Halfmann et al. describe a role for the protein BAF in nuclear envelope rupture repair. BAF recruits LEM-domain proteins and membranes to nuclear ruptures, yet surprisingly, ESCRT-III is not required to repair ruptures. These results provide new insight into the mechanisms of nuclear envelope repair.

Engineering the filamentous, N2-fixing cyanobacteria as a cellular factory to produce and secrete a cyclic hydrocarbon fuel using atmospheric gases (CO2and N2), water, and sunlight.

Genetically engineered cyanobacteria offer a shortcut to convert CO2 and H2O directly into biofuels and high value chemicals for societal benefits. Farnesene, a long-chained hydrocarbon (C15H24), has many applications in lubricants, cosmetics, fragrances, and biofuels. However, a method for the sustainable, photosynthetic production of farnesene has been lacking. Here, we report the photosynthetic production of farnesene by the filamentous cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 using only CO2, mineralized water, and light. A codon-optimized farnesene synthase gene was chemically synthesized and then expressed in the cyanobacterium, enabling it to synthesize farnesene through its endogenous non-mevalonate (MEP) pathway. Farnesene excreted from the engineered cyanobacterium volatilized into the flask head space and was recovered by adsorption in a resin column. The maximum photosynthetic productivity of farnesene was 69.1 ± 1.8 μg·L(-1)·O.D.(-1)·d(-1). Compared to the wild type, the farnesene-producing cyanobacterium also exhibited a 60 % higher PSII activity under high light, suggesting increased farnesene productivity in such conditions. We envision genetically engineered cyanobacteria as a bio-solar factory for photosynthetic production of a wide range of biofuels and commodity chemicals.

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and has caused a major health and economic burden worldwide. Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins behave in host cells can reveal underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis and assist in development of antiviral therapies. Here, the cellular impact of expressing SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins was studied by global proteomic analysis, and proximity biotinylation (BioID) was used to map the SARS-CoV-2 virus–host interactome in human lung cancer-derived cells. Functional enrichment analyses revealed previously reported and unreported cellular pathways that are associated with SARS-CoV-2 proteins. We have established a website to host the proteomic data to allow for public access and continued analysis of host–viral protein associations and whole-cell proteomes of cells expressing the viral–BioID fusion proteins. Furthermore, we identified 66 high-confidence interactions by comparing this study with previous reports, providing a strong foundation for future follow-up studies. Finally, we cross-referenced candidate interactors with the CLUE drug library to identify potential therapeutics for drug-repurposing efforts. Collectively, these studies provide a valuable resource to uncover novel SARS-CoV-2 biology and inform development of antivirals.