Article
Cell Biology
Yilin He, Jiayang Gao, Mengqian Luo, Caiji Gao, Youshun Lin, Hiu Yan Wong, Yong Cui, Xiaohong Zhuang, Liwen Jiang
Summary: This study identified and characterized two Arabidopsis SNAREs, AT4G15780/VAMP724 and AT1G04760/VAMP726, involved in plant autophagy. Phenotypic analysis showed that mutants of VAMP724 and VAMP726 are sensitive to nutrient-starved conditions. Further experiments demonstrated that VAMP724 and VAMP726 regulate autophagosome formation likely working together with ATG9 in Arabidopsis.
Article
Cell Biology
He-Yen Chou, Yi-Tang Lee, Yuchieh Jay Lin, Jung-Kun Wen, Wen-Hsin Peng, Pei-Lien Hsieh, Shu-Yu Lin, Chin-Chun Hung, Guang-Chao Chen
Summary: Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved intracellular pathway for the degradation of cytoplasmic materials. PTPN9 plays a crucial role in regulating the biogenesis of autophagosomes by modulating the phosphorylation status of VTI1B. The study highlights the importance of PTPN9 in the fusion of ATG16L1(+) autophagosome precursors and autophagosome formation.
Article
Microbiology
Carol H. Pong, Jade E. Peace, Christopher J. Harmer, Ruth M. Hall
Summary: In Gram-negative bacteria, the contribution of IS26 to the spread of antibiotic resistance and other genes is significant due to its unique mechanistic features, such as causing deletion of adjacent DNA segments and using two distinct reaction modes for cointegrate formation. The high frequency of the targeted conservative reaction mode is also crucial for its spread. However, the detailed mechanism of this reaction and the role of the RuvABC system in HJ resolution still need further investigation.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Xiangli Zhao, Rossella Liberti, Jinlong Jian, Wenyu Fu, Aubryanna Hettinghouse, Ying Sun, Chuan-ju Liu
Summary: The study reveals that PGRN is a crucial mediator of autophagosome-lysosome fusion in Gaucher disease, and it interacts physically with Rab2, a molecule involved in this fusion process. A 15-kDa C-terminal fragment of PGRN is essential for binding to Rab2 and alleviating autophagic impairment caused by PGRN deficiency. These findings shed new light on autophagy mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies for Gaucher disease.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE-JMM
(2021)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Shiyan Liu, Mutian Chen, Yichang Wang, Huihui Li, Shiqian Qi, Jia Geng, Kefeng Lu
Summary: The ER calcium channel Csg2 regulates sphingolipid metabolism through controlling ER calcium homeostasis and affects cellular death. Deletion of Csg2 leads to an increase in ER calcium concentration, destabilizing the sphingolipid synthase Aur1 and resulting in the accumulation of the bioactive sphingolipid phytosphingosine (PHS), which blocks autophagy. This work highlights the connection between ER calcium homeostasis, sphingolipid metabolism, and autophagy initiation.
Article
Biology
Wenxin Zhang, Taki Nishimura, Deepanshi Gahlot, Chieko Saito, Colin Davis, Harold B. J. Jefferies, Anne Schreiber, Lipi Thukral, Sharon A. Tooze
Summary: Autophagy is a crucial metabolic pathway that involves the engulfment of cytosolic substrates in autophagosomes. ATG8 proteins are recruited to autophagosome membranes and play a key role in mediating membrane expansion. However, the specific function of lipidated ATG8 in this process is still unclear.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Malihe Behzadi, Marzieh Eghtedardoost, Mojtaba Bagheri
Summary: This study investigated the D-handness selective toxicity of peptides rich in tryptophan and arginine, and found that D-peptides specifically induced autophagy in A549 cells and entered the cell nucleus, while non-selective cell death was observed only with a high amount of L-peptides. In addition, D-peptides entered lung cancer cells through endocytosis, and both L and D-peptides localized inside the cell nucleus.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jian Zhang, Ji Huang, Ke Xu, Peiqi Xing, Yue Huang, Zhaoqi Liu, Liang Tong, James L. Manley
Summary: SF3B1 is the most frequently mutated spliceosomal gene in cancer. A study identifies DHX15 as the critical helicase that functions with SUGP1 to cause the splicing defects of mutant SF3B1 in cancer.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kenta Shigetomi, Yumiko Ono, Kenji Matsuzawa, Junichi Ikenouchi
Summary: It has been found that cholesterol accumulation is essential for the formation of tight junctions, which are crucial for the epithelial barrier. Despite the absence of tight junctions, cholesterol still accumulates normally in the vicinity of the apical junctions. Moreover, a claudin mutant that cannot bind to Zonula Occludens (ZO) proteins can still form tight junction strands. ZO proteins are not only scaffolds for claudins, but also promote the formation of cholesterol-rich membrane domains at apical junctions through their effect on the junctional actomyosin cytoskeleton.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Wang Zheng, Qianping Chen, Hongxia Liu, Liang Zeng, Yuchuan Zhou, Xinglong Liu, Yang Bai, Jianghong Zhang, Yan Pan, Chunlin Shao
Summary: This study identified the protein profiles associated with radioresistant GBM cells and found that overexpression of SDC1 and TGM2 contributes to poor prognosis in radiotherapy. Inhibiting SDC1 and TGM2 enhanced the radiosensitivity of GBM cells by inhibiting the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes. The study also revealed the interaction between TGM2 and SDC1 and their roles in coordinating the encounter between autophagosomes and lysosomes.
Article
Cell Biology
Stephen R. Tymanskyj, Bridget M. Curran, Le Ma
Summary: This study reveals that the transport of membrane vesicles through axonal branch junctions is highly selective, influenced by branch length and growth cone motility. Signaling from the growth cone can rapidly direct transport through branch junctions. This transport selectivity is mediated by the KIF1/kinesin-3 family motors and differentially regulated for different vesicles.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fangfang Huang, Suzhou Zhang, Xiaoling Li, Yuge Huang, Shasha He, Lianxiang Luo
Summary: This study investigated the role of ferroptosis-related gene STAT3 in ulcerative colitis and found that it could potentially serve as a biomarker for diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
FREE RADICAL BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jiyuan Ma, Wei Ye, Yunshu Yang, Tong Wu, Yafen Wang, Ji Li, Rui Pei, Mengmei He, Luning Zhang, Jian Zhou
Summary: We describe a new interaction of autophagy and the EMT involving NICD/ULK1 signaling, which mediates crosstalk between these two important events in the formation of diabetic cataracts. Activating autophagy and suppressing the EMT mutually promote each other, revealing a potential target and strategy for the prevention of diabetic cataracts.
MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Carlos Camacho-Macorra, Marcos Sintes, Noemi Tabanera, Irene Grasa, Paola Bovolenta, Marcos J. Cardozo
Summary: Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway is highly regulated and mutations in its components can lead to a variety of congenital malformations. Mosmo, a modulator of the Hh pathway, plays a role in down-modulating pathway activation. Studies in zebrafish embryos suggest that MOSMO may be a candidate gene for uncharacterized forms of human congenital craniofacial malformations.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shiming Shi, Biao Wang, Jinglei Wan, Lina Song, Guiqi Zhu, Junxian Du, Luxi Ye, Qianqian Zhao, Jialiang Cai, Qing Chen, Kun Xiao, Jian He, Lei Yu, Zhi Dai
Summary: In this study, we found that TMEM106A is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and frequently methylated in tumor tissues. TMEM106A methylation is closely related to protein downregulation and poor prognosis in HCC patients. We also demonstrated that TMEM106A inhibits epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of HCC cells through inactivation of the Erk1/2/Slug signaling pathway.
ACTA BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA SINICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ryutaro Shirakawa, Sakurako Goto-Ito, Kota Goto, Shonosuke Wakayama, Haremaru Kubo, Natsumi Sakata, Duc Anh Trinh, Atsushi Yamagata, Yusuke Sato, Hiroshi Masumoto, Jinglei Cheng, Toyoshi Fujimoto, Shuya Fukai, Hisanori Horiuchi
Review
Cell Biology
Yuta Ogasawara, Takuma Tsuji, Toyoshi Fujimoto
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazuaki Matoba, Tetsuya Kotani, Akihisa Tsutsumi, Takuma Tsuji, Takaharu Mori, Daisuke Noshiro, Yuji Sugita, Norimichi Nomura, So Iwata, Yoshinori Ohsumi, Toyoshi Fujimoto, Hitoshi Nakatogawa, Masahide Kikkawa, Nobuo N. Noda
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuta Ogasawara, Jinglei Cheng, Tsuyako Tatematsu, Misaki Uchida, Omi Murase, Shogo Yoshikawa, Yuki Ohsaki, Toyoshi Fujimoto
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Kamil Soltysik, Yuki Ohsaki, Tsuyako Tatematsu, Jinglei Cheng, Asami Maeda, Shin-ya Morita, Toyoshi Fujimoto
Summary: The inner nuclear membrane of U2OS cells contains triglyceride synthesis enzymes that generate nuclear lipid droplets in situ. Inhibition of mTOR increases nuclear lipid droplets by inducing nuclear translocation of lipin-1 phosphatidic acid phosphatase. Seipin, essential for normal cytoplasmic lipid droplet formation, is absent in the inner nuclear membrane and restrains nuclear lipid droplet formation by affecting lipin-1 expression and intracellular phosphatidic acid distribution.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Tetsuo Mioka, Tian Guo, Shiyao Wang, Takuma Tsuji, Takuma Kishimoto, Toyoshi Fujimoto, Kazuma Tanaka
Summary: This study discovered a stable micron-scale protein-depleted region, named the 'void zone', in yeast mutants lacking phosphatidylserine at high temperatures. The void zone excludes transmembrane proteins, certain peripheral membrane proteins, and phospholipids, while being rich in ergosterol and requiring energy and various cellular functions for its formation. Additionally, the void zones were frequently found in contact with vacuoles, forming a membrane domain at the contact site.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microscopy
Hiroko Osakada, Toyoshi Fujimoto
Summary: This article presents a method for simplifying the SDS-FRL experiment by mounting freeze-fracture replicas on EM grids, reducing manual labor. This method makes it easier for more researchers to conduct SDS-FRL experiments.
Review
Anatomy & Morphology
Takuma Tsuji
Summary: Cell membranes are composed of a wide range of lipids and proteins, and the distribution and function of membrane lipids are still largely unknown. However, utilizing the quick-freezing and freeze-fracture replica labeling electron microscopy technique, we can uncover the precise distribution of membrane lipids within cells and evaluate the function of lipid-transporting proteins. In this review, recent progress in analyzing intracellular lipid distribution using this method is summarized.
ANATOMICAL SCIENCE INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Toyoshi Fujimoto
Summary: Lipid droplets in the cytoplasm are formed in the endoplasmic reticulum and are connected with various organelles. Nuclear lipid droplets in hepatocytes are derived from lipoprotein precursors in the ER lumen, while in non-hepatocytes and budding yeast, they are newly formed in the inner nuclear membrane. Although nuclear lipid droplets are fewer in number, their unique location suggests specific functions related to nuclear biology.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Takuma Tsuji, Toyoshi Fujimoto
Summary: This study presents a protocol for localizing newly synthesized phosphatidylcholine in yeast cells using electron microscopy, involving the application of a clickable choline analog, quick-freezing, freeze-fracture replica preparation, click chemical reaction for biotin-azide conjugation, and immunogold labeling for quantitative determination of membrane leaflet incorporation.