Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 18 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00915-3Transcription-blocking DNA lesions lead to transcription stress that is associated with neurodegeneration and accelerated ageing. Recent structural and other findings have clarified how different obstructing lesions are recognized and removed and shed new light on the causes of various pathologies of repair deficiencies.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 17 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00931-3In this Tools of the Trade article, Ding (Wang lab) describes the development of tissue expansion-enhanced mass-spectrometry imaging (TEMI), which combines an optimized tissue expansion method with mass spectrometry imaging to obtain multi-omic data at high spatial resolution and is compatible with expansion microscopy.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 12 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00928-yTimo Kohler highlights a study in which in vitro fertilization and cell culture techniques were adapted to generate chimeric blastocysts from northern and southern white rhinoceros species and establish embryonic stem cell lines — which has important implications for the conservation of endangered species and biodiversity.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 11 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00917-1The ability to track single cells in vivo, combined with insights into chromatin structure, immune–tissue crosstalk, bioelectric and metabolic cues and quantitative modelling, is changing our understanding of how tissues are repaired and renewed. This Review discusses how signals are regulated during regeneration and future directions for a more quantitative understanding of regenerative biology.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 11 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00930-4In this Tools of the Trade article, Zhang (Xiao Lab) highlights the development of a rotor-based fluorescent amino acid that acts as a sensor for crowded protein microenvironments, enabling researchers to monitor protein behaviour in vivo.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 10 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00907-3Protein and lipid cargoes are modified and sorted in the Golgi apparatus and packaged for delivery to diverse cellular destinations at the trans-Golgi network (TGN). This Review discusses recent insights into Golgi transport mechanisms and carrier biogenesis at the TGN.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 12 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00928-yTimo Kohler highlights a study in which in vitro fertilization and cell culture techniques were adapted to generate chimeric blastocysts from northern and southern white rhinoceros species and establish embryonic stem cell lines — which has important implications for the conservation of endangered species and biodiversity.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 11 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00917-1The ability to track single cells in vivo, combined with insights into chromatin structure, immune–tissue crosstalk, bioelectric and metabolic cues and quantitative modelling, is changing our understanding of how tissues are repaired and renewed. This Review discusses how signals are regulated during regeneration and future directions for a more quantitative understanding of regenerative biology.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 11 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00930-4In this Tools of the Trade article, Zhang (Xiao Lab) highlights the development of a rotor-based fluorescent amino acid that acts as a sensor for crowded protein microenvironments, enabling researchers to monitor protein behaviour in vivo.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 10 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00907-3Protein and lipid cargoes are modified and sorted in the Golgi apparatus and packaged for delivery to diverse cellular destinations at the trans-Golgi network (TGN). This Review discusses recent insights into Golgi transport mechanisms and carrier biogenesis at the TGN.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 06 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00927-zBarbara Demmig-Adams discusses a 1998 study that demonstrated in plants that carotenoids can remove dangerous excess energy from chlorophyll, and the implications of this work, including for research aimed at improving plant stress resilience.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 06 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00914-4RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are essential for gene regulation. Recent data reveal that small biomolecules (SBMs) such as sugars, nucleotides, metabolites and drugs bind to RBPs and regulate their function. This Review discusses the landscape of SBM-binding RBPs, the molecular basis of their interactions and their relevance to human diseases.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 05 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00926-0A study showing that human cells encode a functional cyclin-dependent kinase, thereby demonstrating that cell-cycle regulation is conserved across eukaryotes.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 06 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00927-zBarbara Demmig-Adams discusses a 1998 study that demonstrated in plants that carotenoids can remove dangerous excess energy from chlorophyll, and the implications of this work, including for research aimed at improving plant stress resilience.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 06 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00914-4RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are essential for gene regulation. Recent data reveal that small biomolecules (SBMs) such as sugars, nucleotides, metabolites and drugs bind to RBPs and regulate their function. This Review discusses the landscape of SBM-binding RBPs, the molecular basis of their interactions and their relevance to human diseases.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00925-1In this Tools of the Trade article, Kofoed (Muir lab) describes the development of the dual-component platform splicing-modulated actuation upon recognition of targets (SMART), which combines detection of cells with specific surface markers with a customizable output.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00923-3In this Tools of the Trade article, Dahal (Rehling lab) discusses the development of a polymorpholino oligonucleotide chimera tool that enables selective and efficient silencing of mitochondrial mRNA.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00924-2Siyuan (Steven) Wang discusses a 1984 study that reported that transcriptional regulation (in this case, in bacteria) depends on the formation of DNA loops.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 03 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00920-6The discovery of noncanonical short open reading frames that produce functional microproteins upended our perception of large parts of our genome as ‘noncoding’.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 05 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00929-xA study finds that mechanical activation leads to microtubule rearrangement, facilitating the proteasomal degradation of an inhibitor of YAP/TAZ, thus promoting YAP/TAZ nuclear translocation.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 05 November 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00926-0A study showing that human cells encode a functional cyclin-dependent kinase, thereby demonstrating that cell-cycle regulation is conserved across eukaryotes.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, Published online: 31 October 2025; doi:10.1038/s41580-025-00919-zIn this Tools of the Trade article, Kiss (Schulman lab) discusses the development of UbiREAD, a method that delivers in vitro-ubiquitinated protein reporters into cells to systematically assess how different ubiquitin chain configurations affect protein stability and degradation.