Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Testicular germ cells, which appear after the establishment of central tolerance, express novel cell surface and intracellular proteins that can be recognized as ‘foreign antigens’ by the host's immune system. However, normally these germ cells do not evoke an auto-reactive immune response. The focus of this manuscript is to review the evidence tha...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Spermatogenesis is a multistep process that generates millions of spermatozoa per day in mammals. A key to this process is the spermatogonial stem cell (SSC), which has the dual property of continually renewing and undergoing differentiation into a spermatogonial progenitor that expands and further differentiates. In this review, we will focus on h...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
A central step in eukaryotic initiation of DNA replication is the loading of the helicase at replication origins, misregulation of this reaction leads to DNA damage and genome instability. Here we discuss how the helicase becomes recruited to origins and loaded into a double-hexamer around double-stranded DNA. We specifically describe the individua...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Spermatogenesis is a multistep process that supports the production of millions of sperm daily. Understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate spermatogenesis has been a major focus for decades. Yet, the regulators involved in different cellular processes of spermatogenesis remain largely unknown. Human diseases that result in defective sp...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Mutations in genes encoding widely expressed nuclear envelope proteins often lead to diseases that manifest in specific tissues. Lamina-associated polypeptide 1 (LAP1) is an integral protein of the inner nuclear membrane that is expressed in most cells and tissues. Within the nuclear envelope, LAP1 interacts physically with lamins, torsinA and emer...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Lamin A-related progeroid syndromes are genetically determined, extremely rare and severe. In the past ten years, our knowledge and perspectives for these diseases has widely progressed, through the progressive dissection of their pathophysiological mechanisms leading to precocious and accelerated aging, from the genes mutations discovery until the...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
For over two decades, B-type lamins were thought to have roles in fundamental processes including correct assembly of nuclear envelopes, DNA replication, transcription and cell survival. Recent studies have questioned these roles and have instead emphasised the role of these proteins in tissue building and tissue integrity, particularly in tissues ...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
In 1962, epidermal growth factor (EGF) was discovered by Dr. Stanley Cohen while studying nerve growth factor (NGF). It was soon recognized that EGF is the prototypical member of a family of peptide growth factors that activate the EGF receptors, and that the EGF/EGF receptor signaling pathway plays important roles in proliferation, differentiation...
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
Published in Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology
During mRNA biogenesis regulation of mRNA transport and localization is an essential step. It guarantees asymmetric protein distribution across the cell necessary for specialized cellular functions, and it is a driving force for cellular differentiation and development. mRNA transport and localization depends on the interactions between cis-acting ...
