Although zygotic genome activation (ZGA) is universally required for development, the responsible transcription factors are poorly conserved. In mammalian totipotent embryos, (pioneer) transcription factors of two families co-regulate many ZGA genes by binding to nearby SINE retrotransposons, which thus function as their enhancers.

Ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic, iron-dependent cell death mechanism driven by plasma membrane lipid peroxidation and subsequent plasma membrane rupture. Various cellular compartments and organelles contribute to regulating susceptibility to ferroptosis. This regulation involves a plethora of mechanisms centred on iron metabolism and storage, lipid metabolism, and redox balance.

A study that helped explain how lack of sequence conservation can go hand in hand with functional conservation.

The authors of a new study characterize blebbisomes, large extracellular vesicles that contain functional mitochondria and other organelles and have significant roles in inter-cellular communication and the tumour microenvironment.

This study shows that zotatifin selectively inhibits the translation of prostate cancer oncogene transcripts by restructuring their 5′ untranslated regions. In mice, this agent reversed treatment resistance, which led to improved survival.

Carrie Bernecky describes why the first solved structure of RNA polymerase II was important for transcription researchers, structural biologists, and beyond.

Subunits of mitochondrial and cytosolic ribosomes need to be targeted to their correction cellular location. A study identified a mitochondrial avoidance segment in a eukaryotic cytosolic ribosome subunit that prevents its mislocalization to mitochondria.

Synonymous mutations can promote tumorigenesis by perturbing m⁶A modification of tumour suppressor mRNAs.