Cell biology

Disease-linked mutations disrupt protein phase behavior
Researchers find that pathogenic missense mutations are enriched threefold in phrase-separating intrinsically disordered regions of proteins.

The dual role of asprosin in chronic fatty liver disease
Researchers uncover a hormone called asprosin that may serve as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of chronic fatty liver disease and monitoring disease progression.

Novel inhibitor targets RAS-driven cancers
Researchers in Louisville identify a small-molecule drug that blocks RALGEF signaling downstream of mutant RAS. The compound suppresses tumor growth with low toxicity, revealing a new therapeutic strategy for RAS-driven malignancies.

Catching tau in the act
Using a new proximity-labeling approach, researchers reveal how tangles of the brain-associated protein tau may disrupt RNA biology long before neurons die.

How copper delivery fuels bacterial respiration
Researchers identify the roles of several proteins in copper homeostasis in the aerobic bacterium Caulobacter vibrioides.

Revealing the glycoproteome of a cancer subtype
Researchers mapped the glycoproteome of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and compared it to intrahepatic tumors. Differences in sugar modifications and immune cell content suggest new biomarkers and guide development of targeted immunotherapies.

Heat shock proteins as a promising breast cancer therapeutic
Researchers unveiled isoform-specific targets on heat shock protein 90 which may be beneficial in therapeutic development.

Blood proteomics reveals fungal infection signatures for faster diagnosis
Whole-blood proteomics identifies more than 3,000 host and 160 fungal proteins during cryptococcal infection, offering potential biomarkers for faster diagnosis and improved monitoring without invasive spinal taps.

Novel way to uncover tumor microenvironment proteomics
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science developed a novel single-cell approach that facilitates the study of proteins surrounding lung cancer cells.