RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
STICKY WICKET
FIRST PERSON
REVIEWS
- Regulation of Cdc42 and its effectors in epithelial morphogenesis
Summary: We review how spatial regulation of the small GTPase Cdc42 promotes polarity and polarized morphogenesis of the plasma membrane, with a focus on the epithelial cell type.
- CORVET, CHEVI and HOPS – multisubunit tethers of the endo-lysosomal system in health and disease
Summary: The multitasking tethering complexes CORVET, CHEVI and HOPS are major organizers of the endocytic pathway. This Review combines current knowledge on their roles in membrane trafficking and diseases.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Ion channel gating in cardiac ryanodine receptors from the arrhythmic RyR2-P2328S mouse
Summary: The RyR2–P2328S mutation, precipitating potentially fatal arrhythmia in humans, can be attributed to leftward shifts in cytoplasmic Ca2+–dependent RyR2 activation and inactivation in the absence of adrenergic stimulation.
- FKBP12 mediates necroptosis by initiating RIPK1–RIPK3–MLKL signal transduction in response to TNF receptor 1 ligation
Highlighted Article: FKBP12 is a novel target protein that acts in initiating necroptosis and the related systemic inflammatory response syndrome triggered by tumor necrosis factor.
- Dkk1 exacerbates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway
Summary: The Dkk1–Wnt/β-catenin signaling axis has a crucial role in Dox-induced cardiotoxicity, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for treatment of cardiomyopathy caused by clinical use of Dox.
- Connexin 43 maintains tissue polarity and regulates mitotic spindle orientation in the breast epithelium
Summary: Gap junction protein connexin 43 (GJA1) contributes to breast epithelial polarity by modulating mitotic spindle orientation to prevent multilayering of the epithelium typically associated with tumor onset.
- Microtubule nucleation during central spindle assembly requires NEDD1 phosphorylation on serine 405 by Aurora A
Summary: Midzone localization of γ-TuRC-anchoring protein NEDD1 in anaphase results from phosphorylation at serine 405 by Aurora A, regulating microtubule nucleation during central spindle assembly.
- The very-long-chain fatty acid elongase Elo2 rescues lethal defects associated with loss of the nuclear barrier function in fission yeast cells
Highlighted Article: Absence of nuclear membrane proteins Lem2 and Bqt4 causes lethal defects associated with loss of the nuclear barrier function; the very-long-chain fatty acid elongase Elo2 rescues such lethal defects.
- The route of the visual receptor rhodopsin along the cilium
Highlighted Article: The unresolved question of the route that rhodopsin travels along the cilium to accommodate disk membrane morphogenesis was addressed; it was found to be exclusively plasmalemmal.
- Transcytosis maintains CFTR apical polarity in the face of constitutive and mutation-induced basolateral missorting
Highlighted Article: Apical transcytosis is indispensable for the maintenance of highly polarized CFTR expression by counteracting its basolateral missorting from the secretory and apical endocytic pathways in human bronchial epithelial cells.
- Catabolic activity of osteoblast lineage cells contributes to osteoclastic bone resorption in vitro
Summary: Osteoblast lineage cells directly stimulate osteoclastic bone resorption and promote the aggressive trench-resorption mode by exerting a matrix metalloproteinase-dependent catabolic activity.
- STIM1 phosphorylation at Y316 modulates its interaction with SARAF and the activation of SOCE and ICRAC
Summary: STIM1 Y316 phosphorylation results in SARAF dissociation from STIM1, facilitating its activation and interaction with Orai1, then leading to SOCE activation.
- Homeostasis of soluble proteins and the proteasome post nuclear envelope reformation in mitosis
Highlighted Article: Nuclear envelope formation around condensed chromatin excludes cytosolic proteins while nuclear proteins, including the proteasome, are then re-imported by conditional nuclear import mechanisms.
- A unique role for clathrin light chain A in cell spreading and migration
Summary: The highly conserved clathrin light chain A, whose function has been elusive, promotes integrin-mediated signaling, association of clathrin with the WAVE complex, and efficient cell spreading and migration.