SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.adx3863
Anastasia A. Minervina, Mikhail V. Pogorelyy, Koshlan Mayer-Blackwell, Ricky Tirtakusuma, Stefan A. Schattgen, Andrew Fiore-Gartland, Aleksandra M. Walczak, Thierry Mora, Philip Bradley, Paul G. Thomas
{"title":"Uneven TCR chain pairing constraints govern epitope recognition","authors":"Anastasia A. Minervina, Mikhail V. Pogorelyy, Koshlan Mayer-Blackwell, Ricky Tirtakusuma, Stefan A. Schattgen, Andrew Fiore-Gartland, Aleksandra M. Walczak, Thierry Mora, Philip Bradley, Paul G. Thomas","doi":"10.1126/science.adx3863","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.adx3863","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Combinatorial pairing of independently recombined T cell receptor (TCR) α- and β-chains is central to diversifying the TCR repertoire. Although sequence motifs in one chain correlate with epitope recognition, the extent to which a single chain dictates specificity remains unclear. Here, we systematically tested TCR chain coupling constraints by enforcing the pairing of individual chains with hundreds of thousands of partners. Although most chains paired stably, the preservation of epitope specificity was rare and highly variable, with the frequency of compatible partners ranging from ~10 to <0.1%. This approach identified >70,000 epitope-specific TCRs across 10 epitopes. Our work illuminates the distinct contributions of TCR chains, highlights the limitations of single-chain data, and provides an experimental and analytical framework for refining TCR-peptide-major histocompatibility complex specificity inference.</div>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.aea4611
Flavia Corsi, Thomas L. Steinacker, Sofia Kolesnikova, Zsuzsanna Takács, Paul Batty, Michael Mitter, Daniel W. Gerlich, Anton Goloborodko
{"title":"Conformational asymmetry of replicated human chromosomes","authors":"Flavia Corsi, Thomas L. Steinacker, Sofia Kolesnikova, Zsuzsanna Takács, Paul Batty, Michael Mitter, Daniel W. Gerlich, Anton Goloborodko","doi":"10.1126/science.aea4611","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.aea4611","url":null,"abstract":"<div >DNA replication generates sister chromatids with identical sequence, yet its mechanism is fundamentally asymmetric: Chromatids inherit strands of opposite orientation, whereas forks synthesize new strands by distinct leading- and lagging-strand mechanisms. How this replication asymmetry affects chromosome organization is unknown. Using sister chromatid–sensitive conformation analysis, we found that human sister chromatids are consistently misaligned in the 5′→3′ direction of inherited DNA strands. This shift persisted without cohesin-mediated loop extrusion but was lost upon disruption of cohesion. Polymer modeling showed that modest directional misalignment of cohesive cohesins can explain the observed shift, and we propose two models for how such misalignment could originate from replication fork asymmetry. This register shift between sister chromatids has implications for homology search during DNA repair.</div>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.aem0441
Erik Stokstad
{"title":"Fearing seal die-off from bird flu, Australia moves to evacuate sub-Antarctic research station.","authors":"Erik Stokstad","doi":"10.1126/science.aem0441","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.aem0441","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Watching pups' deaths could affect the mental health of staff, officials say.</p>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":"960-961"},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.ady5180
Claudia V. Nguyen, Antoni Martija, Daniel C. Jaklic, Rista White, Marty G. Yang, Patricia R. Nano, Jose A. Soto, Jessenya Mil, Dakshesh Rana, Jacqueline M. Martin, Hunter E. Schweiger, Sebastian Hernandez, Elisa Fazzari, Yu Liu, Jack M. Parent, Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji, Daniel H. Geschwind, Aparna Bhaduri
{"title":"Thalamic NRXN1-mediated input to human cortical progenitors drives excitatory neurogenesis","authors":"Claudia V. Nguyen, Antoni Martija, Daniel C. Jaklic, Rista White, Marty G. Yang, Patricia R. Nano, Jose A. Soto, Jessenya Mil, Dakshesh Rana, Jacqueline M. Martin, Hunter E. Schweiger, Sebastian Hernandez, Elisa Fazzari, Yu Liu, Jack M. Parent, Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji, Daniel H. Geschwind, Aparna Bhaduri","doi":"10.1126/science.ady5180","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.ady5180","url":null,"abstract":"<div >The human cerebral cortex develops through coordinated signals from within the cortex and from other brain regions, including the thalamus. However, how thalamic neuronal projections influence early human cortical development remains less well-understood. In this study, we fused cortical and thalamic organoids to investigate how thalamic input shapes the maturation of human cortical cells. Using single-nuclei RNA-sequencing and cellular imaging, we found that thalamic input increases the production of cortical excitatory neurons. We identify neurexin-1 (NRXN1) as a mediator of physical contact between thalamic axons and cortical outer radial glia. Genetic knockout of thalamic <i>NRXN1</i> reduced these contacts and attenuated the production of upper-layer excitatory neurons. These findings reveal a mechanism by which thalamic input regulates human cortical progenitors and shapes excitatory neuron production during development.</div>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.adz8203
Alexander J. Wesolowski, Ardon M. Pillay, Panagiota Vardaka, Rabab Nasrallah, Randy Greaves, Housaiyin Li, Iliana Loffreda, Chelsea Jenkin, Andrew M. James, Alica Nübling, Christopher J. Ward, Teresa von Linde, Alberto G. Conti, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Layla Dahmani, Alexander C. Evans, Sarah K. Whiteside, Yumi Yamashita-Kanemaru, Charlotte J. Imianowski, Jie Yang, Ignacio Moraga Gonzalez, Jack Chapman, Aws Al-Deka, Klaus Okkenhaug, Michael P. Murphy, Bartlomiej Swiatczak, Geoffrey Guittard, Enrico Lugli, Lukas Flatz, Ping-Chih Ho, Robert L. Eil, Rahul Roychoudhuri
{"title":"Tumor-derived antioxidants suppress immunity by depriving T cells of reactive oxygen species","authors":"Alexander J. Wesolowski, Ardon M. Pillay, Panagiota Vardaka, Rabab Nasrallah, Randy Greaves, Housaiyin Li, Iliana Loffreda, Chelsea Jenkin, Andrew M. James, Alica Nübling, Christopher J. Ward, Teresa von Linde, Alberto G. Conti, Sheue-Fen Tzeng, Layla Dahmani, Alexander C. Evans, Sarah K. Whiteside, Yumi Yamashita-Kanemaru, Charlotte J. Imianowski, Jie Yang, Ignacio Moraga Gonzalez, Jack Chapman, Aws Al-Deka, Klaus Okkenhaug, Michael P. Murphy, Bartlomiej Swiatczak, Geoffrey Guittard, Enrico Lugli, Lukas Flatz, Ping-Chih Ho, Robert L. Eil, Rahul Roychoudhuri","doi":"10.1126/science.adz8203","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.adz8203","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Reactive oxygen species (ROS) promote genomic instability and fuel oncogenic signaling in cancer, but antioxidant therapies have so far failed to improve, or worsen, cancer outcomes. Emerging data suggest that T cells depend on ROS for signal transduction. In this study, we show that tumors exploit this dependency, releasing antioxidant enzymes into the tumor environment to suppress T cell–mediated antitumor immunity. The interstitial fluid of tumors possesses potent antioxidant activity, associated with enrichment of the antioxidant enzyme peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1). Extracellular PRDX1 deprives T cells of ROS, preventing oxidative inactivation of phosphatases required for T cell receptor–driven kinase signaling and effector function. <i>Prdx1</i> is up-regulated upon cancer immunoediting, and loss of PRDX1 within tumors enhances antitumor immunity and immunotherapy responses. These findings define a redox-dependent mechanism of tumor immunosuppression that is potentially amenable to therapeutic intervention.</div>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.aed4911
Henry Moise, Sebastian Moll, Shailesh Pathak, Joshua Martinez-Navarro, Sai Varanasi, Kun Xu, Eric McFarland, Arun Majumdar, Matteo Cargnello
{"title":"Autothermal methane pyrolysis: Scalable heat integration for hydrogen and graphite production","authors":"Henry Moise, Sebastian Moll, Shailesh Pathak, Joshua Martinez-Navarro, Sai Varanasi, Kun Xu, Eric McFarland, Arun Majumdar, Matteo Cargnello","doi":"10.1126/science.aed4911","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.aed4911","url":null,"abstract":"<div >Methane pyrolysis (MP) offers a compelling opportunity to meet low-carbon hydrogen demand using existing energy infrastructure. A key limitation in scaling MP is the efficient delivery of high-temperature heat into the reactor. We show that hydrogen-fueled autothermal operation overcomes this limitation, enabling an increase of several orders of magnitude in the reactor throughput for commercially relevant bed diameters. It also yields a carbon coproduct of 96.0% degrees of graphitization, meeting graphite precursor specifications and enabling domestic graphite production from natural gas using low-cost iron oxide catalysts. We further demonstrate a strategy to suppress the direct emissions inherent to autothermal operation, reducing them to near zero. A process-level life cycle assessment estimates that carbon intensities for autothermal methane pyrolysis can be as low as 1.9 to 4.5 kilograms (kg) of CO<sub>2,eq </sub>per kg H<sub>2</sub>.</div>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.aec3917
Brendan P. Marsh, David Atri Schuller, Yunpeng Ji, Henry S. Hunt, Surya Ganguli, Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Jonathan Keeling, Benjamin L. Lev
{"title":"High-capacity associative memory in a quantum-optical spin glass","authors":"Brendan P. Marsh, David Atri Schuller, Yunpeng Ji, Henry S. Hunt, Surya Ganguli, Sarang Gopalakrishnan, Jonathan Keeling, Benjamin L. Lev","doi":"10.1126/science.aec3917","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec3917","url":null,"abstract":"The Hopfield neural network stores memories using all-to-all-coupled spins and recalls those memories through equilibrium dynamics. Storing too many hampers recall because frustration causes an exponential number of spurious patterns to arise as the network becomes a spin glass. Despite this, memory recall can be restored, and even enhanced, under quantum-optical nonequilibrium dynamics because spurious patterns can now serve as reliable memories. We experimentally observe associative memory with high storage capacity in a driven-dissipative spin glass made of atoms and photons. The capacity surpasses that of the Hopfield model under Hebbian learning by up to seven-fold in a sixteen-spin network. Atomic motion boosts capacity by dynamically modifying connectivity akin to short-term synaptic plasticity in neural networks, realizing a precursor to learning in a quantum-optical system.","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":56.9,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148883832","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
SciencePub Date : 2026-09-03DOI: 10.1126/science.aem0438
Erik Stokstad
{"title":"Supermale fish become new tactic for vanquishing invaders.","authors":"Erik Stokstad","doi":"10.1126/science.aem0438","DOIUrl":"10.1126/science.aem0438","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hatchery-raised trout with double Y chromosomes can eradicate invasive populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":21678,"journal":{"name":"Science","volume":"393 6815","pages":"956-957"},"PeriodicalIF":47.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148888516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}