{"title":"Mass spectrometry-based single-cell proteomics technologies, trends, and biological insights.","authors":"Rui Hu, Christian Montes, Justin W Walley","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Single-cell proteomics (SCP) has emerged as a transformative approach for characterizing cellular heterogeneity at the protein level. Recent advances in mass spectrometry workflows, with improvements spanning sample preparation, peptide separation, data acquisition, and data interpretation, have enabled unprecedented proteome depth and throughput at single-cell resolution. Beyond technological innovations, SCP is now addressing complex biological questions in oncology, developmental biology, and neuroscience, revealing dynamic cellular states and regulatory mechanisms. Integration with other single-cell omics is bridging the gap between genotype-phenotype relationships and uncovering multilayered regulation. In this review, we summarize recent progress in SCP technologies and highlight emerging applications and integrative strategies that mark a transition from technological development to broad biological understanding.</p>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147855433","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}
{"title":"Emerging roles and regulatory mechanisms involved in glutamine metabolism.","authors":"Keun Woo Ryu, Tak Shun Fung, Craig B Thompson","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glutamine is the most abundant circulating amino acid and a central nutrient supporting carbon and nitrogen metabolism. It donates nitrogen for nucleotide and amino acid biosynthesis, protein glycosylation, and provides carbon for the tricarboxylic acid cycle anaplerosis. Glutamine catabolism maintains redox homeostasis via glutathione production, as well as the synthesis of polyamines, urea cycle precursors, and neurotransmitters. Glutamine residues in proteins serve as sites for post-translational modification, while de novo glutamine synthesis is essential for ammonia detoxification. Although glutamine metabolism is regulated by mass action and product inhibition, emerging evidence reveals additional post-translational mechanisms, including regulation through higher-order structural assemblies of enzymes. In this review, we highlight the multifaceted roles of glutamine and emphasize emerging regulatory mechanisms that govern glutamine metabolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147831761","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}
{"title":"Principles for the design of multispecific proteins.","authors":"Shankar Raj Devkota, Pramod Aryal, Mikaela Bell, Surendra Kunwar, Martin J Stone, Ram Prasad Bhusal","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multispecificity involves high-affinity binding to multiple related ligands while preserving discrimination against other ligands. The binding of tick evasins to human CC chemokines exemplifies key principles of multispecific binding: a rigid core recognising conserved features of all targets, with flexible peripheral regions enabling discrimination within the target family.</p>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147809022","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}
{"title":"Technology innovation as a driving force across biochemistry","authors":"Angus Lamond , Hong Zhang (张宏)","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Pages 411-413"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828216","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}
{"title":"Thermospermine drives dual-action ribosomes to shape plant xylem development.","authors":"Hsin-Yen Larry Wu, Polly Yingshan Hsu","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The formation of xylem vessels depends on a balance between transcription factors SACLs and LHW, whose translation is controlled by thermospermine. A recent study shows that a conserved rRNA methylation by OVERACHIEVER enables thermospermine binding, allowing ribosomes to oppositely regulate SACL and LHW translation to direct plant xylem cell fate.</p>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147809057","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}
{"title":"Subscription and Copyright Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0968-0004(26)00117-9","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0968-0004(26)00117-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Page e1"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147828217","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}
{"title":"Cytosolic AcCoA: a metabolic signal bridging nutrient sensing and mitophagy","authors":"Jiayi Chen (陈佳意) , Xin Pan (潘欣)","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.01.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.01.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How cells sense energy status to precisely regulate organelle fate is a central question in life sciences. Recent work by <span><span>Zhang <em>et al</em>.</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> reframes cytosolic acetyl-coenzyme A (AcCoA) from a metabolic substrate into a signaling metabolite that directly regulates mitophagy, thereby establishing a molecular link between nutrient sensing and mitochondrial homeostasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Pages 421-422"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147571603","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}
Stanley C. Xie , Yun Shi , Bostjan Kobe , Craig J. Morton , Leann Tilley
{"title":"Reaction hijacking of enzymes to generate potent therapeutic modulators in situ","authors":"Stanley C. Xie , Yun Shi , Bostjan Kobe , Craig J. Morton , Leann Tilley","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enzymes play critical roles in all aspects of biology, making them important targets for therapeutics in infectious diseases and cancer. In addition to the well-known and exploited competitive and suicide inhibitors, reaction hijacking compounds are emerging as important inhibitors with therapeutic potential. We review how hijacking inhibitors exploit the enzyme’s catalytic cycle to generate potent modulators <em>in situ</em>. The target enzyme catalyses the formation of a covalent adduct between a substrate-mimicking hijacker and a co-substrate or cofactor<em>.</em> Susceptible enzymes include members of the superfamily of adenylate-forming enzymes, NAD<sup>+</sup>-metabolising enzymes, and a range of cofactor-dependent enzymes. Hijacking compounds are usually unreactive until activated by the target enzyme, affording good selectivity and potency, as well as favourable physiochemical properties and synthetic tractability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Pages 439-456"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147697141","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}
{"title":"Adenosylhomocysteinase–adenosine complex links m6A and cancer lipid metabolism","authors":"Hang Qin , Yajie Qi , Yanqiang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Methionine metabolism is canonically linked to gene regulation through S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methylation of RNA. Recently, <span><span>Liao <em>et al</em>.</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> revealed a SAM-independent mechanism wherein adenosylhomocysteinase–adenosine complex modulates fat-mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO), reshapes the mRNA m<sup>6</sup>A landscape, rewires lipid metabolism, and promotes tumorigenesis, revealing a novel metabolic–epitranscriptomic cancer axis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Pages 418-420"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147508487","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}
{"title":"Advances in understanding aryl hydrocarbon receptor structure, function, and modulation","authors":"Qinghong Shang (商庆宏) , Sepideh Khorasanizadeh , Xiaotong Diao (刁晓彤) , Fraydoon Rastinejad , Dalei Wu (武大雷)","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor, prominently expressed in barrier tissues and organs. The functional diversity of AHR signaling in physiology stems primarily from ligand specificity and crosstalk with its protein partners. Its ability to sense chemically diverse cues underpins its emerging therapeutic potential in autoimmune and oncological disorders. Recent breakthroughs in structural biology have elucidated key aspects of AHR function and modulation, including its promiscuous ligand recognition, heterodimerization, DNA response element engagement, and ligand-dependent receptor activation, distinguishing it from other basic helix-loop-helix–PER-ARNT-SIM (bHLH-PAS) family members. In this review article, we discuss these advances, highlighting how high-resolution structural insights are redefining our mechanistic understanding of AHR and guiding strategies for its pharmacological modulation across diverse physiological and pathological contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 5","pages":"Pages 507-523"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147525248","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}