A distinct role of STING in regulating glucose homeostasis through insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion [Cell Biology]
Insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction are two main molecular bases yet to be further elucidated for type 2 diabetes (T2D). Accumulating evidence indicates that stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays an important role in regulating insulin sensitivity. However, its function in β-cells remains unknown. Herein, using global STING knockout (STING−/−)... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 10, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Jingting Qiao, Ziyin Zhang, Shuhui Ji, Tengli Liu, Xiaona Zhang, Yumeng Huang, Wenli Feng, Kunling Wang, Jianyu Wang, Shusen Wang, Zhuo-Xian Meng, Ming Liu Tags: Cell Biology Biological Sciences Source Type: research

The dynamic trophic architecture of open-ocean protist communities revealed through machine-guided metatranscriptomics [Ecology]
Intricate networks of single-celled eukaryotes (protists) dominate carbon flow in the ocean. Their growth, demise, and interactions with other microorganisms drive the fluxes of biogeochemical elements through marine ecosystems. Mixotrophic protists are capable of both photosynthesis and ingestion of prey and are dominant components of open-ocean planktonic communities. Yet the... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 10, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Bennett S. Lambert, Ryan D. Groussman, Megan J. Schatz, Sacha N. Coesel, Bryndan P. Durham, Andrew J. Alverson, Angelicque E. White, E. Virginia Armbrust Tags: Ecology Biological Sciences Source Type: research

Consciousness is supported by near-critical slow cortical electrodynamics [Neuroscience]
Mounting evidence suggests that during conscious states, the electrodynamics of the cortex are poised near a critical point or phase transition and that this near-critical behavior supports the vast flow of information through cortical networks during conscious states. Here, we empirically identify a mathematically specific critical point near which waking... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 10, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Daniel Toker, Ioannis Pappas, Janna D. Lendner, Joel Frohlich, Diego M. Mateos, Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Robin Carhart–Harris, Michelle Paff, Paul M. Vespa, Martin M. Monti, Friedrich T. Sommer, Robert T. Knight, Mark D’Esposito Tags: Neuroscience Biological Sciences Source Type: research

News Feature: Climate change hastens disease spread across the globe [Environmental Sciences]
Trends in some regions are clear, but insect biology, climate quirks, and public health preparedness will determine whether outbreaks occur. Field crews at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station track the diversity and abundance of disease-carrying mosquitoes using traps baited with a yeast–hay infusion mixed with water. They also use traps... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Amy McDermott Tags: News Features, Environmental Sciences, Population Biology, Front Matter Source Type: research

Requirement of Xk and Vps13a for the P2X7-mediated phospholipid scrambling and cell lysis in mouse T cells [Biochemistry]
A high extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration rapidly and reversibly exposes phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) in T cells by binding to the P2X7 receptor, which ultimately leads to necrosis. Using mouse T cell transformants expressing P2X7, we herein performed CRISPR/Cas9 screening for the molecules responsible for P2X7-mediated PtdSer exposure. In addition to... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Yuta Ryoden, Katsumori Segawa, Shigekazu Nagata Tags: Biochemistry Biological Sciences Source Type: research

A perfect X-ray beam splitter and its applications to time-domain interferometry and quantum optics exploiting free-electron lasers [Physics]
X-ray free-electron lasers (FELs) deliver ultrabright X-ray pulses, but not the sequences of phase-coherent pulses required for time-domain interferometry and control of quantum states. For conventional split-and-delay schemes to produce such sequences, the challenge stems from extreme stability requirements when splitting Ångstrom wavelength beams, where the tiniest path-length differences introduce... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Sven Reiche, Gregor Knopp, Bill Pedrini, Eduard Prat, Gabriel Aeppli, Simon Gerber Tags: Biophysics and Computational Biology, Physics Biological Sciences Source Type: research

Nonenzymatic assembly of active chimeric ribozymes from aminoacylated RNA oligonucleotides [Biochemistry]
Aminoacylated transfer RNAs, which harbor a covalent linkage between amino acids and RNA, are a universally conserved feature of life. Because they are essential substrates for ribosomal translation, aminoacylated oligonucleotides must have been present in the RNA world prior to the evolution of the ribosome. One possibility we are exploring... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Aleksandar Radakovic, Saurja DasGupta, Tom H. Wright, Harry R. M. Aitken, Jack W. Szostak Tags: Biochemistry Biological Sciences Source Type: research

Cotranslational interaction of human EBP50 and ezrin overcomes masked binding site during complex assembly [Cell Biology]
Multiprotein assemblages are the intracellular workhorses of many physiological processes. Assembly of constituents into complexes can be driven by stochastic, domain-dependent, posttranslational events in which mature, folded proteins specifically interact. However, inaccessibility of interacting surfaces in mature proteins (e.g., due to “buried” domains) can obstruct complex formation. Mechanisms by which... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Krishnendu Khan, Briana Long, Camelia Baleanu-Gogonea, Valentin Gogonea, Gauravi M. Deshpande, Kommireddy Vasu, Paul L. Fox Tags: Cell Biology Biological Sciences Source Type: research

CCR8-targeted specific depletion of clonally expanded Treg cells in tumor tissues evokes potent tumor immunity with long-lasting memory [Immunology and Inflammation]
Foxp3-expressing CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are abundant in tumor tissues. Here, hypothesizing that tumor Tregs would clonally expand after they are activated by tumor-associated antigens to suppress antitumor immune responses, we performed single-cell analysis on tumor Tregs to characterize them by T cell receptor clonotype and gene-expression profiles. We... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Yujiro Kidani, Wataru Nogami, Yoshiaki Yasumizu, Atsunari Kawashima, Atsushi Tanaka, Yudai Sonoda, Yumi Tona, Kunitaka Nashiki, Reimi Matsumoto, Masaki Hagiwara, Motonao Osaki, Keiji Dohi, Takayuki Kanazawa, Azumi Ueyama, Mai Yoshikawa, Tetsuya Yoshida, M Tags: Immunology and Inflammation Biological Sciences Source Type: research

Intertwined spin, charge, and pair correlations in the two-dimensional Hubbard model in the thermodynamic limit [Physics]
The high-temperature superconducting cuprates are governed by intertwined spin, charge, and superconducting orders. While various state-of-the-art numerical methods have demonstrated that these phases also manifest themselves in doped Hubbard models, they differ on which is the actual ground state. Finite-cluster methods typically indicate that stripe order dominates, while embedded quantum-cluster... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Peizhi Mai, Seher Karakuzu, Giovanni Balduzzi, Steven Johnston, Thomas A. Maier Tags: Physics Physical Sciences Source Type: research

Bivalent recognition of fatty acyl-CoA by a human integral membrane palmitoyltransferase [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
S-acylation, also known as palmitoylation, is the most abundant form of protein lipidation in humans. This reversible posttranslational modification, which targets thousands of proteins, is catalyzed by 23 members of the DHHC family of integral membrane enzymes. DHHC enzymes use fatty acyl-CoA as the ubiquitous fatty acyl donor and become... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 9, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Chul–Jin Lee, Robyn Stix, Mitra S. Rana, Flowreen Shikwana, R. Elliot Murphy, Rodolfo Ghirlando, Jose D. Faraldo–Gomez, Anirban Banerȷee Tags: Biochemistry Biological Sciences Source Type: research

Correction for Williams et al., Chromosome 10q26-driven age-related macular degeneration is associated with reduced levels of HTRA1 in human retinal pigment epithelium [Genetics]
GENETICS Correction for “Chromosome 10q26–driven age-related macular degeneration is associated with reduced levels of HTRA1 in human retinal pigment epithelium,” by Brandi L. Williams, Nathan A. Seager, Jamie D. Gardiner, Chris M. Pappas, Monica C. Cronin, Cristina Amat di San Filippo, Robert A. Anstadt, Jin Liu, Marc A. Toso, Lisa... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 8, 2022 Category: Science Tags: Genetics, Corrections Source Type: research

Correction for Manski et al., Addressing partial identification in climate modeling and policy analysis [Economic Sciences]
ECONOMIC SCIENCES, SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE Correction for “Addressing partial identification in climate modeling and policy analysis,” by Charles F. Manski, Alan H. Sanstad, and Stephen J. DeCanio, which published April 9, 2021; 10.1073/pnas.2022886118 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 118, e2022886118). The authors note that Table 4 and Table 5 appeared incorrectly.... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 8, 2022 Category: Science Tags: Economic Sciences, Corrections, Sustainability Science Source Type: research

In This Issue [This Week in PNAS]
ECOLOGY Trees aglow with the soft colors of autumn in Argentina. Image credit: iStock/ MarcioDufranc. Estimating the number of tree species on Earth Forests provide a wealth of ecosystem services and support much of terrestrial biodiversity. However, the number of tree species worldwide is unclear due to the uneven geographic... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 8, 2022 Category: Science Tags: In This Issue This Week in PNAS Source Type: research

QnAs with David Van Essen [QnAs]
David Van Essen has long been interested in understanding the structure, function, development, and evolution of the cerebral cortex. From the early days of his career, when he manually generated cortical flat-maps of the macaque brain, to his current role as a principal investigator for the Human Connectome Project, Van... (Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - February 8, 2022 Category: Science Authors: Sandeep Ravindran Tags: QnAs Source Type: research