Nature Chemical Biology
@natchembio.nature.com
A scientific journal devoted to publishing the most compelling research, opinion and analysis at the intersection of chemistry and biology.
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Our January issue is live!
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The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore
www.nature.com/nchembio/vol...
The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore
A new paper reports the cryo-EM structure and catalytic mechanism of TrhO, a cofactor-independent enzyme that hydroxylates tRNA wobble uridine using molecular oxygen through a reactive cysteine intermediate
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Unconventional monooxygenation by the O2-dependent tRNA wobble uridine hydroxylase TrhO - Nature Chemical Biology
Shin et al. report the cryo-electron microscopy structure and catalytic mechanism of TrhO, a cofactor-independent enzyme that hydroxylates tRNA wobble uridine using molecular oxygen through a reactive...
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January 20, 2026 at 8:48 PM
A new paper reports the cryo-EM structure and catalytic mechanism of TrhO, a cofactor-independent enzyme that hydroxylates tRNA wobble uridine using molecular oxygen through a reactive cysteine intermediate
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nature Chemical Biology
Out now in @natchembio.nature.com: Xylosyltransferase engineering to manipulate proteoglycans in mammalian cells 🎉 www.nature.com/articles/s41... check out the press release below! #glycotime
January 20, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Out now in @natchembio.nature.com: Xylosyltransferase engineering to manipulate proteoglycans in mammalian cells 🎉 www.nature.com/articles/s41... check out the press release below! #glycotime
A new paper by @thornsesholdlab.bsky.social reports photoswitchable ligands with wavelength-dependent, and concentration-independent, control of TRPC4/5 channels in live tissues
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ideal efficacy photoswitching for chromocontrol of TRPC4/5 channel functions in live tissues - Nature Chemical Biology
Using chemical photoswitchable reagents to exert purely wavelength-dependent control over biological systems in deep tissue and in vivo requires a concentration-independent design paradigm. Here, such...
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January 16, 2026 at 8:46 PM
A new paper by @thornsesholdlab.bsky.social reports photoswitchable ligands with wavelength-dependent, and concentration-independent, control of TRPC4/5 channels in live tissues
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A cell-penetrating peptide blocking ERK lactylation slows KRAS-mutant tumor development
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
GCN5–ERK lactylation–phosphorylation loop amplifies lactate-driven cancer progression - Nature Chemical Biology
Lactate fuels cancer growth by activating ERK signaling through GCN5-mediated lactylation of ERK, which disrupts ERK–MEK interactions. Development of a cell-penetrating peptide blocking lactylation sl...
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January 16, 2026 at 8:45 PM
A cell-penetrating peptide blocking ERK lactylation slows KRAS-mutant tumor development
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
HDAC1 condensation is responsible for temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma by recruiting CCCTC-binding factor and remodeling chromatin in a deacetylase-independent manner
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Deacetylase-independent HDAC1 condensation defines temozolomide response in glioblastoma - Nature Chemical Biology
Zhang et al. found that histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) condensation is responsible for temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma by recruiting CCCTC-binding factor and remodeling chromatin in a deacetyla...
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January 16, 2026 at 8:44 PM
HDAC1 condensation is responsible for temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma by recruiting CCCTC-binding factor and remodeling chromatin in a deacetylase-independent manner
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Using activity-based chemical probes, oncogenic IDH1-R132H but not the WT was found to acquire a unique autopalmitoylation at C269 that is critical for the enzyme’s abnormal activity in cancer
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www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Autopalmitoylation of IDH1-R132H regulates its neomorphic activity in cancer cells - Nature Chemical Biology
Using activity-based chemical probes, oncogenic IDH1-R132H but not the wild type was found to acquire a unique autopalmitoylation at C269. This mutant-specific modification is critical for the enzyme’...
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January 16, 2026 at 8:44 PM
Using activity-based chemical probes, oncogenic IDH1-R132H but not the WT was found to acquire a unique autopalmitoylation at C269 that is critical for the enzyme’s abnormal activity in cancer
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A peptide inhibitor selectively blocks the ATAC histone complex by targets the YEATS2 YEATS domain and suppresses tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Complex-specific inhibitors for interrogating ATAC histone acetyltransferase complex - Nature Chemical Biology
Liu, Liu, Wu and Yao et al. developed a peptide inhibitor that selectively blocks the Ada-two-A-containing histone complex by targeting the YEATS2 YEATS domain and suppresses tumor growth in non-small...
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January 16, 2026 at 8:43 PM
A peptide inhibitor selectively blocks the ATAC histone complex by targets the YEATS2 YEATS domain and suppresses tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 13, 2026 at 8:50 PM
Structural basis for the catalytic mechanism of human lipid phosphate phosphatases
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 13, 2026 at 8:48 PM
Structural basis for the catalytic mechanism of human lipid phosphate phosphatases
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Ubiquitin acts as a proteinaceous glue to fasten the intersubunit interaction within the Polycomb repressive deubiquitinase complex to allosterically enhance its activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 13, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Ubiquitin acts as a proteinaceous glue to fasten the intersubunit interaction within the Polycomb repressive deubiquitinase complex to allosterically enhance its activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
LipoID profiles lipid droplet interactions and identifies interorganelle regulators
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 13, 2026 at 8:44 PM
LipoID profiles lipid droplet interactions and identifies interorganelle regulators
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
RNA capped with dinucleoside polyphosphates has been recently discovered in bacteria and eukaryotes. A new paper provides a structural explanation of how dinucleoside polyphosphates initiate RNA transcription
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 13, 2026 at 8:43 PM
RNA capped with dinucleoside polyphosphates has been recently discovered in bacteria and eukaryotes. A new paper provides a structural explanation of how dinucleoside polyphosphates initiate RNA transcription
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Activity-based protein profiling covalent small molecules that potentiate the activity of the METTL5:TRMT112 complex through binding to a complexoform-restricted allosteric pocket absent in other TRMT112:methyltransferase complexes
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Activity-based protein profiling covalent small molecules that potentiate the activity of the METTL5:TRMT112 complex through binding to a complexoform-restricted allosteric pocket absent in other TRMT112:methyltransferase complexes
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Nature Chemical Biology
Short fatty acids, custom synthesized by engineered yeast 🧫
Here it is: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🤝✨ Fantastic team effort — thanks to Yongjin Zhou!
Science made possible at @goetheuni.bsky.social 🏛️🔬
Here it is: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🤝✨ Fantastic team effort — thanks to Yongjin Zhou!
Science made possible at @goetheuni.bsky.social 🏛️🔬
January 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Short fatty acids, custom synthesized by engineered yeast 🧫
Here it is: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🤝✨ Fantastic team effort — thanks to Yongjin Zhou!
Science made possible at @goetheuni.bsky.social 🏛️🔬
Here it is: doi.org/10.1038/s415...
🤝✨ Fantastic team effort — thanks to Yongjin Zhou!
Science made possible at @goetheuni.bsky.social 🏛️🔬
Engineering polymerases to synthesize alternative genetic polymers remains a challenge. Using DNA shuffling and droplet microfluidics, this study provides a short evolutionary path from a DNA polymerase to one with robust RNA-synthesizing activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Engineering polymerases to synthesize alternative genetic polymers remains a challenge. Using DNA shuffling and droplet microfluidics, this study provides a short evolutionary path from a DNA polymerase to one with robust RNA-synthesizing activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Glycosylation often functions to mediate protein folding, stability, and protein-protein interactions. Here, O-GlcNAcylation of histone H2B S112 allosterically activates E2 enzyme RAD6A and directly enhances its activity for H2B K120 monoubiquitylation
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Glycosylation often functions to mediate protein folding, stability, and protein-protein interactions. Here, O-GlcNAcylation of histone H2B S112 allosterically activates E2 enzyme RAD6A and directly enhances its activity for H2B K120 monoubiquitylation
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A new paper developed a photo-crosslinking platform to capture ligands from complex samples, identifying Little-LEN as a ligand for GPR50 which coordinately regulates body metabolism
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 4:54 PM
A new paper developed a photo-crosslinking platform to capture ligands from complex samples, identifying Little-LEN as a ligand for GPR50 which coordinately regulates body metabolism
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A new paper reports the upper S1-S4 pocket as a multifunctional regulatory hub for TRPM5. Its probing reveals the mechanism of communication between the transmembrane and intracellular domains in the modulation of TRPM5 activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 4:53 PM
A new paper reports the upper S1-S4 pocket as a multifunctional regulatory hub for TRPM5. Its probing reveals the mechanism of communication between the transmembrane and intracellular domains in the modulation of TRPM5 activity
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A new paper reports on a synthetic yeast toolbox that programs cell-cell adhesion and cross-feeding, enabling spatial patterning coupled with division of labor, boosting high-value antioxidant resveratrol production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 12, 2026 at 4:50 PM
A new paper reports on a synthetic yeast toolbox that programs cell-cell adhesion and cross-feeding, enabling spatial patterning coupled with division of labor, boosting high-value antioxidant resveratrol production
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Cryo-EM structures of type-I and type-II Lamassu systems in apo and double-stranded DNA-bound states reveal the unique architecture and mechanisms of this prokaryotic antiphage system
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2026 at 9:01 PM
Cryo-EM structures of type-I and type-II Lamassu systems in apo and double-stranded DNA-bound states reveal the unique architecture and mechanisms of this prokaryotic antiphage system
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Biopolymers can couple to membrane lipids and condense to prewet membranes. A new paper shows prewetting is sensitive to membrane composition and phase transitions and can drive interorganelle contact #lipidtime
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Biopolymers can couple to membrane lipids and condense to prewet membranes. A new paper shows prewetting is sensitive to membrane composition and phase transitions and can drive interorganelle contact #lipidtime
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A DNA nanoruler platform enables precise measurement of the labeling radii of TurboID and APEX2, uncovering their contact-dependent mechanisms
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2026 at 8:55 PM
A DNA nanoruler platform enables precise measurement of the labeling radii of TurboID and APEX2, uncovering their contact-dependent mechanisms
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
A new Perspective highlights advances in BRET technology for measuring intracellular drug-target engagement
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2026 at 8:51 PM
A new Perspective highlights advances in BRET technology for measuring intracellular drug-target engagement
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The enzyme PCMT1 was found to install a C-terminal cyclic imide modification on proteins that marks them for degradation by CRBN, uncovering a conserved protein turnover pathway with implications in metabolism and neurological function
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
January 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM
The enzyme PCMT1 was found to install a C-terminal cyclic imide modification on proteins that marks them for degradation by CRBN, uncovering a conserved protein turnover pathway with implications in metabolism and neurological function
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Our January issue is live!
www.nature.com/nchembio/vol...
The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore
www.nature.com/nchembio/vol...
The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore
January 8, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Our January issue is live!
www.nature.com/nchembio/vol...
The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore
www.nature.com/nchembio/vol...
The cover depicts a method for real-time monitoring of microenvironmental changes in protein substructures using site-specific integration of a noncanonical amino acid with a rotor-based fluorophore