RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST PERSON
OPINION
- The triple helix of collagens – an ancient protein structure that enabled animal multicellularity and tissue evolution
Summary: The triple helix is a protein structure of fundamental importance in building the extracellular matrix that enabled animal multicellularity and tissue evolution.
REVIEW
- Dynamics of cortical domains in early Drosophila development
Summary: Cortical domains are a central feature of epithelial and polarised cells. This Review presents the dynamics of cortical domains in early Drosophila embryos and discusses underlying mechanisms for formation of cortical domains.
SHORT REPORT
- m-AAA and i-AAA complexes coordinate to regulate OMA1, the stress-activated supervisor of mitochondrial dynamics
Summary: AFG3L2 and YME1L1 coordinately regulate OMA1 maturation and consequently, mitochondrial dynamics.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Aurora A kinase activity is required to maintain an active spindle assembly checkpoint during prometaphase
Summary: Inhibition of Aurora A kinase activity in prometaphase leads to a removal of Mad2 from kinetochores, the loss of the SAC and a premature exit from mitosis.
- A model suite of green algae within the Scenedesmaceae for investigating contrasting desiccation tolerance and morphology
Highlighted Article: Green algae within the Scenedesmaceae, three isolated from desert crust and two aquatic, are introduced for comparative analysis of mechanisms underlying desiccation tolerance and multicellularity.
- Identification and characterisation of a cryptic Golgi complex in Naegleria gruberi
Highlighted Article: The first micrographic evidence of a cryptic Golgi organelle in the amoeba Naegleria gruberi is presented, revealing the Golgi in this species has a rare tubular morphology.
- The cytoskeleton regulates symmetry transitions in moving amoeboid cells
Summary: Dynamic shape changes of amoeboid cells are far from random, but are the consequence of refined symmetries and symmetry changes that are orchestrated by small G-proteins and the cytoskeleton.
- Rab7 knockout unveils regulated autolysosome maturation induced by glutamine starvation
Highlighted Article: Through analysis of Rab7-knockout cells, this paper shows that Rab7 is dispensable for autophagosome–lysosome fusion and that glutamine starvation regulates autolysosome maturation in cultured mammalian cells.
- Matrix elasticity regulates mesenchymal stem cell chemotaxis
Summary: hMSCs exhibit faster chemotaxis with fewer focal adhesions and an increased protrusion rate on soft substrates, suggesting that the total speed of a cell is the sum of stiffness-dependent and chemokine-dependent components.
- Phosphorylation hotspot in the C-terminal domain of occludin regulates the dynamics of epithelial junctional complexes
Summary: A conserved sequence in occludin determines the dynamic property of tight junctions and adherens junctions in the renal and intestinal epithelia, and regulates collective cell migration.
This issue
Other journals from The Company of Biologists
Introducing FocalPlane’s new Community Manager, Esperanza Agullo-Pascual
We are pleased to welcome Esperanza to the Journal of Cell Science team. The new Community Manager for FocalPlane, Esperanza is joining us from the Microscopy Core at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Find out more about Esperanza in her introductory post over on FocalPlane.
New funding scheme supports sustainable events
As part of our Sustainable Conferencing Initiative, we are pleased to announce funding for organisers that seek to reduce the environmental footprint of their event. The next deadline to apply for a Scientific Meeting grant is 26 March 2021.
Read & Publish participation continues to grow
"Alongside pre-printing for early documentation of work, such mechanisms are particularly helpful for early-career researchers like me.”
Dr Chris MacDonald (University of York) shares his experience of publishing Open Access as part of our growing Read & Publish initiative. We now have over 150 institutions in 15 countries and four library consortia taking part – find out more and view our full list of participating institutions.
Cell scientist to watch: Romain Levayer
In an interview, Romain Levayer talks about starting his own lab, his love for preprints and his experience of balancing parenting with his research goals.
Live lactating mammary tissue
In a stunning video, Stewart et al. demonstrate warping of the alveolar unit due to basal cell-generated force as part of their recent work investigating roles for mechanically activated ion channels in lactation and involution.
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JCS and COVID-19
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