In this Feature Review, Das, Tyler and Churchill discuss how biochemistry and structural biology have provided insights into how histone chaperones direct DNA replication, repair and transcription.

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Accumulating evidence points to numerous cellular roles for reactive oxygen species. In this Review, Hamanaka and Chandel outline the regulated production of mitochondrial ROS and discuss the many cellular processes that are affected by their activity.

Although we have high resolution structures for many monomeric proteins and 'simple' complexes, large protein assemblies provide unique challenges to structural biologist. In this Review, Zhou and Robinson discuss how proteomics can be used in conjunction with low resolution structures can provide new insights into the functions of cellular machines.

Through cleaving their target proteins, proteases direct numerous cellular pathways. Cleavage can result in activation or degradation, and can be important for triggering complex signaling pathways. Moreover, pathogens utilize proteolysis to attack (or hijack) host cells. How these diverse proteins function, and the outcomes of their action, has major implications for our approach to treating human disease.