Jerika J. Barron

Abstract Neuroinflammation plays a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and many other neurodegenerative disorders. Chronic activation of astrocytes and microglia fuels neuronal damage via cytokine secretion, oxidative stress, and proteolysis, yet glial inflammatory regulation remains poorly understood. Using chemoproteomics, we identified CK2, particularly the brain-enriched catalytic subunit CK2α2, as a key driver of astrocytic inflammation.

Editor’s summary Nucleated cells have evolved a complex molecular machinery to remove internal sequences known as introns from the primary RNA transcripts of genes. This splicing process is necessary for the translation of gene messages into proteins and allows the production of alternative mRNAs and proteins from individual genes. After individually lowering the expression of more than 300 genes encoding components of the intron-removing machinery, Rogalska et al.

Editor’s summary Excitons in semiconductors are charge-neutral quasiparticles formed from electron-hole pairs. Electrical control requires the electrons and holes to be separated to create a dipole. This separation reduces the optical activity, thus rendering them optically dark. Using 90° twisted layers of black phosphorous, Huang et al. demonstrate a new species of exciton that carries a permanent dipole (see the Perspective by Milošević and Covasi).