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Female mutation bias in aye-ayes

February 7, 2025

Female mutation bias in aye-ayes

Aye-ayes are an unusual primate in many respects, especially in their lifestyle and mode of finding and eating prey. Richard Wang, Matthew Hahn and colleagues show that they also have an unusual pattern of mutation bias; older females transmit more mutations than males. This is the only mammal known with such a pattern, raising the possibility that other lemurs may share this trait.

Image credit: David Haring, Duke Lemus Center

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PLOS BIOLOGUE

02/06/2025

Research Article

mRNA stability and cortical development

Dysregulation of RNA stability is linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, but how it contributes to cortical development is not well understood. Lucas Serdar, Debra Silver and co-workers profile the RNA stability landscape of the cortex across development and reveal that the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex is essential for corticogenesis in vivo.

Image credit: pbio.3003031

mRNA stability and cortical development

Recently Published Articles

Current Issue

Current Issue January 2025

02/06/2025

Research Article

Iron–sulfur synthesis in Toxoplasma

Iron-sulfur proteins require specialized assembly pathways and play vital roles in cellular functions. Eléa Renaud, Sébastien Besteiro and co-authors show that the plastid-derived protein HCF101 functions in the cytosolic Fe-S assembly pathway in Toxoplasma gondii, where it is crucial for Fe-S protein assembly and parasite viability.

Image credit: pbio.3003028

Iron–sulfur synthesis in Toxoplasma

02/05/2025

Discovery Report

Horizontally acquired autolysis islands in N. gonorrhoeae

Programmed cell death distinguishes Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis from other non-invasive Neisseria species. Katy Poncin, Christoph Tang and colleagues identify a horizontally acquired genetic island encoding peptides that drive autolysis and human cell lysis, suggesting a role in colonization and disease.


Image credit: pbio.3003001

Horizontally acquired autolysis islands in N. gonorrhoeae

02/04/2025

Research Article

Seamounts are oases for pelagic predators

Seamounts have been likened to ‘oases’ of life in the comparative deserts of the open ocean. This integrated study of tropical seamounts, by Sam Weber, Annette Broderick and co-workers suggests that high faunal biomass is sustained by exogenous energy inputs and that they act as aggregating 'hubs' for marine top predators.

Seamounts are oases for pelagic predators

Image credit: Ascension Island Government Conservation & Fisheries Directorate

02/03/2025

Research Article

MC4R ubiquitination, ciliary exit and body weight

The melanocortin receptor 4 (MC4R) regulates body weight homeostasis at the cilium of hypothalamic neurons, but its levels are very low under unrestricted feeding conditions. Irene Ojeda-Naharros, Maxence Nachury and co-authors find that MC4R accumulation is prevented through continuous ubiquitin- and β-arrestin-dependent exit from cilia, unless MC4R is inhibited by its agonist AgRP.

MC4R ubiquitination, ciliary exit and body weight

Image credit: pbio.3003025

02/03/2025

Research Article

Asymmetry of the trypanosome nuclear pore

How transport directionality is achieved through the trypanosome nuclear pore complex is unclear, as the current structural model is mostly symmetrical. Using a combination of expansion microscopy and proximity labeling, Bernardo Papini Gabiatti, Martin Zoltner, Susanne Kramer and colleagues reveal that the trypanosome nuclear pore has an asymmetrical architecture, with conserved hubs that direct mRNA transport.

Asymmetry of the trypanosome nuclear pore

Image credit: pbio.3003024

02/07/2025

Perspective

Broadening altmetrics

Common altmetrics indices are limited and biased in the social media that they cover. Ivan Jarić, Pavel Pipek and Ana Novoa argue that altmetrics should broaden its scope to provide more reliable metrics for scientific content and communication.

Broadening altmetrics

Image credit: pbio.3003010

01/15/2025

Perspective

Modeling malaria

When models are used to inform decision-making, both their strengths and limitations must be considered. Using malaria as an example, Jaline Gerardin and Melissa Penny explain how and why models are limited and offer guidance for a model to fulfil its purpose.

Modeling malaria

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata

01/15/2025

Perspective

How to improve reproducibility

‘‘Big data" from outsourced or centralized facilities often lacks methodological information. Daniel Sloan and Mark Stenglein outline how and why researchers, service providers, and other parties should report on methodology and sample metadata to improve scientific reproducibility.

How to improve reproducibility

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons Our World In Data

01/10/2025

Perspective

Did pentose lead in the origins of metabolism?

Steffen Lindner and Markus Ralser show that pentose utilization pathways form all life-essential precursors, speculating that the chemistry preserved in pentose metabolism could have been a central structural element in early metabolism.

Did pentose lead in the origins of metabolism?

Image credit: pbio.3002996

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PLOS Biology | ISSN: 1545-7885 (online)