge for interpreting human genetic variation. This problem is exemplified by the type 1 inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor, IP3R1, the principal neuronal IP3-gated Ca2+ release channel and a recurrent locus of pathogenic variation in ITPR1-associated ataxias and neurodevelopmental […]
Discovering genetic loci associated with rate of vegetative index gain using UAV-based phenomics in spring wheat
In wheat, the pre-heading stage determines spikelet formation, floret fertility, and canopy development, making it a critical window for early stress detection and yield potential. The genetic basis of pre-heading canopy development in wheat has remained constrained by the conventional phenotyping due to the low temporal resolution. Here, we quantified the rate of vegetation index […]
Xanthomonas translucens inhibits defense responses independently of the Type III secretion system and is recognized by cereal the immune system
Bacterial leaf streak disease (BLS), caused by Xanthomonas translucens, is a re-emerging disease of cereals with few effective control measures. Although the disease was identified over 100 years ago, the fundamental molecular biology and mechanisms governing host-pathogen interactions, colonization, host responses, and disease development are poorly understood. To address these knowledge gaps, we studied the […]
DOC Release and Physiological Response of Zostera marina Under Light and Nutrient Gradients
The seagrass bed, known as an important blue carbon ecosystem, not only has robust carbon sequestration capacity, but also releases the fixed organic carbon into the water column in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Zostera marina is the main constructive species of the seagrass meadows of northern China, but the regulatory mechanism of […]
Low intra-microbiota antagonism underlies stable and protective barley root microbiota
Plants rely on root-associated microbiota for growth and pathogen protection, yet the community properties underlying stable beneficial functions remain unclear. Here, we show that low intra-microbiota antagonism is associated with stability and pathogen protection in the barley root microbiota. Using a comprehensive culture collection of barley root endophytes, we reconstructed bacterial synthetic communities (SynComs) and […]