Article
Plant Sciences
Zoe Postel, Theo Mauri, Marc F. Lensink, Pascal Touzet
Summary: A recent study suggests that mutations in plastid and nuclear genes in the species Silene nutans may disrupt plastid-nuclear protein interactions and lead to reproductive isolation. The findings highlight the relationship between adaptation strategies and species evolution.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Donghong Ju, Li Li, Youming Xie
Summary: Ribosomal proteins are regulated by cotranslational protein degradation, which does not require prior ubiquitylation. Cotranslational folding efficiency and expression level are critical factors determining cotranslational protein degradation of ribosomal proteins.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrick Feurle, Andreas Abentung, Isabella Cera, Nico Wahl, Cornelia Ablinger, Michael Bucher, Eduard Stefan, Simon Sprenger, David Teis, Andre Fischer, Aodan Laighneach, Laura Whitton, Derek W. Morris, Galina Apostolova, Georg Dechant
Summary: Interactions between SATB2 and the inner nuclear membrane protein LEMD2 influence gene expression programs in pyramidal neurons that are linked to cognitive ability and psychiatric disorder etiology.
Article
Microbiology
Gregory R. Sowd, Jiong Shi, Ashley R. Fulmer, Christopher Aiken
Summary: This study identifies surfaces on the HIV-1 capsid protein (CA) that modulate capsid stability in target cells and proposes targeting these surfaces with inhibitors to enhance the efficacy of lenacapavir.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Raed Shalaby, Arzoo Diwan, Hector Flores-Romero, Vanessa Hertlein, Ana J. Garcia-Saez
Summary: The activity and structure of BOK protein, a member of the BCL-2 family, have been investigated. It was found that the thermal stability and pore activity of BOK depend on its C-terminus and the presence of mitochondrial lipid cardiolipin. BOK pores were visualized in liposomes and apoptotic mitochondria, showing similar properties to BAX and BAK. However, BOK's apoptotic activity is limited by its partial mitochondrial localization and is independent of other BCL-2 proteins.
CELL DEATH AND DIFFERENTIATION
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Verena Hurst, Kiran Challa, Kenji Shimada, Susan M. Gasser
Summary: DNA damage induced by 405-nm laser light recruits proteins involved in base excision repair (BER), but perturbing actin or tubulin polymerization in human cells alters the dynamics of BER factors. Depolymerization of cytoplasmic actin may compromise BER efficiency in mammals due to increased levels of nuclear actin and tubulin, linking cytoskeletal integrity to BER.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Leticia Larotonda, Damien Mornico, Varun Khanna, Joaquin Bernal-Bayard, Jean-Marc Ghigo, Marie-Eve Val, Diego Comerci, Didier Mazel, Alfonso Soler-Bistue
Summary: The location of ribosomal protein genes on the bacterial chromosome conditions the evolutionary trajectory of Vibrio cholerae. Moving these genes away from the replication origin reduces growth rate, fitness, and infectivity. No mutation can compensate for the growth defect caused by gene relocation.
Article
Cell Biology
Sanju Ashraf, Ye Dee Tay, David A. Kelly, Kenneth E. Sawin
Summary: A novel microtubule-independent form of nuclear movement has been discovered in fission yeast, which relies on actin cables but not actin polymerization or myosin V forces. This movement is directed towards growing cell tips and is influenced by the proximity of the nucleus to the tip. Additionally, vesicle-associated membrane proteins are found to be critical for this microtubule-independent nuclear movement.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Bin Guo, Devasier Bennet, Daniel J. Belcher, Hyo-Gun Kim, Gustavo A. Nader
Summary: Oxidative stress impairs protein synthesis by compromising ribosomal quantity and quality, while CAs negatively impact protein synthesis and ribosomal capacity by reducing rDNA transcription to a certain extent in a ROS-independent manner.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ondrej Kucera, Valerie Siahaan, Daniel Janda, Sietske H. Dijkstra, Eliska Pilatova, Eva Zatecka, Stefan Diez, Marcus Braun, Zdenek Lansky
Summary: Cytokinetic ring constriction during cell division requires actin but curiously is independent of myosin in many organisms. Here, the authors show that anillin, a protein enriched in the contractile ring, is a non-motor actin crosslinker that generates contractile force in lieu of a molecular motor. By maximizing the lengths of overlaps between bundled actin filaments, anillin autonomously propels the contractility of actin bundles.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biology
N. M. Rafiq, L. L. Lyons, S. Gowrishankar, P. De Camilli, S. M. Ferguson
Summary: Disruption of JIP3-dependent control of axonal lysosome transport in human neurons results in changes to the organization of multiple cytoskeletal proteins. This study improves our understanding of intellectual disabilities caused by mutations in JIP3 and is relevant for neurodegenerative diseases associated with lysosome accumulations such as Alzheimer's disease.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Andrea Fracchia, Gabi Gerlitz
Summary: The connection between the metazoan nucleus and the actin cytoskeleton is crucial for various cellular processes and can influence cancer development. Different mechanisms have been identified to explain the organization of actin filaments next to the nucleus.
Article
Entomology
Chen-Hui Shen, Li-Juan Peng, Yu-Xing Zhang, Hua-Rui Zeng, Hong-Fei Yu, Lin Jin, Guo-Qing Li
Summary: Based on quantitative real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis, we selected and validated 10 commonly used reference genes and identified EF1 alpha and RPL13 as the most suitable reference genes for different experimental conditions. Our findings will contribute to improving the accuracy of qRT-PCR analysis of target gene expression in P. operculella.
Review
Plant Sciences
Rudi Appels, Penghao Wang, Shahidul Islam
Summary: The coordinated production and integration of RNA and protein components of wheat ribosomes in response to various stresses have been examined. These components are highly conserved but exhibit enough differences to form unique markers associated with phenotype variation. The unique ribosome populations within a cell may have distinct combinations of RNA and proteins to perform specific functions, especially under stress conditions.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Wenzhong Yang, Guangxu Jin
Summary: The study reveals that the uneven distribution of genetic variations of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 among geographic regions is strongly correlated with the incidence and mortality of COVID-19.
BRIEFINGS IN BIOINFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Jan Padeken, Stephen Methot, Peter Zeller, Colin E. Delaney, Veronique Kalck, Susan M. Gasser
Summary: The study shows that the histone methyltransferase SET-25 in C. elegans can establish repressed chromatin domains, silencing novel insertions of transposons and tissue-specific genes during development. Two redundant pathways recruit SET-25 to its targets, with one pathway involving LIN-61 and MET-2, and the other pathway involving NRDE-3 and small RNAs, primarily targeting conserved transposons. The loss of these pathways results in the derepression of transposons in embryos, leading to increased embryonic lethality.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Romain Forey, Antoine Barthe, Mireille Tittel-Elmer, Maxime Wery, Marie-Benedicte Barrault, Cecile Ducrot, Andrew Seeber, Nils Krietenstein, Ugo Szachnowski, Magdalena Skrzypczak, Krzysztof Ginalski, Maga Rowicka, Jennifer A. Cobb, Oliver J. Rando, Julie Soutourina, Michel Werner, Karine Dubrana, Susan M. Gasser, Antonin Morillon, Philippe Pasero, Armelle Lengronne, Jerome Poli
Summary: Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 (MRX) plays a new role in limiting transcription in budding yeast by physically interacting and colocalizing with the transcriptional co-regulator Mediator on chromatin. MRX restricts transcription of coding and noncoding DNA by tethering transcriptionally active loci to the nuclear pore complex (NPC), promoting gene-NPC interactions, contributing to chromosome folding, and controlling gene expression. These findings suggest a distinct role for MRX in transcription and chromosome organization apart from its known function in DNA repair.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ophelie Lautier, Arianna Penzo, Jerome O. Rouviere, Guillaume Chevreux, Louis Collet, Isabelle Loiodice, Angela Taddei, Frederic Devaux, Martine A. Collart, Benoit Palancade
Summary: The research reveals that the formation of the nuclear pore complex involves co-translational events in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Different NPC subunits establish binary interactions during translation. Localized translation ensures the proper delivery of proteins to the pore and the nucleus.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Colin E. Delaney, Stephen P. Methot, Veronique Kala, Jan Seebacher, Daniel Hess, Susan M. Gasser, Jan Padeken
Summary: Genetic and genome-wide analysis of the SETDB1-like enzyme MET-2 in Caenorhabditis elegans reveals its role in promoting transcriptional silencing and fertility through both H3K9 methylation and focus formation. MET-2 has a noncatalytic function that contributes to gene repression. In normal development, MET-2 activity helps maintain fertility, while under heat stress, MET-2 foci disperse, resulting in increased acetylation and transcriptional derepression.
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Mathias L. Heltberg, Judith Mine-Hattab, Angela Taddei, Aleksandra M. Walczak, Thierry Mora
Summary: A theoretical framework is proposed to differentiate between different mechanisms of protein foci formation, with experimental validation. The multiple binding site model is rejected for a specific protein in favor of a liquid-liquid phase separation model. These results have implications for future experiments and suggest varying biological roles for liquid droplet and binding site foci.
Article
Cell Biology
Isabelle Loiodice, Mickael Garnier, Ivaylo Nikolov, Angela Taddei
Summary: Silent chromatin in eukaryotic cells is mainly located at the nuclear periphery, and the establishment of silencing is a stepwise process occurring over several cell cycles. Studying a budding yeast model, researchers have identified mechanisms and protein recruitment relationships during the process of establishing silencing at an ectopic locus.
Review
Cell Biology
Jan Padeken, Stephen P. Methot, Susan M. Gasser
Summary: Heterochromatin is characterized by histone H3 Lys9 methylation, which ensures transcriptional silencing of repetitive elements and genes. The methyltransferases and "readers" of H3K9me2 or H3K9me3 are highly conserved and show redundancy. Loss or mistargeting of individual H3K9 methyltransferases can lead to impaired cell differentiation, loss of tissue identity, premature aging, and/or cancer. Recent studies in mammals have shed light on the roles of H3K9-specific histone methyltransferases in transcriptional homeostasis during tissue differentiation.
NATURE REVIEWS MOLECULAR CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Colin E. Delaney, Stephen P. Methot, Veronique Kalck, Jan Seebacher, Daniel Hess, Susan M. Gasser, Jan Padeken
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Susan M. Gasser
Summary: In this interview, Professor Susan Gasser discusses her research on genome stability, epigenetic regulation, and chromatin organization, as well as her efforts in supporting women in research. She has made significant contributions to the field of chromatin structure and has been recognized with numerous awards and honors. She continues to actively promote the careers of women scientists in Europe and Japan.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marta Rodriguez-Martinez, Jens Nielsen, Sam Dupont, Jessica Vamathevan, Beverley J. Glover, Lindsey C. Crosswell, Brendan Rouse, Ben F. Luisi, Chris Bowler, Susan M. Gasser, Detlev Arendt, Tobias J. Erb, Victor de Lorenzo, Edith Heard, Kiran Raosaheb Patil
Summary: Molecular biology has great potential in addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, but it is currently not well incorporated into strategies. We call for a community-wide action to bring molecular biology to the forefront of climate change solutions.
Article
Cell Biology
Koei Okazaki, Megumi Nakano, Jun-ichirou Ohzeki, Koichiro Otake, Kazuto Kugou, Vladimir Larionov, William C. Earnshaw, Hiroshi Masumoto
Summary: Human artificial chromosomes (HACs) are formed by introducing large centromeric sequences into cells, and the balance of chromatin states on the alphoid DNA is crucial for HAC formation. Our study explores the relationship between chromatin architecture and de novo HAC formation efficiency, and found that a combination of mutated and wild-type alphoid repeats enhances HAC formation.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Susan M. Gasser, Francoise Stutz
Summary: The covalent linkage of Ubiquitin and SUMO to lysine residues plays important roles in DNA repair pathway choice and transcription regulation. SUMOylation mainly affects cellular processes by relocalizing modified proteins, particularly in response to DNA damage.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Susan M. M. Gasser
Summary: The compact state of chromatin induced by methylation of H3K9 on histone H3 is believed to be involved in heritable transcriptional repression. A recent study reveals that transient deposition of H3K9me3 helps stabilize stalled DNA replication forks, while its reversal allows for accurate fork restart.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Siyu Liu, Judith Mine-Hattab, Marie Villemeur, Raphael Guerois, Henrik Dahl Pinholt, Leonid A. Mirny, Angela Taddei
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Siyu Liu, Judith Mine-Hattab, Marie Villemeur, Raphael Guerois, Henrik Dahl Pinholt, Leonid A. Mirny, Angela Taddei
Summary: Homologous recombination (HR) is a major pathway for DNA double-strand break repair. Rad51-single-stranded DNA nucleoprotein filaments (NPFs) play a crucial role in the homology search process. In this study, the authors develop and characterize a functional tagged version of Rad51, allowing for dynamic, in vivo studies of NPF formation. They observe that the NPFs exhibit flexibility and adopt various shapes in vivo, shedding new light on the function of Rad54 and Srs2. The formation of extended filaments and their compaction-extension dynamics provide an efficient search strategy for homologous sequences.
NATURE STRUCTURAL & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)