Article
Cell Biology
Kia Z. Perez-Vale, Kristi D. Yow, Noah J. Gurley, Melissa Greene, Mark Peifer
Summary: This passage discusses the changes in cell shape and arrangement during embryonic morphogenesis and their relationship with the cytoskeleton and adherens junctions. It is found that Rap1 is a crucial regulator of cell adhesion, controlling both cadherin-mediated and integrin-mediated processes. Canoe/Afadin, one of the effectors of Rap1, plays multiple roles in morphogenesis. Another Rap1 guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) regulator, Dizzy, is also involved in regulating Rap1's action via Canoe.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Klaus Ebnet, Volker Gerke
Summary: Membrane polarity, regulated by polarized membrane trafficking and the presence of intramembrane diffusion barriers, is crucial for the development of multicellular tissues. Rho and Rab family small GTPases play important roles in cell-cell junction formation and polarized membrane traffic.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
R. Marisol Herrera-Perez, Christian Cupo, Cole Allan, Annie Lin, Karen E. Kasza
Summary: Distinct patterns of actomyosin contractility are associated with specific epithelial tissue shape changes during development. Optogenetic tools, optoGEF and optoGAP, were used to manipulate myosin patterns at the apical side of the germband epithelium in Drosophila embryos. It was found that acute perturbations to Rhol activity can rapidly override the endogenous planar-polarized myosin pattern during axis elongation, affecting cell behaviors and tissue mechanics.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
Maria Danielle Sallee, Melissa A. Pickett, Jessica L. Feldman
Summary: Research on developing Caenorhabditis elegans intestines reveals the importance of the apical PAR complex in maintaining intestinal epithelial integrity and constructing a functional tube. Depletion of PAR-6, PKC-3, and CDC-42 regulators leads to gaps in apical proteins, hindering food passage and causing larval death.
Article
Cell Biology
Lingye Zhang, Anni Zhou, Shengtao Zhu, Li Min, Si Liu, Peng Li, Shutian Zhang
Summary: This review summarizes the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of ARHGAP26 in different tumors, proposes the potential clinical value of ARHGAP26 in cancer treatment, and discusses current issues that need to be addressed.
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Weronika Fic, Rebecca Bastock, Francesco Raimondi, Erinn Los, Yoshiko Inoue, Jennifer L. Gallop, Robert B. Russell, Daniel St Johnston
Summary: The study reveals that RhoGAP19D plays a crucial role in the polarity formation of follicular epithelium in fruit flies, by interacting with alpha-catenin to exclude active Cdc42 from the lateral domain and suppress epithelial invasion.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Raven J. Peterson, Michael Koval
Summary: Integrins, traditionally known for their role in cell adhesion and signaling, are now also recognized for their apical localization and interaction with proteins to regulate various cellular processes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Kia Z. Perez-Vale, Kristi D. Yow, Ruth Johnson, Amy E. Byrnes, Tara M. Finegan, Kevin C. Slep, Mark Peifer
Summary: The study reveals the critical role of Canoe protein in mediating the linkage between junctions and the actomyosin cytoskeleton, primarily through its RA domains binding to Rap1. Unexpectedly, PDZ and FAB domains are not essential for the function, with FAB domain stabilizing junctions under elevated force. The findings support a model where junctional robustness is derived from a large protein network formed through multivalent interactions.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andras Zeke, Laszlo Dobson, Levente Istvan Szekeres, Tamas Lango, Gabor E. Tusnady
Summary: The article introduces a comprehensive database containing experimentally verified mammalian proteins displaying polarized sorting or secretion, with a focus on epithelial cells. This database provides various information relevant to cell secretion and sorting, which can be valuable for researchers in conducting related studies or comparative analyses.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hiroyuki Uechi, Kazuki Fukushima, Ryota Shirasawa, Sayaka Sekine, Erina Kuranaga
Summary: This study reveals that prolonged actomyosin contractility can interfere with junctional shortening, and Pak3 is crucial for attenuating abnormal protrusive structures and maintaining proper junction contraction and E-cadherin distribution.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Pu Zhang, Taylor N. Medwig-Kinney, Bob Goldstein
Summary: Zhang, Medwig-Kinney, and Goldstein show that the medioapical actomyosin network driving apical constriction in C. elegans gastrulation has a diffuse organization with a mixed-polarity actin filament network. This differs from the sarcomere-like architecture observed in the Drosophila ventral furrow. They further demonstrate that C. elegans endodermal precursor cells apically constrict using a mixed-polarity actin filament network and with myosin and myosin activator distributed throughout the network. These results suggest that diverse actomyosin architectures are used in animal cells to accomplish apical constriction.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Monique Lillis, Nathan J. Zaccardi, Maxwell G. Heiman
Summary: In this study, it was found that Caenorhabditis elegans amphid neurons exhibit both neuronal and epithelial features, with a distal portion of the dendrite being apical and the rest of the dendrite, soma, and axon being basolateral. The localization of the conserved adhesion molecule SAX-7/L1CAM was studied, and it was found that the 91-aa cytoplasmic tail of SAX-7 is necessary and sufficient for basolateral localization. Short tail sequences resembling known sorting motifs in mammalian epithelia were also found to be able to direct basolateral localization. Changing just two residues in a short motif was sufficient to redirect the protein between apical, basolateral, and axonal localization.
Article
Cell Biology
Qi Tian, Huan Gao, Yan Zhou, Lizhe Zhu, Jiao Yang, Bo Wang, Peijun Liu, Jin Yang
Summary: This study elucidates the role and molecular mechanism of RICH1 in regulating stemness of breast cancer cells. RICH1 activates the kinase cascade of the Hippo signaling pathway by displacing Amot-p80 from the complex with Merlin, thereby promoting stemness and inhibiting migration and invasion of breast cancer cells.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Arthur Marivin, Rachel Xi-Yeen Ho, Mikel Garcia-Marcos
Summary: This study reveals a mechanism by which the PAR polarity complex recruits the protein DAPLE to apical cell junctions, leading to the efficient assembly of the apical actomyosin network. DAPLE recruits the actin-stabilizing protein CD2AP and activates heterotrimeric G protein signaling to favor RhoA-myosin activation, thereby maintaining epithelial cell shape.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Vanja Krneta-Stankic, Mark E. Corkins, Adriana Paulucci-Holthauzen, Malgorzata Kloc, Andrew B. Gladden, Rachel K. Miller
Summary: The study reveals that Daam1 plays a critical role in regulating E-cadherin-based intercellular adhesion, affecting the assembly and disassembly of cell contacts, and thus impacting the development and homeostasis of epithelial tissues.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Matthias Riediger, Philipp Spaet, Raphael Bilger, Karsten Voigt, Boris Macek, Wolfgang R. Hess
Summary: The study used gradient profiling by sequencing (Grad-seq) in Synechocystis 6803 to analyze the full complement of cellular RNAs and proteins, identifying potential RNA chaperones and previously undetected complexes between accessory proteins and CRISPR-Cas systems. The exclusive association of either RpoZ or 6S RNA with the core RNA polymerase complex and the existence of a reservoir of inactive sigma-antisigma complexes were also suggested, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of RNA-protein complexes and multi-subunit protein complexes in a photosynthetic organism.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vanessa Krauspe, Matthias Fahrner, Philipp Spat, Claudia Steglich, Nicole Frankenberg-Dinkel, Boris Macek, Oliver Schilling, Wolfgang R. Hess
Summary: The protein NblD plays a crucial role in the degradation of phycobilisomes in cyanobacteria under nitrogen-limited conditions. Studies have shown that NblD is essential for maintaining normal growth of cyanobacterial cells during nitrogen limitation.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tim Orthwein, Joerg Scholl, Philipp Spaet, Stefan Lucius, Moritz Koch, Boris Macek, Martin Hagemann, Karl Forchhammer
Summary: Nitrogen limitation induces a significant metabolic switch in nondiazotrophic cyanobacteria, controlled by a complex network of regulatory factors involving the P-II signal processor. The newly identified PirC protein interacts with PGAM or P-II to regulate the flow of fixed carbon in cyanobacteria, with metabolite 2-OG playing a crucial role in this process. Metabolome analysis confirms that PirC controls carbon flux through exclusive interaction with either P-II or PGAM.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Holger Hengel, Shabab B. Hannan, Sarah Dyack, Sara B. MacKay, Ulrich Schatz, Martin Fleger, Andreas Kurringer, Ghassan Balousha, Zaid Ghanim, Fowzan S. Alkuraya, Hamad Alzaidan, Hessa S. Alsaif, Tadahiro Mitani, Sevcan Bozdogan, Davut Pehlivan, James R. Lupski, Joseph J. Gleeson, Mohammadreza Dehghani, Mohammad Y. Mehrjardi, Elliott H. Sherr, Kendall C. Parks, Emanuela Argilli, Amber Begtrup, Hamid Galehdari, Osama Balousha, Gholamreza Shariati, Neda Mazaheri, Reza A. Malamiri, Alistair T. Pagnamenta, Helen Kingston, Siddharth Banka, Adam Jackson, Mathew Osmond, Angelika Riess, Tobias B. Haack, Thomas Naegele, Stefanie Schuster, Stefan Hauser, Jakob Admard, Nicolas Casadei, Ana Velic, Boris Macek, Stephan Ossowski, Henry Houlden, Reza Maroofian, Ludger Schoels
Summary: Loss-of-function variants in BCAS3 were found to cause a neurodevelopmental disorder, resulting in global developmental delay and various physical abnormalities in affected individuals. The human phenotype, though less severe compared to a mouse model, still highlights the crucial role of BCAS3 in neural tissue development.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nidhi Singh, Thales Kronenberger, Andrea Eipper, Felix Weichel, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Boris Macek, Samuel Wagner
Summary: The study found that the salt bridges in the assembly of virulence-associated T3SS are not critical, but facilitate the incorporation of the next subunit. The conserved charged residues are crucial for type III-dependent secretion and play a key role in the function of T3SS.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Philipp Spaet, Thomas Barske, Boris Macek, Martin Hagemann
Summary: By analyzing the adaptation of cyanobacteria to low CO2 conditions using quantitative phosphoproteomics, it was found that protein abundance changes were closely related to mRNA expression levels, and the functional enrichment of noncorrelating proteins played a crucial role in maintaining cellular homeostasis.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Lechado Terradas, Katharina Zittlau, Boris Macek, Milana Fraiberg, Zvulun Elazar, Philipp J. Kahle
Summary: Mitochondria are essential organelles in eukaryotic cells. Quality control and turnover of mitochondria are regulated by cellular mechanisms at transcriptional and posttranslational levels. Defective mitochondrial proteins are removed by resident proteases or proteasomal degradation, while bulk mitochondria clearance occurs through a selective form of autophagy called mitophagy. In summary, an understanding of the processes of mitophagy is crucial for maintaining vital mitochondrial function in health and disease.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jia Xuan Leong, Margot Raffeiner, Daniela Spinti, Gautier Langin, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Andrew R. Guzman, Jung-Gun Kim, Pooja Pandey, Alyona E. Minina, Boris Macek, Anders Hafren, Tolga O. Bozkurt, Mary Beth Mudgett, Frederik Boernke, Daniel Hofius, Suayib Uestuen
Summary: Autophagy plays a crucial role in plant-bacteria interactions, where antimicrobial autophagy degrades intracellular pathogens and reveals a pathogen strategy of escaping elimination by hijacking the autophagy mechanism.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mahkameh Abeditashi, Jonasz Jeremiasz Weber, Priscila Pereira Sena, Ana Velic, Maria Kalimeri, Rana Dilara Incebacak Eltemur, Jana Schmidt, Jeannette Huebener-Schmid, Stefan Hauser, Boris Macek, Olaf Riess, Thorsten Schmidt
Summary: The study investigates the role of the nuclear transport receptor KPNB1 in MJD cell models and finds that KPNB1 can modulate the protein levels of ataxin-3 and reduce aggregate load, thereby improving cell viability. Furthermore, the reduction of ataxin-3 induced by KPNB1 appears to be based on protein fragmentation independent of classical MJD-associated proteolytic pathways. These findings suggest KPNB1 as a potential therapeutic target for MJD.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniel Gomez-Perez, Monja Schmid, Vasvi Chaudhry, Yiheng Hu, Ana Velic, Boris Macek, Jonas Ruhe, Ariane Kemen, Eric Kemen
Summary: Biotic and abiotic interactions play an important role in shaping natural microbial communities. We have studied the release of antimicrobial proteins by Albugo candida, a plant parasite, and found that these proteins can shape and protect plant habitats. By analyzing Albugo-infected and uninfected Arabidopsis thaliana samples, we discovered numerous negative correlations between Albugo and other phyllosphere microbes. Through analysis of the apoplastic proteome and machine learning predictors, we identified candidate antimicrobial proteins with selective activity against Gram-positive bacteria isolated from A. thaliana, which are important for community structure stability. This is the first report of protist proteins with antimicrobial activity in the apoplastic environment, suggesting their potential as biocontrol tools for targeted manipulation of the microbiome.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael S. S. Werner, Tobias Loschko, Thomas King, Shelley Reich, Tobias Theska, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Boris Macek, Ralf J. J. Sommer
Summary: Development can be altered to match phenotypes with the environment, and the genetic mechanisms that direct such alternative phenotypes are beginning to be elucidated. Yet, the rules that govern environmental sensitivity vs. invariant development, and potential epigenetic memory, remain unknown. Here, we show that plasticity of nematode mouth forms is determined by histone 4 lysine 5 and 12 acetylation (H4K5/12ac). Acetylation in early larval stages provides a permissive chromatin state, which is susceptible to induction during the critical window of environmental sensitivity.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael S. Werner, Tobias Loschko, Thomas King, Shelley Reich, Tobias Theska, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Boris Macek, Ralf J. Sommer
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Thomas Barske, Philipp Spaet, Hendrik Schubert, Peter Walke, Boris Macek, Martin Hagemann
Summary: Protein phosphorylation by serine/threonine protein kinases (Spk) is an important mechanism for adjusting cellular processes. This study found that SpkB is a crucial regulator in cyanobacteria, involved in phosphorylating the PII protein and other proteins, with implications for carbon metabolism and protein composition.
MOLECULAR & CELLULAR PROTEOMICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elias Einig, Chao Jin, Valentina Andrioletti, Boris Macek, Nikita Popov
Summary: Deregulation of RNA Polymerase II (RNAPII) leads to collisions with DNA synthesis machinery, resulting in DNA damage and genomic instability in tumor cells. This study provides evidence that elongating RNAPII can activate the ATM kinase at the conflict regions to stimulate DNA repair. The study also reveals the involvement of WRNIP1 in limiting ATM activation during the normal cell cycle.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Alexander Rau, Katharina Kocher, Mirjam Rommel, Lennart Kuehl, Maximilian Albrecht, Hannes Gotthard, Nadine Aschmoneit, Bettina Noll, Monilola A. Olayioye, Roland E. Kontermann, Oliver Seifert
Summary: Dual targeting with bispecific antibodies is an emerging strategy in cancer therapy. A novel bivalent and bispecific antagonistic molecule (Dab-Fc) targeting HER2 and HER3 was developed from the Db-Ig platform, demonstrating potent anti-tumoral activity in cellular experiments and xenograft tumor models. The versatility of the Db-Ig platform technology in generating bivalent bispecific molecules for dual targeting of HER2 and HER3 was illustrated.
