Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Huadong Jiang, Nannan Kong, Zeyuan Liu, Stephen C. West, Ying Wai Chan
Summary: Chromatin bridges between daughter nuclei during cell division can lead to DNA damage and chromosomal rearrangements. ANKLE1, a human endonuclease, accumulates at the midbody and prevents DNA damage and autoimmunity by cleaving chromatin bridges. ANKLE1 acts by priming the nucleolytic activity of TREX1 and inhibiting the formation of micronuclei and cytosolic dsDNA. This study highlights the importance of ANKLE1 in maintaining genomic stability and preventing autoimmune responses.
Article
Cell Biology
En-Ju Chou, Tang K. Tang
Summary: The study highlighted the important role of RTTN in mitosis, showing that its depletion can lead to various mitotic abnormalities, including abnormal spindle formation and dispersion of pericentriolar proteins.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shu-Er Chow, Chia-Chi Hsu, Cheng-Ta Yang, Yaa-Jyuhn J. Meir
Summary: In this study, it was found that YAP functions as a microtubular scaffold protein, interacting with α-tubulin to maintain the stability of the mitotic spindle and midbody. Depletion of YAP leads to reduced levels of ECT2, MKLP-1, and Aurora B, consistent with its role in midbody formation during cytokinesis. The decrease in α-tubulin and increase in acetyl-α-tubulin during YAP depletion suggests its involvement in maintaining the microtubule structure and ensuring proper chromosome segregation.
Article
Cell Biology
Amanda Guerreiro, Filipe De Sousa, Nicolas Liaudet, Daria Ivanova, Anja Eskat, Patrick Meraldi
Summary: In cells, WDR62 localizes at spindle poles, promoting the recruitment of the microtubule-severing enzyme katanin. This protein helps in efficient poleward microtubule flux during chromosome segregation, ultimately preventing lagging chromosomes during anaphase.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Oncology
Theresa Eifert, Chen-Jen Hsu, Alicia L. Becker, Sarah Graessle, Arik Horne, Franziska Bemmann, Qirui Zhang, Michael Heuser, Valeri Vasioukhin, Sebastian Scholl, Andreas Hochhaus, Florian Siegerist, Nicole Endlich, Lars Bullinger, Steven W. Lane, Simon Haas, Tina M. Schnoeder, Florian H. Heidel
Summary: The Scribble complex proteins play a crucial role in hematopoietic cell fate decisions and self-renewal capacity. Through genetic screening, LLGL1 has been identified as a specific dependency and putative target in AML, with its inactivation leading to loss of stemness-associated gene-expression and induction of a specific phenotype in leukemia stem cells. These findings highlight the importance of LLGL1 and its cell-type specific functions in AML.
Article
Oncology
Catherine M. Nickson, Maria Rita Fabbrizi, Rachel J. Carter, Jonathan R. Hughes, Andrzej Kacperek, Mark A. Hill, Jason L. Parsons
Summary: Ionizing radiation induces DNA damage leading to cell death. The biological effects of high-LET IR are not well understood, but USP9X plays a crucial role in cell survival post high-LET radiation by stabilizing proteins involved in centrosome formation.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Jose Blanco-Ameijeiras, Pilar Lozano-Fernandez, Elisa Marti
Summary: Centrosomes are essential for organizing the cytoskeleton and controlling chromosome segregation during cell division. They also play a role in cilium regulation and signal reception. Understanding the process of centrosome duplication and centriole maturation is crucial for understanding cell division and cilium function.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Meiyun Guo, Jenna Rever, Phuong N. U. Nguyen, Neha M. M. Akella, Gregor S. D. Reid, Christopher A. A. Maxwell
Summary: This study investigates the centrosome clustering pathway as a target for cancer treatments in children with B-ALL. When this pathway is disrupted, it causes cell death and produces a population of damaged refractory cells which can be easily targeted by immune-based therapies.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hideki Izumi, Yasuhiko Kaneko, Akira Nakagawara
Summary: Research on neuroblastoma uses neuroblastoma cell lines as an ACD model and demonstrates the conservation of ACD in human cancer cells, with MYCN involvement in cell division fate. Human neuroblastoma cells prove to be an ideal model system for studying the mechanism of ACD.
Article
Cell Biology
Sandrine Floriot, Laura Bellutti, Johan Castille, Pauline Moison, Sebastien Messiaen, Bruno Passet, Laurent Boulanger, Abdelhak Boukadiri, Sophie Tourpin, Christian Beauvallet, Marthe Vilotte, Julie Riviere, Christine Pechoux, Maud Bertaud, Jean-Luc Vilotte, Gabriel Livera
Summary: This study reveals the essential role of centrosome cohesion in male gametogenesis. Mutant mice lacking the Cep250 gene exhibit male infertility due to a reduction in the spermatogonial pool and the blockade of meiotic divisions. The findings provide new insights into the function of centrosome cohesion in male germline development.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Sreelaja Nair, Elaine L. Welch, Cara E. Moravec, Ryan L. Trevena, Christina L. Hansen, Francisco Pelegri
Summary: We demonstrate that the zebrafish maternal-effect mutation too much information (tmi) corresponds to zebrafish prc1-like (prc1l), which encodes a member of the microtubule-associated proteins. Maternal Prc1l plays a crucial role in midbody formation and vegetal pole microtubule reorganization during cell division at the egg-to-embryo transition. These findings highlight the importance of maternal Prc1l for embryonic pattern formation and cell division.
Article
Cell Biology
Andrea Ochoa, Antonio Herrera, Anghara Menendez, Maria Estefanell, Carlota Ramos, Sebastian Pons
Summary: Vinculin is an actin-binding protein that plays a crucial role in cell adhesion and cytoskeleton connection. Beta-catenin targets vinculin to the apical adherens junctions and centrosome in the embryonic neural tube. Suppression of vinculin affects neural stem cell division and disrupts the integrity of the cell cytoskeleton.
JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Zhenni Li, Ayala Sela, Yulia Fridman, Lucia Garstka, Herman Hoefte, Sigal Savaldi-Goldstein, Sebastian Wolf
Summary: Plant brassinosteroid hormones regulate growth by altering cell wall properties, while feedback signaling from the wall modulates BR activity. Both pectin-triggered cell wall signaling and impaired BR signaling result in altered cell wall orientation in the Arabidopsis root meristem, unaffected by tissue-specific perturbations of BR signaling.
Article
Cell Biology
Elena Paccosi, Giulia Artemi, Silvia Filippi, Alessio Balzerano, Federico Costanzo, Valentina Laghezza-Masci, Silvia Proietti, Luca Proietti-De-Santis
Summary: Mutations in CSA and CSB proteins cause Cockayne syndrome, a rare genetic neurodevelopment disorder. In addition to their roles in DNA repair and transcription, these proteins have been discovered to regulate cytokinesis, the final stage of cell division. This study demonstrates that CSA protein is recruited at centrosomes during a specific step of mitosis, targeting Cyclin B1 for degradation and preventing its lasting centrosomal localization and resulting in apoptosis. This finding unveils a new aspect of CSA recruitment and its implications in understanding the complex clinical features of Cockayne Syndrome.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ya-Nan Lin, Chen-Kun Jiang, Zhu-Kuan Cheng, Dong-Hui Wang, Li-Ping Shen, Cong Xu, Zhi-Hong Xu, Shu-Nong Bai
Summary: The CDC20 genes in rice play redundant roles in faithful meiotic chromosome segregation and cytokinesis, which are required for the production of fertile microspores. Knocking out all three CDC20 genes resulted in male sterility, aberrant spindle morphology, meiotic chromosome missegregation, loss of meiotic cytokinesis, and disrupted tapetal function.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Federica Polverino, Francesco D. Naso, Italia A. Asteriti, Valentina Palmerini, Divya Singh, Davide Valente, Alexander W. Bird, Alessandro Rosa, Marina Mapelli, Giulia Guarguaglini
Summary: Mitotic spindle orientation is a crucial process in cell division, with Aurora-A and TPX2 playing key roles in regulating NuMA localization and spindle alignment. The interaction between TPX2 and Aurora-A is necessary for proper spindle orientation, and both Aurora-A and TPX2 levels can impact the stability of microtubules and spindle orientation.
Article
Oncology
Alessandra Verdina, Micol Di Segni, Carla Amoreo, Isabella Sperduti, Simonetta Buglioni, Marcella Mottolese, Giuliana Di Rocco, Silvia Soddu
Summary: The study suggests that HIPK2 may serve as a potential predictive marker for adjuvant-treated stage II CRC and for prospective therapy with NRF2 modulators, as high percentage of HIPK2(+) cells was associated with therapeutic vulnerability in stage II CRC. Additionally, HIPK2 depletion induced resistance to 5-FU and OXA, while sensitivity to these drugs was further induced by brusatol supplementation in HIPK2-proficient cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elena Chiricozzi, Erika Di Biase, Giulia Lunghi, Maria Fazzari, Nicoletta Loberto, Massimo Aureli, Laura Mauri, Sandro Sonnino
Summary: Glycosphingolipids have been a focus of research for over a century, with particular attention to the monosialylated glycosphingolipid GM1 in recent years. Studies on the functional roles of the oligosaccharide OligoGM1 have shed new light on its importance for neuronal functions and its potential in modifying the progression of Parkinson's disease in preclinical studies.
GLYCOCONJUGATE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Rossella Luca, Maria Rita Assenza, Fabio Maiullari, Luisa Pieroni, Silvia Maiullari, Giulia Federici, Federica Marini, Roberto Rizzi, Andrea Urbani, Silvia Soddu, Fabiola Moretti
Summary: MDM4 impairs the metastatic process of EOC by inhibiting mTOR activity, reducing cell migration. High levels of MDM4 expression are associated with significantly increased 15-year survival rate and negative impact on the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Fazzari, Erika Di Biase, Giulia Lunghi, Laura Mauri, Elena Chiricozzi, Sandro Sonnino
Summary: This review discusses the role of GM1 in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease and proposes additional mechanisms that need further investigation.
GLYCOCONJUGATE JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Elena Albizzati, Elena Florio, Federica Miramondi, Irene Sormonta, Nicoletta Landsberger, Angelisa Frasca
Summary: This study investigated the cytoskeletal features of astrocytes in Mecp2 deficient brains and found that Mecp2 deficiency causes structural and molecular alterations in astrocytes. These alterations progress with the severity of symptoms and occur differently in different cerebral regions, highlighting the importance of considering heterogeneity when studying astrocytes in Rett syndrome.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Fazzari, Giulia Lunghi, Elena Chiricozzi, Laura Mauri, Sandro Sonnino
Summary: Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids that are abundant in mammalian neuron plasma membranes and have neurotrophic and neuroprotective properties. However, their clinical use is limited due to poor penetrability and an association with Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Angelisa Frasca, Efterpi Pavlidou, Matteo Bizzotto, Yunan Gao, Dario Balestra, Mirko Pinotti, Hans Atli Dahl, Nicholas D. Mazarakis, Nicoletta Landsberger, Maria Kinali
Summary: CDKL5 deficiency disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by variations in the X-linked CDKL5 gene, with clinical consequences generally attributed to loss-of-function variations. We identified a female patient with mild epilepsy carrying a novel nucleotide substitution that leads to hyperactivation of CDKL5. This highlights the importance of tight control of CDKL5 activity in the brain.
NEUROLOGY-GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Francesca Romana Pellegrini, Sara De Martino, Giulia Fianco, Irene Ventura, Davide Valente, Mario Fiore, Daniela Trisciuoglio, Francesca Degrassi
Summary: This study identified a new pathway in autophagy connecting O-GlcNAcylated SNAP29 to autophagic flux blockage and autophagosome accumulation, which leads to ROS production and apoptotic cell death. These findings provide a new opportunity for therapeutic intervention in cancer and other autophagy-related diseases.
Review
Oncology
Davide Valente, Maria Pia Gentileschi, Antonino Guerrisi, Vicente Bruzzaniti, Aldo Morrone, Silvia Soddu, Alessandra Verdina
Summary: This article discusses the induction of gamma H2AX in individuals exposed to ionizing radiation and its applications in clinical studies. By analyzing the various conditions that induce H2AX phosphorylation and describing commonly used methods for gamma H2AX determination, the assessment of DSBs following IR exposure can be optimized.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Francesca Sardina, Davide Valente, Gaia Fattorini, Ettore Cioffi, Gianmarco Dalla Zanna, Alessandra Tessa, Daniela Trisciuoglio, Silvia Soddu, Filippo M. Santorelli, Carlo Casali, Cinzia Rinaldo
Summary: The study developed an automated, simple, fast, and non-invasive cell imaging-based method to quantify microtubule cytoskeleton organization changes in lymphoblastoid cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The results showed that individuals affected by SPG4-hereditary spastic paraplegia have a polarized microtubule cytoskeleton organization. The method was able to discriminate SPG4-hereditary spastic paraplegia from healthy donors and other subtypes, and detect the effects of spastin protein level changes.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Michela Palmieri, Diego Pozzer, Nicoletta Landsberger
Summary: Loss and gain of functions mutations in the X-linked MECP2 gene cause severe neurological disorders. There is currently no cure for MECP2 related disorders, but re-expression of the wild-type gene has shown promise in restoring defective phenotypes. Gene therapy and genome editing technologies are being explored as potential treatments, and clinical trials have been approved for augmentative gene therapy.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Fazzari, Giulia Lunghi, Alexandre Henriques, Noelle Callizot, Maria Grazia Ciampa, Laura Mauri, Simona Prioni, Emma Veronica Carsana, Nicoletta Loberto, Massimo Aureli, Luigi Mari, Sandro Sonnino, Elena Chiricozzi, Erika Di Biase
Summary: Past evidence suggests that GM1 ganglioside administration can slow neuronal death in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease. However, the limitations of GM1's physical and chemical properties prevent its clinical application due to the blood-brain barrier. Recent research has shown that the GM1 oligosaccharide head group (GM1-OS) promotes neuronal differentiation, protection, and reparation by interacting with the TrkA-NGF complex. In Parkinson's disease-linked neurotoxin MPTP models, GM1-OS administration enhanced mitochondrial function, reduced oxidative stress, and increased neuronal survival.
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Laura Mauri, Giulia Lunghi, Maria Fazzari, Maria Grazia Ciampa, Caterina Ricci, Tim Bartles, Elena Chiricozzi, Francesca Vasile, Monica Civera
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
M. Fazzari, A. Henriques, G. Lunghi, L. Mauri, M. G. Ciampa, G. Tedeschi, N. Mitro, S. Sonnino, M. Spedding, E. Chiricozzi