Article series: RNA processing and modifications

The different steps of mRNA processing and maturation are tightly co-regulated and interlinked with transcription, translation and mRNA decay. The complexity of this regulatory network is further increased by mRNA chemical modifications such as N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) and 5-methylcytosine (m⁵C). This article series highlights our current understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the biogenesis of different RNA species, including RNA processing and chemical modification, and the importance of these processes in physiology and disease.

Collection on: The 3D genome

This collection showcases both the latest advances in the methodologies used to study genome organization and our emerging understanding of how genome organization and nuclear architecture regulate gene expression, cell fate and cell function in physiology and disease. The collection includes recent Reviews, Research articles and Protocols from across the Nature group of journals.

Focus on: DNA damage repair

DNA lesions are repaired by a plethora of cellular processes, together constituting the DNA damage response, which is crucial for the maintenance of genomic integrity. It is becoming increasingly clear that different repair pathways can crosstalk, owing to the capacity of certain proteins to function in the signalling and repair of different DNA lesions. Furthermore, DNA repair factors and pathways are intricately connected with cellular processes such as DNA replication, transcription and protein post-translational modifications.

Article series: Adult stem cells

Adult stem cells are found in the body throughout life and have a crucial role in tissue repair and in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis. Examples include blood, skin, intestine and muscle stem cells. This series of Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology brings together articles that discuss the identity, regulation and function of adult stem cells in different organs and tissues. The articles also highlight the importance of adult stem cells in physiology and disease and how a better understanding of their biology can be exploited to restore or improve the function of organs or tissues that are damaged by injury, ageing or pathological conditions.

Focus on: Pluripotent stem cells

To mark the 10-year anniversary of the discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), this Focus looks at how research on iPSCs and embryonic stem cells (ES cells) has provided insight into the molecular basis of reprogramming, pluripotency and cell fate specification, and highlights progresses and limitations in translating stem cell research to the clinic.

Focus on: Transcription

Transcription is a fundamental step in the control of gene expression, which determines cell identity and function and enables cells to respond and adapt to changing cellular environments. Recent insights into the mechanisms that regulate transcription initiation, elongation and termination by RNA polymerase II highlight the complexity of these processes, which ensure the correct implementation of gene expression programmes.

Focus on: The Extracellular Matrix

The cellular sensing and relay of chemical and mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences cell morphology, movement and function, and even cell fate. Our knowledge of the structure, biochemistry, biology and physics of the ECM has increased in recent years, as has our understanding of how the dysregulation of its formation, remodelling and function can lead to diseases such as fibrosis and cancer.

Article series: Technologies and techniques

In this article series, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology focuses on recent technological and technical developments and on the impact they have on diverse areas of molecular and cell biology. These articles highlight important biological issues, describe the methods and techniques that were developed to tackle them, and discuss how these developments have contributed to the understanding of fundamental biological phenomena.

Article series: DNA damage

Cells are continuously faced with endogenous and exogenous stress that can ultimately lead to DNA damage and genomic instability. In this article series, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology explores the different pathways that preserve genomic integrity by detecting and repairing DNA damage in its varying forms. Together, these articles highlight the multiple levels of control that ensure an efficient DNA damage response and the implications of impaired repair pathways.

Article series: Cell death and autophagy

Homeostatic and pathological cell death can take diverse forms. One of these is autophagy, a process that can also promote cell survival by recycling cytoplasmic components to maintain cellular energy balance. In this article series, Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology looks at the progress that has been made in our molecular understanding of different modes of cell death and of autophagy as both a survival and death mechanism. Together, these articles highlight the physiological contexts in which these pathways are induced and the ways in which these control mechanisms interplay to decide cell fate.

Article series: Post-translational modifications series

The articles in this series will highlight the ability of different post-translational modifications to modify proteins and dynamically regulate their function in diverse cell biological contexts. We hope that together they will emphasize the insights gained into how such modifications are regulated and recognized, how they crosstalk with one another, and the cell biological processes in which post-translational modifications have emerged as an additional level of control.

More Web Focuses

Please visit our archive of Web Focuses, which are small collections of articles on a related theme. Content ranges from Research Highlights, Journal Clubs, through to Reviews and Perspectives.

More Article Series

Please visit our archive of Article Series, which are special series of articles that explore a specific theme in the field of molecular cell biology and comprises Reviews and Perspectives that are published consecutively over a period of time.

Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology is on Twitter. Follow us to keep up-to-date with the latest content.

Nature Reviews is on Facebook! Like us for regular updates on new content across all the Nature Reviews journals.