Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
William W. Du, Javeria Qadir, Kevin Y. Du, Yu Chen, Nan Wu, Burton B. Yang
Summary: Current studies have shown that nuclear actin plays a significant role in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Different binding partners for nuclear F-actin and G-actin have been discovered, which respectively modulate EMT-promoting and EMT-repressing transcriptional events. Mechanistically, nuclear F-actin enhances the expression and stability of proteins involved in EMT promotion, while nuclear G-actin increases the expression and stability of proteins involved in EMT repression. The association between nuclear actin and EMT suggests that targeting nuclear actin dynamics for dysregulated EMT is a promising area for further study.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Henriett Halasz, Zoltan Szatmari, Krisztina Kovacs, Miklos Koppan, Szilard Papp, Edina Szabo-Meleg, David Szatmari
Summary: The ionic environment within the nucleoplasm might diverge from the conditions found in the cytoplasm, potentially playing a role in the cellular stress response. The interactions of nuclear actin and actin-binding proteins with apoptosis factors may differ in the nucleoplasm and cytoplasm. The presence of JMY protein in both the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm suggests its involvement in cytoskeletal remodeling and motility regulation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Oncology
Arpita Datta, Shuo Deng, Vennila Gopal, Kenneth Chun-Hong Yap, Clarissa Esmeralda Halim, Mun Leng Lye, Mei Shan Ong, Tuan Zea Tan, Gautam Sethi, Shing Chuan Hooi, Alan Prem Kumar, Celestial T. Yap
Summary: The cellular process of EMT is a critical mechanism in cancer metastasis, involving reorganization of the cytoskeleton composed of actin filaments, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. Understanding the physiological functions of the cytoskeleton and targeting key components for EMT regulation may offer promising approaches for cancer therapy, particularly in tackling multidrug-resistant cancer cells.
Review
Anatomy & Morphology
Jingyi Lyu, Chonghui Cheng
Summary: Alternative splicing is a critical mechanism of gene regulation that contributes to protein diversity in higher eukaryotes. Recent studies have demonstrated its role in regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and associated activities. This review summarizes the functional impact of alternative splicing in EMT and discusses the regulatory mechanisms controlling splicing changes during EMT.
CELLS TISSUES ORGANS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Kamran Hosseini, Palina Trus, Annika Frenzel, Carsten Werner, Elisabeth Fischer-Friedrich
Summary: The study reveals that EMT can change the mechanical properties of skin epithelial cells in a cell-cycle dependent manner. Additionally, EMT can boost cellular proliferation and result in changes in the actin cortex. These changes are primarily dependent on the transcription factor snail, which is upregulated during EMT.
Review
Cell Biology
Abigail Allen, David Gau, Partha Roy
Summary: Dynamic remodeling of the actin cytoskeleton is crucial for various cellular processes, and dysregulated expression of actin-monomer-binding protein Pfn1 is implicated in cardiovascular diseases.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshiko Hashimoto, Tomoko Tsuzuki-Nakao, Naoko Kida, Yoshiyuki Matsuo, Tetsuo Maruyama, Hidetaka Okada, Kiichi Hirota
Summary: The endometrium undergoes repeated changes during the menstrual cycle, and chronic endometritis can lead to implantation failure and miscarriage. In this study, the effects of inflammatory cytokines, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and inflammation on endometrial epithelial cells were investigated. The results showed that pro-inflammatory factors and hypoxia activated HIF-1 and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in endometrial epithelial cells.
Article
Biology
Morgan L. Pimm, Xinbei Liu, Farzana Tuli, Jennifer Heritz, Ashley Lojko, Jessica L. Henty-Ridilla
Summary: PFN1 is an important protein that regulates actin and microtubule assembly, affecting cell division, motility, and morphology. Two genetically encoded versions of tagged PFN1 have been developed and shown to behave identically to the tag-free protein. These tagged PFN1s are reliable tools for studying the interactions of PFN1 with actin or microtubules.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Gao, Fumihiko Nakamura
Summary: This review article introduces actin-associated proteins (AAPs) and their roles in regulating cell movement, shape change, division, organelle localization, and trafficking. The article lists all discovered AAPs and allows sorting based on various criteria. It also provides links to databases for accessing detailed information about protein structures, expression levels, mutations, and pathology. Additionally, small molecules targeting actin and AAPs with potential for treating diseases are listed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Weida Ren, Wanyu Zhao, Lingbo Cao, Junqi Huang
Summary: Research on programmed cell death (PCD) reveals that cells undergo orderly cell death through evolutionary regulatory mechanisms, with actin playing a crucial role in cellular processes. Scientists aim to further understand the intricate relationship between PCD and the actin cytoskeleton.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chenshuang Li, Xi Chen, Siqi Zhang, Chen Liang, Ruixue Zhang, Hong Yan
Summary: Oxidative stress induces protein S-glutathionylation, which regulates the structure and function of target proteins and is involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases. The cytoplasmic deglutathionylating enzyme, Grx1, plays a crucial role in maintaining cellular redox state and preventing protein-thiol mixed disulfide accumulation. Our study demonstrates that the downregulation of Grx1 exacerbates oxidative stress, protein S-glutathionylation, and EMT in the context of cataract surgery. Additionally, we identify CK1 alpha as a target of S-glutathionylation, which further activates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and aggravates EMT.
Article
Biology
Arkaprabha Basu, Manash K. Paul, Mitchel Alioscha-Perez, Anna Grosberg, Hichem Sahli, Steven M. Dubinett, Shimon Weiss
Summary: This study presents a computational method for quantifying actin stress fiber alignment in fluorescence images of cultured cells, which can detect changes in stress fiber organization during EMT. The study also identifies an intermediate EMT state with a specific cytoskeletal signature and partitions EMT into two steps. Additionally, the study introduces a figure of merit, the Orientational Order Parameter (OOP), to track EMT progression and characterize the cytoskeletal response to drugs in live cells. The developed image quantification tool, SPOCC, has improved throughput and non-destructiveness, making it suitable for studying various biological processes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Shelan Rasool, Qais Al Ismaeel, Srdar H. Arif
Summary: This study investigated the expression pattern of matricellular proteins SPARC and CYR61 in colorectal cancer and found their association with cancer progression. High expression of CYR61 was associated with migration, invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. This discovery provides new insights for the treatment of colorectal cancer.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Micaela Boiero Sanders, Christopher P. Toret, Audrey Guillotin, Adrien Antkowiak, Thomas Vannier, Robert C. Robinson, Alphee Michelot
Summary: The use of different actin isoforms in eukaryotic cells and the molecular mechanisms of their segregation into distinct networks are poorly understood. By using yeast as a model, researchers found that the expression of heterologous actin causes significant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, can rescue cytoskeletal organization and increase resistance to external perturbation.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hugo Wioland, Stephane Fremont, Berengere Guichard, Arnaud Echard, Antoine Jegou, Guillaume Romet-Lemonne
Summary: MICAL1-mediated oxidation of actin filaments amplifies cofilin severing action, bypassing the need for cofilin activation. Direct post-translational oxidation modification of actin filaments in cells triggers their disassembly.