Subject collection: Cell Biology and Disease
- Nε-lysine acetylation in the endoplasmic reticulum – a novel cellular mechanism that regulates proteostasis and autophagy
Summary: This Review summarizes recent studies that underscore the importance of the endoplasmic reticulum acetylation process in maintaining protein homeostasis and autophagy within the secretory pathway.
- Neurodegeneration and locomotor dysfunction in Drosophila scarlet mutants
Highlighted Article: Drosophila scarlet mutants show progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons, along with locomotor impairments, and Scarlet has a neuroprotective role in a Parkinson's disease model.
- MT1-MMP targeting to endolysosomes is mediated by upregulation of flotillins
Highlighted Article: Upregulation of flotillins promotes MT1-MMP trafficking through endolysosomes, which allows its efficient recycling from the plasma membrane to degradation sites.
- Compensatory increases of select proteostasis networks after Hsp70 inhibition in cancer cells
Summary: We demonstrate that cancer cells can compensate for Hsp70 inhibition by inducing autophagy, emphasizing the role of autophagy/chaperone-based therapies.
- ER-phagy at a glance
Summary: The endoplasmic reticulum is the largest organelle of the cell and it fulfils a plethora of biological functions. The constant ER membrane turnover is therefore needed and is mediated by ER-phagy.
- In vitro drusen model – three-dimensional spheroid culture of retinal pigment epithelial cells
Summary: Drusen, a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration, are produced by three-dimensional spheroids of retinal pigment epithelial cells. This spheroid culture can be used as a new tool to investigate drusen biogenesis.
- Adaptive adhesion systems mediate glioma cell invasion in complex environments
Summary: Integrin-dependent and integrin-independent mechanisms of glioma cell invasion in 3D brain-like environments indicate remarkable adhesion plasticity and escape routes from targeted intervention.
- FGFR2-activating mutations disrupt cell polarity to potentiate migration and invasion in endometrial cancer cell models
Highlighted Article: Two different disease-associated FGFR2 mutations that lead to poor outcome in endometrial cancer patients, both affect collective cell polarity and invasion.
- Epigenetic alterations mediate iPSC-induced normalization of DNA repair gene expression and TNR stability in Huntington's disease cells
Summary: Cellular reprogramming of Huntington's disease cells to pluripotency causes upregulation of DNA repair genes and stabilizes trinucleotide repeats. The process is mediated by an increase in hydroxymethylation pathways.
- Unconventional protein secretion – new insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutic targets of human diseases
Summary: This Review discusses unconventional protein secretion from a pathophysiological point of view, giving important insights regarding future drugs to treat a wide spectrum of human diseases and disorders.