The paper develops a biosensor to monitor α-ketoglutarate in human cells and identifies a mitochondrial-to-nuclear pathway regulating chromatin methylation.

Science · Jul 16, 2026Peer-reviewedSynthetic Biology

Nitrogen metabolism profiling reveals cell state-specific pyrimidine synthesis pathway choice

Milan R. Savani, Bingbing Li, Bailey C. Smith, Wen Gu, Yi Xiao, Gerard Baquer, Tracey E. Shipman, Skyler Oken, Namya Manoj, Lauren G. Zacharias, Vineshkumar Thidil Puliyappadamba, Sylwia A. Stopka, Michael Scott Regan, Michael M. Levitt, Charles K. Edgar, , Samuel K. McBrayer

The paper develops a platform to trace 30 nitrogen isotope-labeled metabolites, revealing cell state-specific pyrimidine synthesis pathway preferences in primitive and differentiated cells.

Nature Metabolism · Apr 29, 2026Peer-reviewedCell Biology

Dominant Malignant Clones Leverage Lineage Restricted Epigenomic Programs to Drive Ependymoma Development

Alisha Kardian, Hua Sun, Siri Manasa Ippagunta, Nic Laboe, Srinidhi Varadharajan, Kwanha Yu, Hsiao‐Chi Chen, Erik Emanus, Tuyu Zheng, Riley M. Deneen, Jon P. Connelly, Yong-Dong Wang, Jiangshan Zhan, Hengxi Liu, Kimberley Lowe, , Stephen C. Mack

This study identifies specific developmental epigenomic states that enable ZFTA-RELA-driven ependymoma formation and reveals how these states shape tumor progression.

Nature · Mar 25, 2026Peer-reviewedCancer Biology

Mutant IDH silences GSX2 to reprogram neural progenitor cell fate and promote gliomagenesis

Yi Xiao, Diana D. Shi, Lei Guo, Ethan Neumann, Michael M. Levitt, Pranita Kaphle, Tracey E. Shipman, Haocheng Li, Feng Cai, Denise M. O. Ramirez, Lauren G. Zacharias, Zhenkang Chen, Mathew Lin, Vineshkumar Thidil Puliyappadamba, Tao Chen, , Samuel K. McBrayer

This study shows mutant IDH reprograms neural progenitor cell fate by silencing Gsx2, promoting gliomagenesis through lineage switching.

bioRxiv · Aug 12, 2025 · PreprintCancer Biology