Ziwei Xie, Xinmei Lang, Peibin Guan, Mahmut Tör, Jianjun Zhao, Yiguo Hong
{"title":"Chemical defense: Plants play CD and pathogens face the music","authors":"Ziwei Xie, Xinmei Lang, Peibin Guan, Mahmut Tör, Jianjun Zhao, Yiguo Hong","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants have evolved multilayered mechanisms against microbial pathogens. We highlight work from <span><span>Wang and colleagues</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>, demonstrating the biochemical and genetic basis of plant chemical defenses against cross-kingdom viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens, while conceptualizing a new classification system for these multifaceted resistances based on core genetic defenses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 8","pages":"Pages 758-760"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148238477","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}
Sheetal Gandotra, Shee-Mei Lok, Jijie Chai, Seyun Kim, Si Ming Man, Catherine Day
{"title":"Voices across Asia and Oceania: Biochemistry across borders","authors":"Sheetal Gandotra, Shee-Mei Lok, Jijie Chai, Seyun Kim, Si Ming Man, Catherine Day","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 639-646"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148374142","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}
Yang Liu (刘洋), Shuangwei Song (宋双伟), Wenling Zhou (周文玲), Bochen Jiang (姜博晨), Xiaoming Zhang (张晓明)
{"title":"Reciprocal regulation of m6A and noncoding RNAs across kingdoms","authors":"Yang Liu (刘洋), Shuangwei Song (宋双伟), Wenling Zhou (周文玲), Bochen Jiang (姜博晨), Xiaoming Zhang (张晓明)","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.02.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>N<sup>6</sup>-methyladenosine (m<sup>6</sup>A) extends beyond mRNAs to modify diverse noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long ncRNAs, circular RNAs, and miRNAs. Through stage-specific regulation, m<sup>6</sup>A orchestrates ncRNA biogenesis by modulating processing, stability, localization, and translation. At higher regulatory levels, m<sup>6</sup>A fine-tunes ncRNA functions across molecular and structural hierarchies by reshaping RNA–RNA and RNA–protein interactions that influence gene expression. Conversely, ncRNAs impose multilayered feedback on m<sup>6</sup>A writers, erasers, and readers, forming reciprocal loops that couple chromatin regulation with RNA metabolism. These hierarchical circuits constitute an epitranscriptomic layer that coordinates transcriptional and posttranscriptional control. We further outline conserved yet lineage-specific m<sup>6</sup>A–ncRNA networks across animals and plants, illustrating how this dynamic system integrates chemical marks with gene regulatory complexity across kingdoms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 685-703"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147589222","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}
Ilinca I. Ciubotariu, Damien B. Wilburn, Gundula Bosch, Venkat Gopalan
{"title":"Strengthening the philosophical basis of graduate science education","authors":"Ilinca I. Ciubotariu, Damien B. Wilburn, Gundula Bosch, Venkat Gopalan","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Graduate training often emphasizes technical specialization over critical thinking and theories of knowledge, impeding the research enterprise. Here, we describe a new Ohio State University course on epistemology and research practices, adapted from Johns Hopkins University-developed curricula, that may serve as a model for integrating rigor, reproducibility, and responsibility elsewhere.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 647-651"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148292933","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":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>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 <em>de novo</em> 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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 704-716"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","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":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wenxin He (何文馨), Mingming Han (韩明明), Wenjing Qiao (乔文静), Cong Gao (高聪), Liming Liu (刘立明), Jing Wu (吴静), Guipeng Hu (胡贵鹏)
{"title":"Orthogonal regulation of protein abundance","authors":"Wenxin He (何文馨), Mingming Han (韩明明), Wenjing Qiao (乔文静), Cong Gao (高聪), Liming Liu (刘立明), Jing Wu (吴静), Guipeng Hu (胡贵鹏)","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.013","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.013","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Precise regulation of protein abundance is essential for cellular function and physiology. Conventional approaches are often limited by insufficient resolution or unintended crosstalk. In contrast, orthogonal control technologies enable programmable and precise modulation of protein abundance while remaining insulated from native networks. In this review, we summarize the development and application of regulation technologies with different orthogonality across multiple levels. Orthogonal transcriptional control primarily involves the design and engineering of orthogonal RNA polymerases and transcription factors; orthogonal translational regulation focuses on advances in genetic codon expansion and post-translational modifications; targeted protein degradation and compartmentalized regulation are also discussed. Finally, we highlight the integration across the different levels described above. This review might bring disruptive insights and conceptual breakthroughs to precision medicine and sustainable biomanufacturing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 732-747"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148012802","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}
Stefan A. Harry, Chirag Vasavda, Adam Wahida, Reilly Stevens, Harshabad Singh, I. David Goldman, Bruce Chabner, Liron Bar-Peled
{"title":"Biochemistry at scale: Seeing both the forest and the trees","authors":"Stefan A. Harry, Chirag Vasavda, Adam Wahida, Reilly Stevens, Harshabad Singh, I. David Goldman, Bruce Chabner, Liron Bar-Peled","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today, therapeutic drug discovery lies at the crossroads of mechanistic biochemistry and the rapidly growing fields of multi-omics and AI. How will traditionally reductionist biochemistry adapt to the increasing complexity of biological processes? We address this question by first examining historical cases in which biochemistry uncovered new biology in pathways targeted by small-molecule drugs, leading to the development of targeted disease treatments. We discuss how biochemistry is evolving with approaches such as chemical proteomics, which maps protein–drug interactions and is increasingly important for therapy development. Ultimately, the future of drug discovery will be defined by the ability to integrate high-content measurements into the process of defining actionable biochemical mechanisms: seeing both the forest and the trees through biochemistry executed ‘at scale’.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 661-672"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148374050","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":"Pyruvylation: a link bridging metabolic disorders and impaired antiviral immunity","authors":"Song Yang , Lili Gong , Lihong Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.04.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span><span>Zuo <em>et al</em>.</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> identified a novel post-translational modification—protein pyruvylation—and revealed that pyruvate, a glycolysis metabolite, induces STAT1 pyruvylation at Lys201, which blocks signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1)–signal transducer and activator of transcription 2 (STAT2) binding to suppress type I interferon signaling and antiviral immunity. This study provides new insights into antiviral therapy for patients with metabolic diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 654-656"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147727967","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":"Powerful polymerases synthesize labeled RNA better, faster, stronger","authors":"Aria A. Khalique, Aaron M. Leconte","doi":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tibs.2026.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Engineered DNA polymerases capable of synthesizing RNA have the potential to make the synthesis of site-specifically labeled RNA faster, cheaper, and more user-friendly. After many years of trying, two recent reports, by <span><span>Chen <em>et al.</em></span><svg><path></path></svg></span> and <span><span>Medina <em>et al.</em></span><svg><path></path></svg></span>, have identified new DNA polymerase mutants, which may unlock the promise of these enzymes for RNA production and research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Pages 652-653"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147643609","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)00188-X","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0968-0004(26)00188-X","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":440,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Biochemical Sciences","volume":"51 7","pages":"Page e1"},"PeriodicalIF":14.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148574001","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}