Cell ResearchPub Date : 2026-03-01DOI: 10.1038/s41422-026-01223-x
Liankui Zhou, Ying Liu
{"title":"Light sensing enhances thermotolerance and competitive fitness via serotonergic signaling in an eyeless organism","authors":"Liankui Zhou, Ying Liu","doi":"10.1038/s41422-026-01223-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-026-01223-x","url":null,"abstract":"Organisms leverage environmental cues to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions. Here, we show that Caenorhabditis elegans, despite being eyeless, utilizes photoperception as an anticipatory cue to enhance survival under thermal stress. Exposure to low-intensity light activates a heat-shock response via the photoreceptor LITE-1, triggering serotonin signaling that promotes thermotolerance through the serotonin receptor SER-5 in the intestine and muscle. Beyond acute stress protection, light perception modulates reproductive behavior by delaying egg laying under unfavorable conditions and induces intergenerational thermotolerance, enhancing progeny survival at elevated temperatures. Photoperception also improves population competitiveness, providing a competitive advantage in dynamic environments. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized role for photoperception in a non-photosynthetic animal and establish it as a key mechanism for thermal adaptation and fitness.","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"36 4","pages":"286-299"},"PeriodicalIF":25.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147320045","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2026-02-23DOI: 10.1038/s41422-026-01232-w
Mengwen Hu, Yasuhisa Munakata, Yu-Han Yeh, Raissa G. Dani, Han Wang, Neil Hunter, Richard M. Schultz, Satoshi H. Namekawa
{"title":"Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 primes non-growing oocytes for growth and early embryogenesis","authors":"Mengwen Hu, Yasuhisa Munakata, Yu-Han Yeh, Raissa G. Dani, Han Wang, Neil Hunter, Richard M. Schultz, Satoshi H. Namekawa","doi":"10.1038/s41422-026-01232-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-026-01232-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"36 4","pages":"300-303"},"PeriodicalIF":25.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147275664","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":"Mitochondrial double-stranded RNA drives aging-associated cognitive decline","authors":"Lixiao Zhang, Xiang Li, Hongdi Luo, Yujia Huo, Guangkeng Zhou, Pengcheng Wang, Sipeng Wu, Xinyong Lin, Kai Dai, Jiahao Shi, Zebao Wang, Jiaxin Xu, Renjian Li, Siyi Chen, Zhe Sun, Chunlin Zhao, Zizhuo Zhou, Zhenhong Wang, Chensi Liang, Jun Zhu, Xingjun Chen, Jintao Luo, Yong Yu, Zhirong Zhang, Geng Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41422-026-01224-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-026-01224-w","url":null,"abstract":"Aging is the primary cause of cognitive decline. Despite extensive study, the molecular mechanisms driving aging-associated cognitive decline remain unclear. Here, we describe a proteostasis-independent function of SEC61A1 and its involvement in aging-associated cognitive decline. SEC61A1 regulates ER–mitochondria contact sites, affecting mitochondrial DNA and RNA synthesis and subsequently leading to changes in innate immune signaling mediated by mitochondrial double-stranded RNA (mt-dsRNA). This pathway is activated in aged wild-type mice, Alzheimer’s disease patients, and 5×FAD mice. Tissue-specific overexpression of Sec61a1 in the mouse cortex (Sec61a1Tg) is sufficient to induce cognitive decline without affecting motor activity. Knockdown of Sec61a1 or Mavs ablates mt-dsRNA-mediated innate immune signaling and alleviates cognitive decline in naturally aging wild-type mice. These results reveal a molecular mechanism of aging- and disease-associated cognitive decline and provide a potential therapeutic tool for intervention.","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"36 5","pages":"322-339"},"PeriodicalIF":25.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146200413","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2026-02-09DOI: 10.1038/s41422-026-01225-9
Ilio Vitale, Alessandro D'Ambrosio, Lorenzo Galluzzi
{"title":"Extrachromosomal DNA drives cancer evolution.","authors":"Ilio Vitale, Alessandro D'Ambrosio, Lorenzo Galluzzi","doi":"10.1038/s41422-026-01225-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-026-01225-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":25.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146149278","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1038/s41422-026-01221-z
Xinyi Wang, Hong Fu, Qingyang Sun, Boyan Huang, Zhe Xu, Xuzhao Zhai, Chuncao Deng, Laru Peng, Mengdan Zhang, Tianran Peng, An Gong, Jiasui Liu, Zhengzhi Zou, Guangjin Pan, Jiekai Chen, Guangming Wu, Man Zhang, Mingwei Min
{"title":"Asymmetric division in a two-cell-like state rejuvenates embryonic stem cells","authors":"Xinyi Wang, Hong Fu, Qingyang Sun, Boyan Huang, Zhe Xu, Xuzhao Zhai, Chuncao Deng, Laru Peng, Mengdan Zhang, Tianran Peng, An Gong, Jiasui Liu, Zhengzhi Zou, Guangjin Pan, Jiekai Chen, Guangming Wu, Man Zhang, Mingwei Min","doi":"10.1038/s41422-026-01221-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-026-01221-z","url":null,"abstract":"A fundamental question in biology is whether all cells age. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) defy the norm as rare normal cells capable of indefinite in vitro passage. However, the mechanisms underlying ESC lineage immortality remain unresolved. Using long-term live-cell imaging to follow the fates of single ESCs, we show that ESC lineage renewal is achieved through sporadic entry into a state characterized by the expression of two-cell embryo-specific markers. During this state, cells undergo asymmetric fate divisions, enriching accumulated DNA damage into one daughter lineage that is destined for elimination, while producing a second lineage that reverts to the pluripotent state. Importantly, the latter lineage exhibits signs of rejuvenation, including reduced DNA damage and enhanced chimeric efficiency. These findings underscore the crucial role of asymmetric cell division in maintaining the long-term health of the ESC lineage against mounting damage within individual cells and provide a potential model for studying cellular aging and rejuvenation in mammalian cells.","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"36 3","pages":"219-232"},"PeriodicalIF":25.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146102114","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}