Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.008
Chenchen Zhong , Xinchen Wang , Yi Li , Savithramma P. Dinesh-Kumar , Yongliang Zhang
The discovery of resistosomes has revolutionized our understanding of plant immunity by elucidating the structural and mechanistic basis of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptor (NLR)-mediated defense. Recent structural insights and mechanistic studies highlight the pivotal role of post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, lipidation, acetylation, and SUMOylation in regulating NLR function. Kinases, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and other PTM-modifying enzymes have emerged as key regulators that control NLR conformational dynamics, stability, and immune signaling. These findings underscore the importance of spatiotemporal regulation in balancing growth–defense trade-off during NLR-mediated immunity and provide new insights for engineering NLRs to enhance crop disease resistance.
{"title":"Regulation of plant NLRs by post-translational modifications","authors":"Chenchen Zhong , Xinchen Wang , Yi Li , Savithramma P. Dinesh-Kumar , Yongliang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The discovery of resistosomes has revolutionized our understanding of plant immunity by elucidating the structural and mechanistic basis of nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat receptor (NLR)-mediated defense. Recent structural insights and mechanistic studies highlight the pivotal role of post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, lipidation, acetylation, and SUMOylation in regulating NLR function. Kinases, E3 ubiquitin ligases, and other PTM-modifying enzymes have emerged as key regulators that control NLR conformational dynamics, stability, and immune signaling. These findings underscore the importance of spatiotemporal regulation in balancing growth–defense trade-off during NLR-mediated immunity and provide new insights for engineering NLRs to enhance crop disease resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 51-63"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145601442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.09.005
Christian Gusenda , Martin Grininger
Mammalian fatty acid synthase (mFAS) supplies cells with saturated fatty acids for energy storage, membrane formation, and protein modifications. Structural studies over the past two decades have identified conformational variability as a hallmark feature of the multidomain mFAS, but how does this structural flexibility influence fatty acid synthesis? Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) snapshots of human FAS (hFAS) and a homologous polyketide synthase (PKS) reveal that efficiency is governed less by large-scale flexibility and more by the precise docking choreography of the acyl carrier protein (ACP). Three principles appear to influence the propagation of the fatty acid cycle: inherent conformational variability, scaffolding that steers ACP towards productive interactions, and ACP:domain interface complementarity.
{"title":"Molecular mechanisms of the mammalian fatty acid cycle","authors":"Christian Gusenda , Martin Grininger","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.09.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.09.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mammalian fatty acid synthase (mFAS) supplies cells with saturated fatty acids for energy storage, membrane formation, and protein modifications. Structural studies over the past two decades have identified conformational variability as a hallmark feature of the multidomain mFAS, but how does this structural flexibility influence fatty acid synthesis? Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) snapshots of human FAS (hFAS) and a homologous polyketide synthase (PKS) reveal that efficiency is governed less by large-scale flexibility and more by the precise docking choreography of the acyl carrier protein (ACP). Three principles appear to influence the propagation of the fatty acid cycle: inherent conformational variability, scaffolding that steers ACP towards productive interactions, and ACP:domain interface complementarity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 39-50"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145470453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.007
Sannie Culbertson
{"title":"TiBS at 50","authors":"Sannie Culbertson","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 1-2"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.001
Tanishi Moitra , Gerald Larrouy-Maumus
Proteins of unknown function (PUFs) remain a persistent blind spot in molecular biology. Emerging evidence implicates many PUFs in crucial but poorly characterised roles in biomedical contexts, particularly cancer and infectious diseases. Here, we explore integrative strategies combining high-throughput experimental platforms with computational models to address this gap. We outline how functional insights can be derived across a molecular hierarchy, spanning individual proteins, interaction networks, and transient assemblies, and evaluate the distinct opportunities and challenges faced at each level. Framing these advances within a systems biology lens, we argue that characterising PUFs could redefine therapeutic discovery pipelines. We call for data-driven discovery methods and community efforts to support reproducible, scalable annotation of the ‘dark’ proteome.
{"title":"Integrated approaches for discovery and functional annotation of proteins of unknown function","authors":"Tanishi Moitra , Gerald Larrouy-Maumus","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Proteins of unknown function (PUFs) remain a persistent blind spot in molecular biology. Emerging evidence implicates many PUFs in crucial but poorly characterised roles in biomedical contexts, particularly cancer and infectious diseases. Here, we explore integrative strategies combining high-throughput experimental platforms with computational models to address this gap. We outline how functional insights can be derived across a molecular hierarchy, spanning individual proteins, interaction networks, and transient assemblies, and evaluate the distinct opportunities and challenges faced at each level. Framing these advances within a systems biology lens, we argue that characterising PUFs could redefine therapeutic discovery pipelines. We call for data-driven discovery methods and community efforts to support reproducible, scalable annotation of the ‘dark’ proteome.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 80-92"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145627479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.004
Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin , Salvador Ventura
{"title":"The evolution and future of protein science","authors":"Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin , Salvador Ventura","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 3-5"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00310-X
{"title":"Advisory Board and Contents","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00310-X","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00310-X","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages i-ii"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00313-5
{"title":"Subscription and Copyright Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00313-5","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00313-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Page e1"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.009
Henry R. Kilgore , Shannon Moreno , Richard A. Young
Cells organize their biochemical activities by assembling proteins into both membrane-bound organelles and membrane-less condensates. These compartments enable specialized chemical environments that support unique biochemical functions. Recent evidence indicates that proteins carry encoded instructions for not only protein folding, but also selective distribution into condensate compartments. The dynamic movement of proteins into and within compartments is essential for normal function, while disruptions that reduce protein mobility can impair biochemical rates and cause dysfunction and disease. Here, we review these principles of condensate compartmentalization, emphasizing how encoded protein properties, chemical environments, and dynamic movement shape both cellular health and disease pathology.
{"title":"Protein codes and mobility together shape cellular function and disease","authors":"Henry R. Kilgore , Shannon Moreno , Richard A. Young","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2025.10.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cells organize their biochemical activities by assembling proteins into both membrane-bound organelles and membrane-less condensates. These compartments enable specialized chemical environments that support unique biochemical functions. Recent evidence indicates that proteins carry encoded instructions for not only protein folding, but also selective distribution into condensate compartments. The dynamic movement of proteins into and within compartments is essential for normal function, while disruptions that reduce protein mobility can impair biochemical rates and cause dysfunction and disease. Here, we review these principles of condensate compartmentalization, emphasizing how encoded protein properties, chemical environments, and dynamic movement shape both cellular health and disease pathology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 1","pages":"Pages 8-26"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145627459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00284-1
{"title":"Subscription and Copyright Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00284-1","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0968-0004(25)00284-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"50 12","pages":"Page e1"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145665543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}