Volume 555 Issue 7695

Editorials

News

News Features

Attack of the extreme floods p.156

As the ocean rises, researchers work to forecast where severe storms will trigger the worst flooding.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02745-0

News & Views

A deeper look at Jupiter p.168

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has made precise measurements of the gravitational field of Jupiter. The data reveal details of the structure and dynamics of the planet’s interior.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02612-y

Simple moral code supports cooperation p.169

The evolution of cooperation is a frequently debated topic. A study assessing scenarios in which people judge each other shows that a simple moral rule suffices to drive the evolution of cooperation.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02621-x

A new era of rationally designed antipsychotics p.170

The ideal drugs for treating schizophrenia are postulated to selectively block the D2 dopamine receptor with optimum binding kinetics. The structure of D2 bound to an antipsychotic sheds light on how to design such drugs.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02328-z

Transistors driven by superconductors p.172

A hybrid transistor device has been made in which a superconductor forms a seamless interface with a semiconductor. The study of such interfaces could open the way to innovative applications in electronics.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02717-4

Mountains of diversity p.173

A large-scale analysis of bird diversity and evolution on mountains around the globe explores the relationships between elevation, species richness and the rate of formation of new species.

doi: 10.1038/d41586-018-02062-6

Review

Meta-analysis and the science of research synthesis p.175

Meta-analysis—the quantitative, scientific synthesis of research results—has been both revolutionary and controversial, with rapid advances and broad implementation resulting in substantial scientific advances, but not without pitfalls.

doi: 10.1038/nature25753

Articles

The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe p.190

Genome-wide data from 400 individuals indicate that the initial spread of the Beaker archaeological complex between Iberia and central Europe was propelled by cultural diffusion, but that its spread into Britain involved a large-scale migration that permanently replaced about ninety per cent of the ancestry in the previously resident population.

doi: 10.1038/nature25738

The genomic history of southeastern Europe p.197

Genome-wide ancient DNA data from 225 individuals who lived in southeastern Europe between 12000 and 500 ʙᴄ reveals that the region acted as a genetic crossroads before and after the arrival of farming.

doi: 10.1038/nature25778

Letters

Clusters of cyclones encircling Jupiter’s poles p.216

Visible and infrared images obtained from above each pole of Jupiter by the Juno spacecraft reveal polygonal patterns of large cyclones; it is unknown how these cyclones evolved, or how they persist without merging.

doi: 10.1038/nature25491

Monolayer atomic crystal molecular superlattices p.231

Superlattices consisting of alternating monolayer atomic crystals and molecular layers allow access to stable phosphorene monolayers with competitive transistor performance and to bulk monolayer materials with tunable optoelectronic properties.

doi: 10.1038/nature25774

The SMAD2/3 interactome reveals that TGFβ controls m6A mRNA methylation in pluripotency p.256

The TGFβ pathway has essential roles in embryonic development, organ homeostasis, tissue repair and disease. These diverse effects are mediated through the intracellular effectors SMAD2 and SMAD3 (hereafter SMAD2/3), whose canonical function is to control the activity of target genes by interacting with transcriptional regulators. Therefore, a complete description of the factors that interact with SMAD2/3 in a given cell type would have broad implications for many areas of cell biology. Here we describe the interactome of SMAD2/3 in human pluripotent stem cells. This analysis reveals that SMAD2/3 is involved in multiple molecular processes in addition to its role in transcription. In particular, we identify a functional interaction with the METTL3–METTL14–WTAP complex, which mediates the conversion of adenosine to N6-methyladenosine (m6A) on RNA. We show that SMAD2/3 promotes binding of the m6A methyltransferase complex to a subset of transcripts involved in early cell fate decisions. This mechanism destabilizes specific SMAD2/3 transcriptional targets, including the pluripotency factor gene NANOG, priming them for rapid downregulation upon differentiation to enable timely exit from pluripotency. Collectively, these findings reveal the mechanism by which extracellular signalling can induce rapid cellular responses through regulation of the epitranscriptome. These aspects of TGFβ signalling could have far-reaching implications in many other cell types and in diseases such as cancer.

doi: 10.1038/nature25784