📄 Category

molecular biology

233 papers

Molecular biology explores the tiny machinery inside living cells, revealing how genetic instructions are read, copied, and turned into the proteins that keep us alive. This field acts as a bridge between the static code of DNA and the dynamic processes that drive growth, disease, and life itself, offering insights into everything from cellular repair to the development of new medicines.

On Gist.Science, we track every new preprint uploaded to bioRxiv in this category to make these complex discoveries accessible to everyone. Our team processes each submission to provide both clear, plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries, ensuring you can grasp the core findings without getting lost in dense academic jargon.

Below are the latest molecular biology papers freshly processed from bioRxiv, ready for you to explore and understand.

📄 molecular biology

Modeling binding of the conserved Csr/Rsm protein family across species of the γ-proteobacteria reveals niche-specific adaptation of the post-transcriptional regulon

This study demonstrates that while the CsrA/RsmA regulatory protein and its RNA-binding mechanism are highly conserved across diverse {gamma}-proteobacteria, the specific mRNA targets it regulates have diverged significantly through evolutionary rewiring to adapt to distinct ecological niches, with niche-specific functions like virulence and environmental stress response being shaped by mutations in target genes rather than changes in the regulatory protein itself.

Lukasiewicz, A., Hoefner, L., Savk, A., Contreras, L. M.2026-02-06
📄 molecular biology

Adenine Base Editing Potently Suppresses Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Expression and Inhibits Hepatitis D Virus Release

This study demonstrates that adenine base editing targeting the overlapping HBs/polymerase open reading frame potently suppresses hepatitis B surface antigen expression and viral replication by disrupting both cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA, while simultaneously inhibiting hepatitis D virus release in both in vitro and in vivo models.

Kumar, A., Combe, E., Smekalova, E. M., Dejene, S., Leboeuf, D., Chen, C.-Y., Mougene, L., Deleume, M., Scholtes, C., Pl (…)2026-02-06
📄 molecular biology

BRD4 represses developmental and neuronal genes through interactions with polycomb complexes

This study reveals that BRD4 acts as a critical repressor of developmental and neuronal genes by interacting with Polycomb complexes (PRC1.6 and EED) at bivalent promoters, where its recruitment via H3K14ac/H3K23ac prevents premature gene activation and ensures proper neuronal cell fate, thereby explaining how BRD4 loss-of-function mutations cause congenital neurodevelopmental disorders.

Boulet, F., Patel, M., Zanjani, Z. S., Andres-Sanchez, N., Ijaz, A., Pal, D., Dubey, P., Murray, A., Nizetic, D., LeClai (…)2026-02-01
📄 molecular biology

Conserved Residues in the Gα interface show subtype specificity in Gβγ coupling

By integrating molecular dynamics simulations, Bayesian Network modeling, and BRET assays, this study reveals that conserved residues at the Gα–Gβγ interface exhibit subtype-specific coupling mechanisms driven by local microenvironments and allosteric effects, challenging the assumption that sequence conservation guarantees functional equivalence.

Wei, W., Taylor, H. D., Ma, N., Rodin, A. S., Branciamore, S., Dohlman, H. G., Vaidehi, N.2026-01-30
📄 molecular biology

Chromatin modifiers KMT2D, BAF, and p300 are required for de novo binding of transcription factors on enhancers

This study demonstrates that chromatin modifiers KMT2D, BAF, and p300 are not merely downstream effectors but are functionally required for the de novo binding of transcription factors like MyoD and the Glucocorticoid Receptor to enhancers, revealing a cooperative rather than hierarchical mechanism in enhancer establishment.

Van, H. T., Park, Y.-K., Liu, C., Islam, S., Dell'Orso, S., Peng, W., Sartorelli, V., Lee, J.-E., Ge, K.2026-01-29
📄 molecular biology

Occurrence of Nigrospora spp. as the predominant causal agents of leaf spot disease in Cavendish banana in banana plantations in Mindanao Island, Philippines

This study reveals that *Nigrospora* species, rather than the previously assumed *Pseudocercospora fijiensis*, are the predominant causal agents of leaf spot disease in Cavendish bananas in Mindanao, Philippines, necessitating a comprehensive review of current disease management strategies.

Nozawa, S., Harada, Y., Takata, Y., Uchida, K., Malonzo, M. A., Valle, R., Chavez, S. M., Penalosa, A. F., Watanabe, K.2026-01-25
📄 molecular biology

Helical Repeat Protein mRSiC is Required for rRNA Fragment Accumulation in T. gondii Mitochondria

This study identifies the coccidian-specific helical repeat protein mRSiC as an essential factor in *Toxoplasma gondii* that stabilizes mitochondrial sRNAs to ensure the accumulation of fragmented rRNAs, thereby supporting functional respiratory chain assembly and parasite proliferation.

Drakoulis, N., Maschmann, S., Gluhic, Z., Blum, A. B., Hillebrand, A., Possling, A., Flores, V., Waller, R. F., van Door (…)2026-01-23
📄 molecular biology

PartiNet is a dynamic adaptive neural network for high-performance particle picking in cryo-electron microscopy

PartiNet is a dynamic, size-agnostic AI framework for cryo-EM particle picking that accelerates inference up to 7-fold by adapting network complexity to micrograph quality, thereby eliminating manual parameter tuning while delivering superior precision, recall, and high-resolution structural reconstructions.

Perera, M., Tan, W., Yang, E., Jain, O., Aggarwal, M., Venugopal, H., Iskander, J., Berry, J. D., Leis, A., Shakeel, S.2026-01-23