Review
Cell Biology
Fabian Link, Alyssa R. Borges, Nicola G. Jones, Markus Engstler
Summary: Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular pathogen that thrives extracellularly in vertebrate hosts, with its cell surface playing a critical role in both immune recognition and evasion. The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and incessant motility contribute to immune evasion, while endo- and exocytosis occur at the flagellar pocket. Mechanisms behind VSG recycling and secretion are not fully understood, presenting longstanding questions that may be answered with novel technologies in the future.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Liang Zhang, Xinlin Liang, Tomas Takac, George Komis, Xiaojuan Li, Yuan Zhang, Miroslav Ovecka, Yanmei Chen, Jozef Samaj
Summary: In plants, membrane compartmentalization relies on vesicle trafficking for organelle communication. Membrane proteins involved in vesicle trafficking are dynamic and responsive to environmental changes and cellular signals. Therefore, understanding the localization and dynamics of these proteins is crucial for dissecting vesicular trafficking pathways.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Tiankui Zhang, Charles W. Wolgemuth
Summary: The dynamics of thin, membrane-like structures are crucial in cell biology, but simulating large scale deformations remains challenging due to spatial heterogeneity. A general computational framework has been developed to simulate the dynamics of membranes and vesicles, successfully predicting equilibrium shapes of multiphase vesicles.
JOURNAL OF COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takahito Moriyama, Fumio Hasegawa, Yoei Miyabe, Kenichi Akiyama, Kazunori Karasawa, Keiko Uchida, Kosaku Nitta
Summary: The study reveals that albumin in podocytes is transported intracellularly through caveolae, entering cells with Fc receptors, moving along actin cytoskeleton, and eventually being degraded or exocytosed.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Chiara Paganini, Ricki S. Carroll, Chiara Gramegna Tota, Andrea J. Schelhaas, Alessandra Leone, Angela L. Duker, David A. O'Connell, Ryan F. Coghlan, Brian Johnstone, Carlos R. Ferreira, Sabrina Peressini, Riccardo Albertini, Antonella Forlino, Luisa Bonafe, Ana Belinda Campos-Xavier, Andrea Superti-Furga, Andreas Zankl, Antonio Rossi, Michael B. Bober
Summary: Diastrophic dysplasia (DTD) is a genetic disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the SLC26A2 gene, which affects sulfate uptake and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) sulfation. This study investigated urinary GAG sulfation and blood collagen X marker (CXM) levels as potential biomarkers for DTD.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Meng Yang, Wen-Xiong Wang
Summary: This study quantified the nonspecific interactions between three different functional polystyrene nanoplastics and zebrafish cells. The uptake of the nanoplastics in the cells peaked within 2 hours and then decreased, and the uptake rate was similar among the different types of nanoplastics but related to their functionality. The clathrin-mediated and caveolae-mediated pathways were mainly involved in the uptake process. The internalized nanoplastics were transported to lysosomes and exocytosed by the cells via energy-dependent processes. The estimated retention half-lives of the nanoplastics in fish cells were also determined.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martyna Maszota-Zieleniak, Ferenc Zsila, Sergey A. Samsonov
Summary: Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) are involved in various biologically relevant processes in the extracellular matrix, and their interactions with small molecules like methylene blue (MB) can be electrostatically driven. This study explored the molecular mechanisms underlying the interactions between different GAG types and MB, and evaluated the impact of MB binding on GAG conformation. These findings provide insights for quantitative analysis of GAG composition and potential applications in drug design and therapies involving GAGs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ling Liu, Kexin Xu, Bowen Zhang, Yiyuan Ye, Qiu Zhang, Wei Jiang
Summary: Microplastics and nanoplastics, specifically 50 nm and 500 nm polystyrene particles, can be internalized into living cells through passive membrane penetration and active endocytosis, accumulating mainly in lysosomes. Larger particles, like 5 mu m polystyrene particles, are unable to adhere to or be internalized by cells due to their size and weak Brownian motion.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Jingxia Lu, Aravind Baby, Abdelilah Asserghine, Joaquin Rodriguez-Lopez, Huimin Zhao
Summary: In this study, a novel recycling strategy for lead acid batteries (LABs) was proposed using hydrophilic amino acid-based ionic liquids (ILs) to dissolve lead sulfate crystals and electrodeposit metallic lead on a new surface. The results showed that this method could effectively restore the battery capacity and provide an environmentally friendly recycling solution for the LAB industry.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Seung-Woo Han, Kwon-Yul Ryu
Summary: Nanoplastics derived from microplastics may induce inflammatory and oxidative stress in cells, but inhibiting their retrograde transport can reduce intracellular accumulation and alleviate cytotoxicity.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Caitlin R. Francis, Erich J. Kushner
Summary: Blood vessels rely on complex signaling programs to form functional networks during development. Vesicular trafficking, a less studied area of endothelial cell regulation, plays a critical role in blood vessel formation and function. This review highlights the impact of vesicular trafficking on various aspects of angiogenesis, with a focus on Rab GTPase family members and their effectors.
Article
Cell Biology
Kaitlyn E. Fouke, M. Elizabeth Wegman, Sarah A. Weber, Emily B. Brady, Cristina Roman-Vendrell, Jennifer R. Morgan
Summary: Synuclein plays a key role in regulating the clustering of synaptic vesicles at synapses, with perturbations causing a dose-dependent reduction in the number of vesicles. This protein also affects the docking of vesicles at the active zone, influencing the size and distribution of vesicle clusters. These findings provide insights into the role of synuclein in neurotransmission and its implications for diseases like Parkinson's.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joseph S. Erlichman, James C. Leiter
Summary: Metal oxide nanoparticles have potential as theranostic agents, but the complexity of their chemistry as they interact with different environments and proteins may hinder their clinical translation. Inadequate translational models and discrepancies between simplified experiments and biological activities in organisms pose challenges for accurately predicting the therapeutic potential of metal oxide NPs. Understanding the evolving pharmacology of these NPs in biological systems is crucial for establishing effective translational test systems.
Review
Plant Sciences
Xiaobo Zhu, Junjie Yin, Hongming Guo, Yuping Wang, Bingtian Ma
Summary: The vesicle trafficking apparatus is crucial for maintaining the homeostasis of membrane-enclosed organelles in eukaryotic cells. Research on vesicle trafficking in plants, particularly rice, is limited, and further investigations are needed to uncover the mysteries of this system.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yubo Liu, Baozhong Ma, Yingwei Lv, Chengyan Wang, Yongqiang Chen
Summary: The sulfation and decomposition method successfully achieved the selective recovery of lithium, rubidium, and cesium from lepidolite ores, while also realizing the recycling of sulfuric acid and reducing the use of reagents. Optimal parameters were determined through theoretical calculations and experimental validation, and the separation of alkali elements and impurity elements was achieved through a simple leaching method.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Tina Junne, Martin Spiess
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2017)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dominik P. Buser, Kai D. Schleicher, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Martin Spiess
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2018)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Spiess, Tina Junne, Marco Janoschke
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dominik P. Buser, Martin Spiess
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2019)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Dominik P. Buser, Marie-Francoise Ritz, Suzette Moes, Cristobal Tostado, Stephan Frank, Martin Spiess, Luigi Mariani, Paul Jeno, Jean-Louis Boulay, Gregor Hutter
Review
Cell Biology
Martin Spiess, Michael Friberg, Nicole Beuret, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Jonas Rutishauser
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sung-jun Jung, Ji Eun Hani Kim, Tina Junne, Martin Spiess, Hyun Kim
Summary: This study investigated the targeting and topogenesis of the signal-anchored protein Spc3, finding that it reaches its final topology in two steps: partially dependent on SRP and then mediated by the Sec62/Sec63 complex.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marco Janoschke, Mirjam Zimmermann, Anna Brunauer, Raffael Humbel, Tina Junne, Martin Spiess
Summary: The topology of membrane proteins is defined by the integration of alpha-helical transmembrane domains at the Sec61 translocon. Different sequences preceding a potential transmembrane domain significantly affect the hydrophobicity requirement for integration, with rapidly folding domains and strong chaperone binding facilitating efficient transmembrane integration.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Valentina Millarte, Martin Spiess
Summary: In this recent study, a new role for RABEP1/Rabaptin5 in targeting the autophagy machinery to damaged early endosomes was uncovered. This was achieved through its interaction with RB1CC1/FIP200 and ATG16L1, and sheds light on the specific autophagy of damaged early endosomes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Valentina Millarte, Simon Schlienger, Simone Kaelin, Martin Spiess
Summary: Selective autophagy of damaged organelles is essential for cellular homeostasis. Rabaptin5 interacts with FIP200 and ATG16L1 to mediate autophagy of damaged early endosomes and contributes to the elimination of Salmonella enterica after infection.
Article
Cell Biology
Mirjam Pennauer, Katarzyna Buczak, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Martin Spiess
Summary: ADP-ribosylation factors (Arfs) play a crucial role in regulating membrane traffic in the secretory pathway, and the functional specificity and redundancy of different Arfs vary.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jennifer Reck, Nicole Beuret, Erhan Demirci, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Martin Spiess
Summary: Unlike constitutively secreted proteins, peptide hormones are stored in secretory granules and released upon stimulation. Small disulfide loops present in hormone precursors can act as signals for granule formation and aggregation. These findings suggest a novel mechanism for the sorting of peptide hormones into secretory granules.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2022)
Article
Biology
Dominik P. Buser, Gaetan Bader, Martin Spiess
Summary: Retrograde protein transport plays a crucial role in maintaining membrane homeostasis and recycling of mannose-6-phosphate receptors (MPRs) for sorting of lysosomal hydrolases. Using a sulfation tool based on nanobodies, we directly determined the transport kinetics of cation-dependent MPR (CDMPR) from the plasma membrane to the trans-Golgi network (TGN). Our study suggests a potential role of GGA adaptors in retrograde and anterograde transport.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samuel Itskanov, Laurie Wang, Tina Junne, Rumi Sherriff, Li Xiao, Nicolas Blanchard, Wei Q. Shi, Craig Forsyth, Dominic Hoepfner, Martin Spiess, Eunyong Park
Summary: The Sec61 complex forms a protein-conducting channel in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane that is essential for protein secretion. Various small molecules have been identified as specific inhibitors of Sec61, but their inhibitory mechanisms are not well understood. This study presents detailed structures of human Sec61 bound to a variety of small molecule inhibitors, revealing a common binding pocket that stabilizes the closed state of the protein-translocation pore. These findings provide valuable insights for further pharmacological studies and drug design targeting Sec61.
NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Nicole Beuret, Franziska Hasler, Cristina Prescianotto-Baschong, Julia Birk, Jonas Rutishauser, Martin Spiess