280-C 21 JANUARY 2022 • VOL 375 ISSUE 6578 science.org SCIENCE
RESEARCH | IN SCIENCE JOURNALS
biomedical research, giving
us the ability to isolate cells
according to the expression of
labeled proteins. So far, however,
flow cytometric cell sorting has
been blind to spatial processes
such as intracellular protein
localization, which is tradition-
ally measured using microscopy.
Schraivogel et al. combined
ultrafast microscopy and image
analysis with a flow cytometric
cell sorter to unlock spatial
phenotypes for high-throughput
sorting applications. The authors
show how this technology can be
used to rapidly isolate cells with
complex cellular phenotypes and
how it can accelerate genome-
wide microscopy-based CRISPR
screening. —DJ
Science, abj3013, this issue p. 315
2D MATERIALS
Following a crossover
Superfluidity in fermionic sys-
tems occurs through the pairing
of fermions into bosons, which
can undergo condensation.
Depending on the strength of
interactions between fermions,
the pairs range from large and
overlapping to tightly bound.
The crossover between these
two limits has been explored
in ultracold Fermi gases. Liu et
al. observed the crossover in
an electronic system consist-
ing of two layers of graphene
separated by an insulating
barrier and placed in a mag-
netic field (see the Perspective
by Morgenstern and Goerbig).
In this two-dimensional (2D)
system, the pairs were excitons
formed from an electron in one
layer and a hole in the other. The
researchers used magnetic field
and layer separation to tune
the interactions and detected
the signatures of superfluidity
through transport measure-
ments. —JS
Science, abm3770, this issue p. 321;
see also abn2049, p. 263
T CELLS
Looping in FoxP3
The identity and function of T
regulatory cells (Tregs) relies on
the activity of the transcription
factor FoxP3, but its precise
mechanism of action in control-
ling Treg-specific gene expression
is not well understood. Using
chromatin conformation
capture with immunoprecipita-
tion, Ramirez et al. mapped the
enhancer-promoter architecture
of conventional CD4+ T cells and
Tregs and then identified FoxP3-
interacting enhancer-promoter
loops (EPLs). FoxP3 interacted
with EPLs at core Treg signature
genes and was associated with
increased enhancer-promoter
connectivity, whereas genetic
inactivation of FoxP3 resulted
in decreased H3K27Ac looping
at the same loci. These results
provide insight into FoxP3’s inter-
actions with EPLs and support
a model in which FoxP3 directly
regulates the expression of
many of its target genes through
enhancer-promoter connections.
—CO
Sci. Immunol. 6 , eabj9836 (2022).MUSCLE DISEASE
T cell–independent
muscle loss
Although recent data suggest
the involvement of autoimmune
mechanisms in the pathophysi-
ology of sporadic inclusion body
myositis (IBM), the role of T cell–
mediated autoimmunity remains
to be elucidated. Britson et al.
developed a humanized xeno-
graft rodent model of IBM that
recapitulates the main hallmarks
of the disease. The authors
showed that T cell depletion was
able to reduce major histocom-
patibility complex class I (MHC-I)
upregulation within myofibers
but did not reduce pathology of
the transcriptional protein TDP-
43 or rimmed vacuole formation.
The results indicate that in this
xenograft model, loss of TDP-43
function and muscle degenera-
tion in IBM occur independently
of T cell infiltration. —MM
Sci. Transl. Med. 14 , eabi9196 (2022).CORONAVIRUS
Neurologic effects
of COVID-19
Although predominantly a
respiratory virus, it has becomeclear that severe acute respira-
tory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2) can affect numer-
ous organ systems, including
the brain. Those with acute
COVID-19 report various neuro-
psychiatric syndromes that can
persist, and new symptoms can
develop in those with so-called
Long Covid. In a Perspective,
Spudich and Nath discuss the
neurological symptoms that
seem to come with SARS-CoV-2
infection and the possible
mechanisms, including neuroin-
flammation, autoimmunity, and
vascular dysfunction, that are
also associated with increased
risk of stroke. It is important
to understand the underlying
pathology of neurological dys-
function caused by SARS-CoV-2
infection to prevent possible
long-term sequelae. —GKA
Science, abm2052, this issue p. 267SEXUAL SELECTION
The power of choice
In his book The Descent of Man,
and Selection in Relation to Sex,
Darwin proposed the concept of
sexual selection, specifically that
the vagaries of choice during
reproduction could also shape
patterns of adaptation—and
thus evolution. Despite this
groundbreaking thinking, his
Victorian ideas about women
affected his ability to see just
how influential mate choice,
especially from the female side,
could be. Rosenthal and Ryan
review progress that has been
made in this area in the 150
years since Darwin first pro-
posed sexual selection, paying
special attention to how more
equitable thinking has led to
significant scientific advances in
our understanding. —SNV
Science, abi6308, this issue p. 281