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Discovery of plant reproductive success provides insights into human fertility

Scientists have discovered a protein called SCEP3 that ensures even chromosome segregation in plants, preventing infertility and genetic diseases. This finding has implications for plant breeding and understanding human fertility, with the equivalent gene SIX6OS1 potentially playing a role in promoting correct chromosome segregation.

SourceUniversity of Leicester·JournalNature Plants·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 18, 2025

A specific human gene can help the heart repair itself from heart attack or heart failure

A naturally occurring gene called Cyclin A2, normally silenced in humans, can make new functioning heart cells and aid in the heart's repair. The breakthrough discovery could lead to new techniques for repairing damaged hearts as an alternative to transplants or implanted cardiac devices.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·Journalnpj Regenerative Medicine·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 3, 2025

Memories of mitosis: Molecular mechanism that detects defects during cell division could aid cancer treatment

Researchers discovered a protein complex that eliminates potentially harmful cells over time by measuring the duration of mitosis. The Mitotic Stopwatch Complex starts forming after prolonged mitosis and triggers cell arrest or death, providing new insights into cancer development.

Crowd control

Researchers found that confined epithelial cells regulate their size and cell cycle separately, suppressing growth but not division length. The team used lab-grown tissue to observe how cells respond to confinement, revealing a new framework for understanding tissue development and growth.

SourceUniversity of Chicago·JournalDevelopmental Cell·DateJul 28, 2023

How the genome is packed into chromosomes that can be faithfully moved during cell division

The Gerlich Group at IMBA found that histone acetylation establishes a sharp surface boundary on chromosomes, resisting microtubule perforation. Chromatin phase separation and DNA looping by condensin cooperates to build mitotic chromosomes with unique physical properties.

Chung-Ang University researchers use biomolecule-loaded metal-organic frameworks nanopatterns to aid artificial stem cell differentiation

A new platform mimics live cellular environment to guide stem cell differentiation outside the body. Researchers from Chung-Ang University developed a novel platform based on metal-organic frameworks, which offers advantages over conventional methods for in vitro stem cell differentiation.

SourceChung Ang University·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 9, 2022

Crowning a quest into a very well-guarded secret: Structure of the kinetochore corona finally revealed

Researchers have deciphered the structure of the kinetochore corona, a complex protein assembly that plays a pivotal role in chromosome segregation. The study, published in The EMBO Journal, provides new insights into how this critical process is regulated and offers a framework for future studies on cell division.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology·JournalThe EMBO Journal·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 8, 2022

The origin of neuronal diversity

Researchers developed a new technique to analyze brain cell development, finding that cells of similar types are often unrelated and can converge from different progenitors. Conversely, different cell types can diverge from the same progenitor, determining their fate during differentiation.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature·DateDec 16, 2021

Chromosomes separation under focus

A UNIGE team has identified important regulatory mechanisms of the protein responsible for chromosome separation. The study reveals that inhibitory proteins block separase activity by occupying sites that recognize the cohesin substrate, preventing cleavage.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalNature·DateJul 21, 2021

A divided cell is a doubled cell

Researchers achieve complete control over vesicle division using osmosis and enzymatic reactions, producing single-phase 'daughter cells' with different membrane compositions. The team can also grow these cells back into phase-separated vesicles by fusing them with tiny vesicles.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateMar 25, 2021

'Make two out of one' -- division of artificial cells

Researchers at Max Planck Institute have achieved unprecedented control over the shape transformations and division process of artificial cells by anchoring low densities of proteins to the cell membranes. This simplified mechanism does not depend on precise molecular interactions, making it a promising tool for synthetic biology.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 24, 2020

Plant cells inherit knowledge of where's up and where's down from mother cell

Researchers at IST Austria found that plant cells inherit knowledge of where is up and down from their mother cell. The directional transport of hormone auxin sets up polarization, but this depends on polar distribution of PIN auxin transporters. Endocytosis and phosphorylation of PIN transporters are crucial for re-establishing polarity.

How yeast cells detect genetic infections

Researchers discovered a novel defence mechanism in yeast cells that uses centromeres to detect and neutralize foreign genetic material. This mechanism ensures that potentially harmful DNA is confined within one cell, while the daughter cell contains only reliable DNA.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalCell·DateOct 11, 2018

Biophysics: Self-centered

Researchers developed a model explaining how the plane of cell division is specified in bacteria Myxococcus xanthus. The critical component PomZ proteins bind to DNA and recruit a cluster, then detach and diffuse, tethering it to the nucleoid. This system ensures accurate division by balancing forces and thermal fluctuations.

SourceLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateAug 31, 2018

New control of cell division discovered

A class of enzymes, DYRK3, has been found to promote mixing of phases in cells during division, ensuring correct distribution of genetic material, organelles, and cell contents. This process is crucial for preventing errors like those seen in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalNature·DateJul 12, 2018

Packing a genome, step-by-step

Researchers have solved a biological mystery by detailing the step-by-step process of genome folding, which involves coiling up long chromosome tangles and twisting them into spiral staircase structures. The study provides an efficient packing strategy that explains how cells can reliably bundle their chromosomes during cell division.

Scientists figure out how cell division timer works

Researchers at KU Leuven unravelled how the cell division timer is switched on and off, potentially leading to effective cancer therapy. The discovery involves a biochemical clock that gives cells time to fix attachment-related problems, allowing for more efficient cell division.

SourceKU Leuven·JournalMolecular Cell·DateNov 9, 2017

Breaking cell symmetry

Researchers discover that cortical tension plays a key role in clustering proteins and establishing cell polarity. This force-driven mechanism allows cells to establish polarity without wasting energy by actively transporting proteins or cellular components.

SourceNational University of Singapore·JournalNature Cell Biology·DateNov 6, 2017