A Donut-Shaped Protein Breaks Apart to Start Bacterial Cell Division
Researchers at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona have uncovered how the donut‑shaped MraZ protein remodels to activate bacterial cell division. Using X‑ray crystallography and cryo‑electron microscopy, they visualized MraZ breaking apart so four subunits can engage four six‑nucleotide boxes in the dcw operon promoter of Mycoplasma genitalium. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows this structural transition is likely universal among bacteria, linking transcriptional control directly to the division machinery.
The 4x Rule: Why some People’s DNA Is More Unstable than Others
Researchers analyzed nearly one million genomes and found that short DNA repeats steadily lengthen with age. Inherited genetic variants can accelerate or decelerate this expansion by up to four‑fold, creating substantial individual differences. The study uncovered a previously unknown repeat...