2 October 2026

Experimentally defined mitochondrial proteomes from eight organisms contain 8,619 proteins in 3,199 families, 43% with no known domain. A classifier extended this to about 200 eukaryotes and reconstructed the last eukaryotic common ancestor's mitochondrion as capable of both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism.

Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2026.08.029

In mouse skin, p53 loss removes repression of Sfrp1, Lrp1 and Usp22, creating a radial gradient of Wnt activity across mutant clones. The gradient, not uniformly higher Wnt, sustained clonal expansion.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aed3065

The mitochondrial transporter SLC25A34 integrates the circadian clock, diet and cold to control fat-cell lipid cycling. The clock represses it during sleep through REV-ERB; feeding, fat-rich diets and cold switch it on.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.adz4797

High blood pressure accelerates osteoarthritis in injured or aged joints in patient cohorts and mice. Damaged cartilage cells gain the vasopressin receptor AVPR1A, and blocking it protected joints.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aed8207

The bacterial antiphage system CBASS, related to human cGAS-STING, is switched on when phage prohead proteases cut an activation loop in the sensor enzyme. This explains why it acts late in infection.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aeg3949

A nutrient-independent lysosomal pathway recruits TBK1 or ULK1 to phosphorylate FNIP1 and release the transcription factor TFEB. Recurrent v-ATPase mutations in follicular lymphoma keep this pathway on.

Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11093-3

Mice previously infected with a parasitic worm all survived a lethal influenza dose that killed every control. Protection came from lung macrophages that reduced tissue damage, not from lower viral load.

Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11060-y

The fast, innate-like responses of tissue-resident γδ T cells to stress and carcinogenesis depend on their T cell receptor, contrary to earlier reports that these responses were receptor-independent.

Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11076-4

Antibody somatic hypermutation requires the RNA polymerase pausing factor NELF, the elongation proteins MLLT1 and MLLT3, and the Integrator phosphatase module, which together place the mutator enzyme AID on its target genes.

Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11092-4

A single-cell atlas of alternative polyadenylation covered 2 million cells from 379 aged human brains. It mapped 3' UTR QTLs for 4,288 genes; these colocalize more with protein QTLs than expression QTLs.

Nature Genetics · doi:10.1038/s41588-026-02758-w

ArchMap is a no-code web platform that maps new single-cell datasets onto published reference atlases, annotates cell types and lets users extend the atlases.

Nature Genetics · doi:10.1038/s41588-026-02756-y

A model using 20 years of wave data at 400 coastal sites predicted where mangroves grow on open coasts with 78% accuracy. Waves are a primary control, so changes in wave climate could shift their range.

Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-026-11089-z

Across more than 3,400 plant-pollinator networks, specialization does not rise steadily towards the Equator; it peaks near the tropical-subtropical boundary in the north and is best predicted by climate.

Nature Ecology & Evolution · doi:10.1038/s41559-026-03170-7

Luciana Gatti, who measures Amazon carbon uptake, is running for Brazil's lower house in the 4 October elections, Science reports.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aem8457

In plants, the defence hormone salicylic acid activates the immune regulator NPR1 by shifting control between two nutrient-sensing kinases: TOR represses NPR1, SnRK1 activates it. This links immunity to the growth trade-off.

Cell · doi:10.1016/j.cell.2026.09.011

A Science policy piece argues that as AI systems take part in choosing questions and surfacing evidence, researchers who do not run those systems must be able to contest their outputs.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aek7949

A Nature Medicine review summarises the state of reproducibility in biomedical research and efforts to harmonise its terminology and practice.

Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/s41591-026-04667-1

A UK research funder used AI-based triage to reject grant proposals, prompting privacy and fairness concerns from researchers, Science reports.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aem8458

HHS plans to revise the Common Rule, which governs US human-subjects research, to ease requirements for lower-risk studies, Science reports.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aem8463

Researchers made the first genetically engineered glowing cuttlefish, after new methods for manipulating cephalopod embryos, Science reports.

Science · doi:10.1126/science.aem8456