RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
FIRST PERSON
CELL SCIENTISTS TO WATCH
REVIEWS
- Trio family proteins as regulators of cell migration and morphogenesis in development and disease – mechanisms and cellular contexts
Summary: A review of the widespread cellular roles of Trio family proteins in migration and morphogenesis whose alterations contribute to human disease.
- Fueling the cytoskeleton – links between cell metabolism and actin remodeling
Summary: This Review examines the links between the actin cytoskeleton and cell metabolism with an emphasis on how cell migration, mechanotransduction and epithelial to mesenchymal transitions alter the metabolic profile of cells.
- Emerging functions of cytoskeletal proteins in immune diseases
Summary: A review of how aberrant function or absence of actin regulatory proteins, such as the Arp2/3 complex, cofilin, WDR1 and coronin, cause immune diseases, including immunodeficiencies, autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases.
RESEARCH ARTICLES
- Long-term segmentation-free assessment of head–flagellum movement and intracellular calcium in swimming human sperm
Summary: A computer-assisted segmentation-free method was developed to evaluate flagellar wave parameters for hundreds of thousands of flagellar beat cycles, as well as head movement, during long-term imaging.
- Ca2+ elevations disrupt interactions between intraflagellar transport and the flagella membrane in Chlamydomonas
Summary: Ca2+ signalling regulates interactions between flagella membrane glycoproteins and intraflagellar transport trains in Chlamydomonas, allowing modulation of traction force during gliding motility.
- Identification of mutants with increased variation in cell size at onset of mitosis in fission yeast
Highlighted Article: Fission yeast mutants with increased size variation at cell division identify new underlying processes involved in the cell size control mechanism
- A region of SLBP outside the mRNA-processing domain is essential for deposition of histone mRNA into the Drosophila egg
Summary: Transcription of histone genes in stage 10B Drosophila oocytes to produce the maternal histone mRNAs requires high concentrations of SLBP, a protein normally required only for histone pre-mRNA processing.
- The p.E152K-STIM1 mutation deregulates Ca2+ signaling contributing to chronic pancreatitis
Summary: The p.E152K-STIM1 variant found in pancreatitis patients leads to intracellular changes in Ca2+ homeostasis through SERCA conformational changes, enabling intracellular trypsin activation and pancreatic acinar cell death.
- The phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate-binding protein SNX4 controls ATG9A recycling and autophagy
Highlighted Article: The PI3P-binding protein SNX4 mediates recycling of the autophagy-promoting lipid scramblase ATG9A from lysosomes and autolysosomes, allowing reuse of this enzyme for rounds of autophagosome biogenesis.
- Nuclear upregulation of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110β correlates with high 47S rRNA levels in cancer cells
Summary: p110β is nuclear in endometrial cancer cells and primary tumours and contributes to the accumulation of phosphatidylinositol(3,4,5)trisphosphate in the nucleus and high levels of 47S rRNA.
- Extracellular MIF, but not its homologue D-DT, promotes fibroblast motility independently of its receptor complex CD74/CD44
Summary: The atypical cytokine MIF, but not its close homologue D-DT, promotes motility of cells that is independent of its main receptor CD74, suggesting a direct function of internalized MIF.
- L-selectin regulates human neutrophil transendothelial migration
Highlighted Article: Neutrophil L-selectin co-clusters with PECAM-1 in cis during transendothelial migration (TEM). Clustering neutrophil PECAM-1 activates p38 MAPK and JNK to regulate L-selectin shedding, which in turn expedites TEM.
- Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation temporally confines SUMO-dependent ataxin-3 recruitment to control DNA double-strand break repair
Summary: Differential dependency of ataxin-3 and RNF4 on poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation for their recruitment to DNA breaks explains how these proteins with opposing activities can both stimulate DNA repair.
- Cortical recruitment of centralspindlin and RhoA effectors during meiosis I of Caenorhabditis elegans primary spermatocytes
Summary: Contractile ring assembly before significant segregation of homologous chromosomes in meiosis I of C. elegans primary spermatocytes.
- Cyclophilin A is a mitochondrial factor that forms complexes with p23 – correlative evidence for an anti-apoptotic action
Summary: CyPA is a novel mitochondrial factor that migrates to the nucleus at the onset of stress and has anti-apoptotic properties that are enhanced by its interaction with p23 in an Hsp90-independent manner.
- AMPK signaling mediates synphilin-1-induced hyperphagia and obesity in Drosophila
Summary: Genetic, behavioral and pharmacological approaches revealed that the synphilin-1-regulated AMPK signaling pathway mediates positive energy homeostasis, resulting in hyperphagia and obesity in Drosophila.
- Protein kinase Cα regulates the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of KRIT1
Summary: A novel role for PKC signaling in triggering Ser/Thr phosphorylation and regulating nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of KRIT1, a major protein with pleiotropic functions associated with human diseases.
- BMP4 activates the Wnt–Lin28A–Blimp1–Wnt pathway to promote primordial germ cell formation via altering H3K4me2
Summary: We describe a Wnt–Lin28A–Blimp1–Wnt positive feedback regulation system during the formation of primordial germ cells, which is regulated by upstream BMP4 signals and H3K4me2.
- The 20S proteasome activator PA28γ controls the compaction of chromatin
Summary: Without PA28γ, a 20S proteasome-activator, HP1 proteins are unable to drive chromatin compaction and PA28γ is necessary to maintain the level of H3K9 and H4K20 methylation required for this process.
- Defining endogenous TACC3–chTOG–clathrin–GTSE1 interactions at the mitotic spindle using induced relocalization
Highlighted Article: The composition of the mitotic TACC3–chTOG–clathrin–GTSE1 complex and its interaction with microtubules is determined using induced relocalization of endogenous proteins from the spindle to mitochondria.
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.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch more videos from JCS, our sister journals and the Company.
JCS and COVID-19
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