Published in Trends in cell biology
Organelles cooperate with each other to control cellular homeostasis and cell functions by forming close connections through membrane contact sites. Important contacts are present between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the main intracellular Ca2+-storage organelle, and the mitochondria, the organelle responsible not only for the majority of cellul...
Published in Trends in cell biology
Membranes surrounding cells or organelles represent barriers to proteins and other molecules. However, specific proteins can cross membranes by different translocation systems, the best studied being the Sec61/SecY channel. This channel forms a hydrophilic, hourglass-shaped membrane channel, with a lateral gate towards the surrounding lipid. Howeve...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The ATG4 proteases are key regulators of autophagy. Until recently it was thought that their main function was to mediate the processing of ATG8 family members. A new study by Nguyen et al. reveals a role for ATG4s, independent of their catalytic activity, and proposes novel functions in mediating lipid transfer and mitophagy. Copyright © 2021 Else...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The HORMA domain protein REV7, also known as MAD2L2, interacts with a variety of proteins and thereby contributes to the establishment of different complexes. With doing so, REV7 impacts a diverse range of cellular processes and gained increasing interest as more of its activities became uncovered. REV7 has important roles in translesion synthesis ...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The TP53 tumor suppressor is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. p53 suppresses tumorigenesis by transcriptionally regulating a network of target genes that play roles in various cellular processes. Though originally characterized as a critical regulator for responses to acute DNA damage (activation of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest)...
Published in Trends in cell biology
Mechanotransduction is the ability of a cell to sense mechanical cues from its microenvironment and convert them into biochemical signals to elicit adaptive transcriptional and other cellular responses. Here we describe recent advances in the field of mechanical regulation of transcription, highlight mechanical regulation of the epigenome as a key ...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The biosynthesis of about one third of the human proteome, including membrane receptors and secreted proteins, occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Conditions that perturb ER homeostasis activate the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). An ‘optimistic’ UPR output aims at restoring homeostasis by reinforcement of machineries that guarantee efficien...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The inhibitor of kappa B kinase (IKK) family consists of IKKα, IKKβ, and the IKK-related kinases TBK1 and IKKε. These kinases are considered master regulators of inflammation and innate immunity via their control of the transcription factors NF-κB, IRF3, and IRF7. Novel phosphorylated substrates have been attributed to these kinases, a subset of wh...
Published in Trends in cell biology
The balance between self-renewal and differentiation of intestinal stem cells is essential for intestinal epithelial homeostasis, which can be regulated by dietary cues. Recent evidences indicate that metabolic pathways sense changes in nutritional status to control stem cell fate, which may provide new clues for the prevention of intestinal diseas...
Published in Trends in cell biology
Autophagy and the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) are two major pathways for protein degradation. The cullin-RING E3 ligases (CRLs) are the largest E3 ligase family and have key biological functions in maintaining protein homeostasis. We provide an updated review of the interactions between CRLs and autophagy, focusing on the regulatory effects o...
