Differential Elimination of Marked Sex Chromosomes Enables Production of Nontransgenic Male Mosquitoes in a Single Strain

Research Background The Aedes aegypti mosquito is a primary vector for arboviruses such as dengue and Zika. Current genetic control strategies relying on the release of non-biting males (e.g., Sterile Insect Technique, SIT, or Wolbachia-based Incompatible Insect Technique, IIT) face a critical bottleneck: how to efficiently and cost-effectively iso...

VCP's Nuclear Journey: Initiated by Interacting with KPNB1 to Repair DNA Damage

Academic Background DNA damage repair (DDR) is a core mechanism for maintaining genome stability, and its dysfunction is closely associated with cancer development. Valosin-containing protein (VCP/p97), a member of the AAA+ ATPase family, plays a critical role in DDR by recognizing ubiquitinated proteins and recruiting repair factors (e.g., 53BP1, ...

Coupling Between Electrons' Spin and Proton Transfer in Chiral Biological Crystals

Academic Background Proton transfer plays a central role in biological energy conversion (e.g., ATP synthesis) and signal transduction. Traditional theory posits that protons move via a “hopping mechanism” through water chains or amino acid side chains, while the recently proposed “proton-coupled electron transfer” (PCET) hypothesis suggests that e...

Persistent Pseudopod Splitting is an Effective Chemotaxis Strategy in Shallow Gradients

Academic Background Chemotaxis is a critical behavior in which cells or microorganisms move directionally along chemical gradients, playing vital roles in physiological processes such as immune responses, wound healing, and pathogen infections. However, how cells select optimal motility modes (e.g., pseudopod splitting or de novo formation) in comp...

Molecular Insights into De Novo Small-Molecule Recognition by an Intron RNA Structure

Academic Background RNA, as a carrier of genetic information and functional molecule, has long been considered an “undruggable” target. In recent years, with advances in RNA structural biology, scientists have begun exploring the development of small-molecule drugs targeting RNA. However, this field faces three core challenges: (1) lack of systemat...