🎉 We are thrilled to share our newest collection: Biochemistry & beyond 🎉 Through our commitment to publishing rigorous, high-impact research in all aspects of the molecular life sciences, the journal brings together diverse communities. 🔎To get you started on your Biochemistry & Beyond journey with us, explore our inaugural collections on: 🪴Plants & biotechnology, 🐁Organismal biology, 🫀Cardiobiology, 🔬 Developmental biology & Stem cells, 🧬RNA biology & epigenetics. Explore our newest collections, here ➡️ buff.ly/MFwRpDl 🚀 At The FEBS Journal, biochemistry is the starting point – not the limit! #BeyondBiochem

In their latest review in the Extracellular Matrix—Proteases Crosstalk Special Issue, Ricard-Blum and Fradette highlights the roles of major bioactive collagen fragments in angiogenesis, inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer, while exploring their potential translational applications as therapeutic targets and biomarkers. 📕 An update on the landscape of collagen bioactive fragments 📖 The remodeling of the extracellular matrix releases collagen bioactive fragments, which exert molecular functions and regulate numerous biological processes via several signaling pathways. Here, we summarize the latest findings describing the roles of major bioactive fragments from collagens I, IV, VI, and XVIII in various physiological and pathological contexts. We also discuss perspectives on how these bioactive fragments could impact translational research as drug candidates, drug targets, and biomarkers. ✍ Sylvie RICARD-BLUM, Julie Fradette Read the full Review article here ➡️ buff.ly/oiRGyhV #bioactive #collagen #ECM #matrisome

Driven by irreversible proteolysis, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling is essential to development, homeostasis, and disease. ✂️In an Invited Review for our Special Issue on Extracellular Matrix—Proteases Crosstalk, Solomonov and colleagues discuss the major ECM-degrading protease families: MMPs, serine proteases, ADAMs, ADAMTSs, and cysteine proteases. Their work highlights the shared regulatory pathways and proteolytic dynamics that continuously reshape the tissue microenvironment. 📕 Extracellular matrix and proteolysis: mechanisms driving irreversible changes and shaping cell behavior 📖 Irreversible ECM proteolysis by remodeling enzymes shapes development, homeostasis, and disease. ECM-degrading proteases display cell specificity and are governed by shared mechanisms, exhibiting functional redundancy in generating matrikines, growth factors, and cytokines. Amplified proteolysis and feedback regulation define tissue adaptation and pathology. Understanding these processes is essential for maintaining normal homeostasis and for identifying therapeutic targets to restore ECM balance in pathological conditions such as fibrosis and cancer. ✍ Inna Solomonov, Orit Kollet, Irit Sagi Delve into this insightful Review here ➡️ buff.ly/sHKTyCY #ExtracellularMatrix #proteolysis #ECM #protease #ECMremodeling

✨ Today, we encourage you to read the State-of-the-Art Review, featured in our Special Issue on ‘Extracellular Matrix- Proteases Crosstalk’. 📕 Proteolysis at the extracellular matrix interface: Molecular architects and regulators in health and disease 📖 The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic scaffold that orchestrates tissue architecture and cellular communication. A critical but underexplored interplay between proteases and cluster of differentiation molecules (CD) governs ECM turnover and directs cell fate. This review synthesizes how the disruption of this protease-CD crosstalk drives pathogenesis and highlights emerging therapies that target these networks and ECM-mimetic scaffolds to restore tissue homeostasis. ✍ David Jurnečka, Matija Hrovatin, Bor Bokalj, Boris Turk Explore the State-of-the-Art Review, here ➡️ buff.ly/rHlydpB #ECM #protease #proteolysis #scaffold #tissuehomeostasis

✨ We’re thrilled to share ‘A Guide To…’ article, published in our latest Special Issue on ‘Extracellular Matrix- Proteases Crosstalk’. ✂️ The roles of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in cancer are highly complex and context-dependent, making them challenging targets. This article brilliantly delivers a comprehensive breakdown of the types, structures, and functions of MMPs, summarizing their essential roles in normal and pathophysiological conditions, with a special focus on cancer progression. 📕 A guide to the types, structures, and multifaceted functions of matrix metalloproteinases in cancer 📖 Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) orchestrate cancer progression and metastasis through proteolytic and non-proteolytic actions. By remodeling the tumor microenvironment, enhancing growth factor availability, and modulating cell behavior, MMPs promote proliferation, migration or invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Alongside extracellular vesicles, MMPs support pre-metastatic niche formation, enabling cancer cell dissemination, dormancy, and metastatic colonization. ✍ Zoi Piperigkou, Sylvia Mangani, Spyros Kremmydas, Nikolaos E. Koletsis, Nikos Karamanos Read the complete guide in our Special Issue, here ➡️ buff.ly/ge2ZUZ9 #MMP #cancer #guide #ECM

✨ Happy Friday! As you head into the weekend, we invite you to explore the Editorial featured in our ‘Extracellular Matrix- Proteases Crosstalk’ Special Issue. 📕 Extracellular matrix cross-talk with proteases: A master switch for remodeling and cell regulation in health and disease 📖 The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic three-dimensional macromolecular network essential for maintaining tissue homeostasis. Apart from its structural and biomechanical support to tissues, the ECM plays regulatory roles in cellular signaling, cell functional properties, and morphology. The composition and structural characteristics of the ECM are widely variable among different tissues, adapting to diverse functional needs. The extensive and dysregulated remodeling of the ECM network in various diseases—such as cancer, fibrosis, and vascular and inflammatory conditions—influences their progression. ECM remodeling involves not only proteolytic degradation but also the deposition of newly synthesized matrix components that influence cellular behavior. In this special issue on ECM cross-talk with proteases, the categories and functions of various proteases are presented and discussed in terms of their involvement in ECM remodeling and cell regulatory effects. Emphasis is placed on the roles of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), cathepsins, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM), a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS), components of the plasminogen activation system, and lysyl oxidase (LOX) family enzymes—both in the degradation of ECM macromolecules (collagen, elastic fibers, proteoglycans) and in their impact on extracellular vesicles (EVs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). ✍ Nikos Karamanos Discover the Editorial, here ➡️ buff.ly/sn5lAou #ECM #remodeling #proteases #ADAM #MMP

✨ The FEBS Advanced Lecture Course “MASLD: From novel liver model systems to organelle pathophysiology” brought together brilliant early-career researchers and leading experts on the beautiful island of Spetses for a truly engaging week of science 🔬 🧬 . 🎉 We are delighted to present The FEBS Journal Poster Prize to Daisy Bhatia for her poster, “Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of MASLD initiation and development.” We wholeheartedly congratulate Daisy, and all presenters! 👏 👏

🌟 We’re excited to share our Special Issue, ‘Extracellular Matrix—Proteases Crosstalk’, guest edited by Prof. Nikos Karamanos (University of Patras), a renowned expert in the field. ✂️ This issue features fifteen excellent review articles covering a broad range of topics at the intersection of proteases and extracellular matrix (ECM). 👉 In this issue, you can delve into: 🔸 Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as key ECM regulators and their dysregulation in pathological contexts. 🔹 Proteolysis-mediated molecular turnover within the ECM, offering new insights into irreversible ECM proteolysis. 🔸 Proteases as catalysts of pro-LOX and pro-LOXL hydrolysis. 🔹 The role of ADAMTS and their association with extracellular vesicles. 🔸 The future of ECM degradomics for diagnostics and therapeutics. 🩺 The reviews in this Special Issue reflect the complex phenotypes associated with ECM-related pathologies. Explore this excellent selection of review articles here ➡️ buff.ly/dtkc2Km #ECM #protease #MMP #ADAMTS #proteolysis #degradomics #cancer

🧬 Are you interested in the latest advances in chromosomal instability in cancer? Don't miss this excellent conference! The EACR Conference on 'Chromosomes in Crisis: From Chromosomal Instability to Catastrophes in Cancer Genomes' will highlight the mechanisms, consequences, and therapeutic vulnerabilities associated with these genomic rearrangements. 📍Berlin, Germany 🗓️3-5 November 2026 🔎 This conference will explore how and why chromosomes become unstable in cancer, what happens when entire genomes are duplicated or when chromosomes are shattered, and how these dramatic events might be targeted with new therapies. 🔔Submit your abstract and apply for a travel grant by 7 September! For further details 👉 buff.ly/KCJ2eyL #EACR #cancer #chromosomeinstability

🗓️Save the date! The EACR Conference on Cancer Metabolism will once again gather top experts in the field in Bilbao this October! 🔋This symposium will highlight key topics including undocumented metabolic alterations in cancer, cancer-host metabolic communication, and metabolite-based regulation of cellular responses. ⏰ Don't miss the registration and payment deadline on 7th September! For further details, please visit 👉 buff.ly/71hHRwY #EACR #cancermetabolism #metabolicalterations #metaboliccommunication #metabolites

🗓️Save the date! The EMBO-EMBL Symposium, ‘The complex life of RNA’, will take place this October, both virtually and in Heidelberg. 🧬This symposium will highlight topics including transcription, RNA processing and modification, mRNA export and localisation, mRNA surveillance and decay, translation, the activity of non-coding RNAs, the control of mRNA expression, and coupling among these processes. ⏰ Please note that the registration deadline for on-site attendance is 1st September, and for virtual attendance, it is 6th October. The FEBS Journal has already registered, and we look forward to attending this symposium, which gathers leading experts from across the RNA field. For further details, please visit 👉 buff.ly/XMYfCYA #EMBLevents #FEBSPress #EESRNA

🚦 Besides its role in controlling organ size, the Hippo signaling pathway has emerged as a key interorgan communication hub, translating systemic metabolic, hormonal, and microbial cues into coordinated organ responses. ⚖️ In their State-of-the-Art Review, Song and colleagues discuss how understanding this pathway integrates these inputs to maintain body-wide balance, unlocking new insights into treating metabolic diseases, chronic inflammation, and cancer. 📕 The emerging role of the Hippo signaling pathway in interorgan crosstalk 📖 Hippo signaling functions as a central hub of interorgan communication. Systemic cues from the gut, adipose tissue, and skeletal muscle—including hormones, metabolites, and microbial signals—regulate YAP/TAZ activity in a tissue- and context-dependent manner. Through these mechanisms, Hippo signaling integrates organ-derived stimuli to coordinate systemic homeostasis and pathological outcomes. ✍ Gahyeon Song, Chaerin Lee, Jho Eek-hoon Read this outstanding Review article here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… #Hippo #interorgan #YAP #TAZ #crosstalk #hormone

💉 Beyond blood sugar control, could GLP-1 medications exert part of their therapeutic impact by reshaping the gut's microscopic landscape? 🦠 In The FEBS Journal, Santos Dantas and colleagues recently published a review of 17 studies revealing that these medications reshape intestinal bacteria, boosting beneficial species, calming inflammation, and repairing the gut barrier to help drive better metabolic health ⬇️ 📕 Effects of GLP-1 agonists on the gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review 📖 This systematic review evaluated 17 studies (12 preclinical and five clinical) on GLP-1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes, demonstrating effects on the gut microbiota and metabolic improvement. The studies showed an increase in Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, and Akkermansia, and a reduction in Firmicutes. An increased production of short-chain fatty acids was observed, along with improved insulin sensitivity and reduced intestinal inflammation. ✍ Ranicleide Santos Dantas, Lucas Vinícius Souza Santos, André Gustavo Carvalho de Oliveira, Maria das Dores Alves dos Santos, Deise Maria Rego Rodrigues Silva, PEDRO HENRIQUE MACEDO MOURA, Eloia Emanuelly Dias Silva, Ronaldy Santana Santos, Lucas Alves da Mota Santana, Rajiv Gandhi Gopalsamy, Adriana Gibara Guimarães, Lysandro Pinto Borges Enjoy the weekend read, and dive into the full review here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… #GLP1 #microbiota #diabetes #T2D #inflammation #gut

📢 New Issue alert! Our Issue 16 is now live, featuring a vibrant selection of research from across the life sciences: 🔦 A State-of-the-Art review discussing how Hippo signalling pathway serves as a context-dependent bidirectional communication hub that integrates hormonal, metabolic, and microbial cues across key organ axes to maintain systemic homeostasis. ✂️ A Mini Review highlighting ADAM17 as a major driver of inflammation, cancer, and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, positioning it as a critical therapeutic target across diverse pathologies. 🧩 An Editor's Choice article uncovering AKR1C as a key player in Vitamin B6 processing and proposing AKR1C isozymes as metabolic nodes, linking vitamin B6 availability with broader cellular metabolic regulation. The study is accompanied by an insightful Commentary. 🧫 An Original Article focusing on how intrinsic identity shapes epithelial cell behaviour and plasticity, driving heterogeneous epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) outcomes. Findings of this study are further highlighted in an accompanying Commentary. From DNA triplex structures to ectopic Wnt6 expression in silkworms, our latest issue showcases cutting-edge advancements across the molecular life sciences. Discover the full issue here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… #Hipposignaling #ADAM17 #vitaminB6 #EMT #Wnt #Bcells

🫘 Animals cannot synthesise metabolically active vitamin B6 de novo, relying instead on dietary sources and the gut microbioata. 🔓 In their latest publication in the FEBS Journal, Kito and colleagues uncover a new key player in how our bodies process Vitamin B6. They show that a family of enzymes called AKR1Cs plays a surprisingly central role in regulating Vitamin B6 levels. 📕 A new branch of mammalian vitamin B6 metabolism: AKR1C-mediated conversion of pyridoxal to pyridoxine and 4-pyridoxolactone 📖 Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) homeostasis relies on salvage enzymes, yet key metabolic branches remain undefined. We identify AKR1C isozymes as previously undescribed contributors that convert pyridoxal into pyridoxine or 4‑pyridoxolactone through reductase and dehydrogenase activities. These reactions may reshape intracellular vitamin B₆ vitamer balance and attenuate AKR1C activities towards non‑B₆ substrates. Our findings establish AKR1Cs as metabolic nodes linking vitamin B₆ availability with broader cellular metabolic regulation. ✍ Nayu Kito, Yasuyuki Kitaura, Kyoka Iino, Kazuya Toriumi, Hyunah Noh, Naoya Ogawa, Makoto Arai, Hisashi Hemmi, Tomokazu Ito 🏛️ Nagoya University, Chubu University, Tokyo Metropolitan University Discover this brilliant study here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… The publication is also accompanied by a Commentary article ✍ by Graziani et al., offering additional perspectives on the topic ➡️ 🔗 febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… Check out the FEBS Network post by our editorial team for deeper insights into the significance of this study ➡️ 🔗 network.febs.org/posts/akr1c… #vitaminB6 #salvagepathway #AKR1C #metabolism #coenzyme

🧩 In our latest issue, Veliova et al. uncover a new role for the malate–aspartate shuttle (MASh) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) energy metabolism. 📊 Remarkably, the enzymatic activities of key MASh enzymes, cytosolic and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenases and glutamic–oxaloacetic transaminases, in BAT were found to be comparable to those in the liver. ✨ This article is accompanied by an insightful Commentary entitled 'Fast & fuelious: the malate–aspartate shuttle in brown adipocyte lipid metabolism' ✍ by Lukas Blaas, Alexander Bartelt . 📕 The malate–aspartate shuttle supports thermogenic lipid mobilization in brown adipocytes 📖 Brown fat cells burn lipids within their mitochondria to generate heat. This process involves two energy “shuttles,” one of which is naturally blocked during heat production. We found that the second shuttle (MASh) is not required to generate heat. However, when MASh is disabled, the fatty acids meant for fuel are instead converted back into stored fat. This causes fat accumulation, proving MASh is essential for regulating fat storage. ✍ Michaela Veliova, Caroline M. Ferreira, Katrina Montales, Francisco Villalobos, Alexandra Brownstein, PhD, Rebeca Acin Perez, Gabrielly Ferreira, Anthony Jones, Linsey Stiles, Ajit Divakaruni, Marc Liesa, Orian Shirihai, Marcus F. Oliveira Discover the full research article here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… Read the Commentary here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… #MASh #brownadipose #lipidmetabolism #fattyacid #thermogenesis

⏰ New Issue alert! From metabolism to neurodegeneration, our latest issue is packed with cutting-edge research: 🧫 A compelling review article exploring how heavy metals disrupt ER function, triggering ER stress and dysfunction. 🧠 A standout review on the calcium-dependent phospholipid-binding protein Annexin A2, uncovering its link to Alzheimer's disease. 🌟 An Editor's Choice article proposing a non-canonical role for the Notch ligand Jagged1 in endothelial mechanotransduction. 💧 Two brilliant research articles accompanied by expert Commentaries: one investigating how the malate–aspartate shuttle regulates fatty acid storage, and another bringing an exciting new perspective on how lipid droplet biogenesis regulates ferroptosis sensitivity in cancer cells. 📚 And a diverse collection of outstanding original research across the life sciences! Explore our Issue 15, here ➡️ febs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com… #ER #Alzheimer #mechanotransduction #malateaspartate #ferroptosis #lipid

🧬The fourth article from our ‘RNA Biology & Epigenetics’ collection provides an extensive in vitro characterisation of the RNA binding properties of Fas-activated serine/threonine kinase (FASTK), offering valuable structural insights into the molecule. Discover this outstanding article in our ‘RNA Biology & Epigenetics’ collection, here ➡️ buff.ly/Gb7SrU1 🚀 At The FEBS Journal, biochemistry is the starting point – not the limit! #BeyondBiochem

🧬Next up in our ‘RNA Biology & Epigenetics’ collection is an intriguing study exploring how PHOX2B gene expression is regulated. Di Lascio et al. characterise the recently annotated human antisense transcript PHOX2B-AS1, revealing a novel reciprocal regulatory mechanism between the gene and its antisense counterpart. Discover this outstanding article in our ‘RNA Biology & Epigenetics’ collection, here ➡️ buff.ly/qaswMen 🚀 At The FEBS Journal, biochemistry is the starting point – not the limit! #BeyondBiochem