RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
STICKY WICKET
FIRST PERSON
REVIEWS
- Lipid droplet–membrane contact sites – from protein binding to function
Summary: This Review summarizes the main principles of protein-lipid droplet (LD) interactions and recent evidence indicating the importance of contact sites with other organelles in the regulation of LD functions.
- Molecular form and function of the cytokinetic ring
Summary: This Review highlights new findings about the arrangement of molecules within the force-generating cytokinetic ring from studies using advanced microscopy techniques and in vitro approaches.
SHORT REPORT
- The asymmetric chemical structures of two mating pheromones reflect their differential roles in mating of fission yeast
Summary: Lipid pheromone peptides secreted locally from one cell may be concentrated at the fusion site with an opposite mating-type cell, which then polarizes to enable successful conjugation in S. pombe.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Yeast ceramide synthases, Lag1 and Lac1, have distinct substrate specificity
Highlighted Article: Distinct substrate specificities of Lag1 and Lac1, the two yeast ceramide synthases, are revealed, shedding light on their physiological roles.
- Dual role for fungal-specific outer kinetochore proteins during cell cycle and development in Magnaporthe oryzae
Summary: DASH complex proteins are differentially recruited to the nucleus during cell division and are intriguingly involved in polarised growth during development and differentiation in the rice blast fungus.
- HsSAS-6-dependent cartwheel assembly ensures stabilization of centriole intermediates
Summary: The cartwheel structure, a universal template of the centriole, is necessary for the integrity of centriole intermediates up to the early S phase, but dispensable for subsequent centriole elongation and maturation.
- RACK1 evolved species-specific multifunctionality in translational control through sequence plasticity within a loop domain
Highlighted Article: Sequence divergence within a poorly understood loop domain of RACK1 functions to control two distinct aspects of translation in different species.
- Nup358 regulates microridge length by controlling SUMOylation-dependent activity of aPKC in zebrafish epidermis
Summary: Microridges on the apical surface of zebrafish peridermal cells are regulated by the conserved polarity kinase aPKC. We show that Nup358-mediated SUMO-modification of aPKC is crucial for this function.
- Spindle checkpoint silencing at kinetochores with submaximal microtubule occupancy
Highlighted Article: To finalize mitosis, half-maximal occupancy of kinetochores by microtubules is sufficient to overcome the inhibitory effect of the spindle assembly checkpoint.
- New roles for the de-ubiquitylating enzyme OTUD4 in an RNA–protein network and RNA granules
Highlighted Article: Novel functions for the de-ubiquitylating enzyme OTUD4 in RNA binding, stress granule formation and neuronal RNA transport granules are presented.
- WIP-1 and DBN-1 promote scission of endocytic vesicles by bridging actin and Dynamin-1 in the C. elegans intestine
Summary: WIP-1 and DBN-1, two actin-binding proteins, link the actin assembly to endocytic sites and cooperate with DYN-1 for clathrin-coated vesicle scission in the C. elegans intestine.