Gary R. Lewin

Abstract Eusociality is exceptionally rare in mammals, and its proximate mechanisms remain poorly understood. Naked mole-rats provide a striking example, with reproduction restricted to a single queen, while all other females remain infertile1. Here we identify a chemical signal in queens that can regulate this reproductive hierarchy. Isopropyl myristate is a low-volatility ester that is enriched in queens and nearly absent from non-breeding animals.

Abstract The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a long-lived mammal with resistance to cancer and hypoxia, suggesting the evolution of robust proteostasis networks. The ribosome, central for protein synthesis, is key to cellular stress responses and has an unusual feature: the 28S rRNA split; however, the details of its organization remain unknown. Here, we present high-resolution cryo-EM structures of the naked mole-rat 80S ribosome in four states of the elongation cycle.

Abstract The richness of our somatosensory experience is reflected in the functional diversity of somatic sensory neurons. Single-cell RNA sequencing of sensory neurons has revealed a molecular basis for such diversity1,2,3. However, sensory neuron diversity has yet to be captured at the level of the proteome.