12/10/2026

MicroRNA as key players in skin regeneration and anti-aging pathways

Azizi et al.

For full text please see pdf.

05/10/2026

Glycemia reprograms substrate transport and shapes divergent stress responses in differentiating H9c2 cells

Passaponti et al.

For full text please see pdf.

07/08/2026

Stress management by benzodiazepines in septic shock and critical illness: mechanistic and clinical evidence supporting alternative sedative strategies

Lambertucci et al.

For full text please see pdf.

07/07/2026

Triptolide inhibits ovarian cancer growth and metastasis via reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages

Chen et al.

For full text please see pdf.

03/07/2026

Polyamine-mediated inhibition of ferroptosis contributes to geroprotection

Madeo et al.

For full text please see pdf.

24/04/2026

The IRE1α-XBP1s-NFκB axis controls cell survival and epithelial differentiation under osmotic stress through arachidonic acid metabolism activation

Parra et al.

Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism plays a critical role in renal cell osmoadaptation. We recently demonstrated that hypertonicity induces the expression and activation of cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2). On one hand, AA released by cPLA2 enhances triacylglyceride (TG) synthesis and accumulation. On the other hand, AA is converted into prostaglandins (PG) through cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) activity. Both processes are required for renal cell survival under osmotic stress. However, the mechanisms by which hypertonicity induces cPLA2 expression remain poorly understood. Given that we previously shown that hypertonicity regulates TG synthesis through the IRE1α-XBP1s branch of the unfolded protein (…)

06/03/2026

Multifaceted role of CNPY2 beyond ER stress: Disease implications and therapeutic potential

Ebadollahibaruq et al.

This review meticulously dissects CNPY2’s structural characteristics, expression patterns, and biological functions across various disorders, emphasizing its role on tumor initiation, microenvironmental stress, and chemoresistance, and evaluating its potential as a therapeutic target.

30/01/2026

Antifungal peptides: from modes of action to synergistic and immunologic potential

Carmona-Gutierrez et al.
26/01/2026

Reversal of Cushing syndrome by antibody-mediated neutralization of ACBP/DBI

Shen et al.

For full text please see pdf.

19/12/2024

Cold exposure reinstates NAD+ levels and attenuates hepatocellular carcinoma

Grazioso et al.

INTRODUCTION Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary malignant tumor that arises from hepatocytes, the main functional cells of the liver 1. It is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with

28/11/2024

Endogenous plasma resuspension of peripheral blood mononuclear cells prevents preparative-associated stress that modifies polyA-enriched RNA responses to subsequent acute stressors

Li et al.

INTRODUCTION Cells are impacted by complex and co-occurring stresses throughout a life-course. Our goal was to generate physiologically relevant models of acute cellular stress, initially in relation to 3’ untranslated regions (3’UTRs), as these can

20/11/2024

Neuroglobin-enriched secretome provides neuroprotection against hydrogen peroxide and mitochondrial toxin-induced cellular stress

Bastari et al.

INTRODUCTION Cellular response to stress relies on evolutionary conserved mechanisms aimed at maintaining homeostasis and facilitating adaptation to new cellular environments 1. Under stressful conditions, post-mitotic neurons are hardly replaced. Rather, mature neurons exhibit two

18/10/2024

Stress granules formation in HEI-OC1 auditory cells and in H4 human neuroglioma cells secondary to cisplatin exposure

Abdelrasol, Chopra et al.

INTRODUCTION Cellular stress is an inherent and inevitable aspect of cell physiology, prompting cells to adapt to environmental changes. Among the distinctive intracellular adaptive responses that have been characterized in intricate molecular detail in response

09/08/2024

Dynamics of cell membrane lesions and adaptive conductance under the electrical stress

Silkunas et al.

Exceeding physiological limits of the cell membrane potential compromises structural integrity, enabling the passage of normally impermeant solutes and disrupting cell function. Electropermeabilization has been studied extensively at the cellular scale, but not at the individual membrane lesion level. We employed fast total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging of Ca2+ entry transients to discern individual lesions in a hyperpolarized cell membrane and characterize their focality, thresholds, electrical conductance, and the lifecycle. A diffuse and momentary membrane permeabilization without a distinct pore formation was observed already at a -100 mV threshold. Polarizing down to -200 mV created focal pores with a low 50- to 300-pS conductance, which disappeared instantly once the hyperpolarization was removed. Charging to – 240 mV created high-conductance (> 1 nS) pores which persisted for seconds even at zero membrane potential. With (…)

11/03/2024

MiR-200c reprograms fibroblasts to recapitulate the phenotype of CAFs in breast cancer progression

Lin et al.

Mesenchymal-epithelial plasticity driving cancer progression in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) is undetermined. This work identifies a subgroup of CAFs in human breast cancer exhibiting mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) or epithelial-like profile with high miR-200c expression. MiR-200c overexpression in fibroblasts is sufficient to drive breast cancer aggressiveness. Oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment induces miR-200c by DNA demethylation. Proteomics, RNA-seq and functional analyses reveal that miR-200c is a novel positive regulator of NFκB-HIF signaling via COMMD1 downregulation and stimulates pro-tumorigenic inflammation and glycolysis. Reprogramming fibroblasts toward MET via miR-200c reduces stemness and induces (…)

11/12/2023

A versatile method for the identification of senolytic compounds

Annunziata et al.

The increased burden of senescent cells is as a well-established hallmark of aging and age-related diseases. This finding sparked significant interest in the identification of molecules capable of selectively eliminating senescent cells, so-called senolytics. Here, we fine-tuned a method for the identification of senolytics that is compatible with high-content fluorescence microscopy. We used spectral detector imaging to measure the emission spectrum of unlabeled control or senescent cells. We observed that senescent cells exhibited higher levels of autofluorescence than their non-senescent counterparts, particularly in the cytoplasmic region. Building on this result, we devised a senolytic assay based on co-culturing quiescent and senescent cells, fluorescently tagged in the nuclear region through the overexpression of H2B-GFP and H2B-RFP, respectively. We validated this approach by showing that first generation senolytics were effective in reducing the (…)

14/08/2023

Chromatin assembly factor-1 preserves genome stability in ctf4∆ cells by promoting sister chromatid cohesion

Ghaddar et al.

Chromatin assembly and the establishment of sister chromatid cohesion are intimately connected to the progression of DNA replication forks. Here we examined the genetic interaction between the heterotrimeric chromatin assembly factor-1 (CAF-1), a central component of chromatin assembly during replication, and the core replisome component Ctf4. We find that CAF-1 deficient cells as well as cells affected in newly-synthesized H3-H4 histones deposition during DNA replication exhibit a severe negative growth with ctf4∆ mutant. We dissected the role of CAF-1 in the maintenance of genome stability in ctf4∆ yeast cells. In the absence of CTF4, CAF-1 is essential for viability in cells experiencing replication problems, in cells lacking functional S-phase checkpoint or functional spindle checkpoint, and in cells lacking DNA repair pathways involving homologous recombination. We present evidence that CAF-1 affects cohesin association to chromatin in a (…)

14/08/2023

Sensitive, non-immunogenic in vivo imaging of cancer metastases and immunotherapy response

Merrill et al.

Non-invasive imaging of tumors expressing reporter transgenes is a popular preclinical method for studying tumor development and response to therapy in vivo due to its ability to distinguish signal from tumors over background noise. However, the utilized transgenes, such as firefly luciferase, are immu-nogenic and, therefore, impact results when expressed in immune-competent hosts. This represents an important limitation, given that cancer immunology and immunotherapy are currently among the most impactful areas of research and therapeutic development. Here we present a non-immunogenic preclinical tumor imaging approach. Based on the expression of murine sodium iodide symporter (mNIS), it facilitates sensitive, non-invasive detection of syngeneic tumor cells in immune-competent tumor models without (…)

21/01/2019

R-loops: formation, function, and relevance to cell stress

Allison and Wang

INTRODUCTION A variety of topological, structural and hybridization events occur during DNA replication and gene transcription. Unwinding of the DNA double helix provides access for polymerase to a template strand, and creates torsional stress that

09/01/2019

P4HA1 is a new regulator of the HIF-1 pathway in breast cancer

Xu

Prolyl hydroxylation is a very common posttranslational protein modification. About 4% amino acid residues in animal proteins are hydroxyproline, and most of hydroxyproline is within collagen. Regulation of protein stability and folding is the two

10/12/2018

Full antagonist of the IL-7 receptor suppresses chronic inflammation in non-human primate models by controlling antigen-specific memory T cells

Belarif et al.

Targeting proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFα, IL-1, IL-6, is clinically beneficial in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID). However, these cytokines are downstream mediators of immune responses that show poor impact on upstream drivers of dysregulated

05/12/2018

Control of nucleolar stress and translational reprogramming by lncRNAs

Verheyden et al.

INTRODUCTION Unfavourable environmental conditions trigger cellular responses that help minimize and/or repair the damage experienced by the cell. During stress responses, most of the biosynthetic processes of the cell are reduced or shut down, to

02/12/2018

Serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 and the response to cell stress

Lang et al.

INTRODUCTION The ubiquitously expressed [1][2][3][4] serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) has originally been cloned as a gene up-regulated by serum and glucocorticoids in rat mammary tumor cells [1][5]. The human SGK1 has been identified

27/11/2018

Regulation of T cell antitumor immune response by tumor induced metabolic stress

Chalmin et al.

Adaptive T cell immune response is essential for tumor growth control. The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors is regulated by intratumoral immune response. The tumor microenvironment has a major role in adaptive immune response tuning. Tumor cells generate a particular metabolic environment in comparison to other tissues. Tumors are characterized by glycolysis, hypoxia, acidosis, amino acid depletion and fatty acid metabolism modification. Such metabolic changes promote tumor growth, impair immune response and lead to resistance to therapies. This review will detail how these modifications strongly affect CD8 and CD4 T cell functions and impact immunotherapy efficacy.

16/11/2018

TRIM16 employs NRF2, ubiquitin system and aggrephagy for safe disposal of stress-induced misfolded proteins

Jena et al.

We found that under oxidative or proteotoxic stress conditions, the TRIM16 is required for biogenesis of protein aggregates from misfolded proteins. In our attempt to investigate the mechanism by which TRIM16 regulates biogenesis of protein

15/11/2018

The role of metabolic adaptation to nutrient stress in pancreatic cancer

Derle et al.

INTRODUCTION Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in the developed world [1]. The most common subtype of pancreatic cancer is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs) that arise from the exocrine pancreas. The

13/11/2018

Systemic signalling and local effectors in developmental stability, body symmetry, and size

Juarez-Carreño et al.

Symmetric growth and the origins of fluctuating asymmetry are unresolved phenomena of biology. Small, and sometimes noticeable, deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry reflect the vulnerability of development to perturbations. The degree of asymmetry is related to the magnitude of the perturbations and the ability of an individual to cope with them. As the left and right sides of an individual were presumed to be genetically identical, deviations of symmetry were traditionally attributed to non-genetic effects such as environmental and developmental noise. In this review, we draw attention to other possible sources of variability, especially to somatic mutations and transposons. Mutations are a major source of phenotypic variability and recent genomic data have highlighted somatic mutations as ubiquitous, even in phenotypically normal individuals. We discuss the importance of factors that are responsible for buffering and stabilizing the genome (…)

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15/03/2019

Mitochondria organize the cellular proteostatic response and promote cellular senescence

Li et al.

Timely disposal and degradation of misfolded proteins and their aggregates is critical for cellular proteostasis and the well-being of a cell. During evolution, cells have acquired a sophisticated system to monitor protein quality and maintain

25/01/2019

Could de-stressing the brain be the solution for long-term weight loss?

Seyfried and Hankir

INTRODUCTION One just needs to take a look at a typical vending machine (often found in hospitals) to appreciate what has happened to our food and drink. The relatively sudden widespread ease of access to

29/09/2018

Astrocytes, emerging stars of energy homeostasis

Camandola

INTRODUCTION The brain is the organ responsible for the centralized control of the other organs’ functions and, in higher vertebrates, of reasoning. Such tasks are achieved thanks to the interconnections of billions of neurons and

28/09/2018

Base editors: a powerful tool for generating animal models of human diseases

Lu and Huang

BASE EDITORS: A NOVEL GENOME ENGINEERING TOOL Genetically engineered mouse models of human diseases have long been used in understanding the underlying mechanisms of the clinically relevant genetic disorders. In the past, using gene-targeting technology

10/09/2018

Unweaving the role of nuclear Lamins in neural circuit integrity

Deal and Yamamoto

Structural integrity of the nuclear membrane is essential for the homeostasis of eukaryotic cells. Critical components of this process are Lamins or type-V intermediate filament proteins that form a meshwork on the inner nuclear membrane

29/06/2018

Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid-based pathogenesis and potential therapies

Zhou et al.

INTRODUCTION Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most prevalent forms of dementia; in 2015, for example, AD affected ~46.8 million people worldwide. It is estimated that this number will continue to increase and reach

11/06/2018

Membrane closure in stress induced-autophagosome formation

Morita

Autophagy (macroautophagy) is a bulk degradation system that sequesters cytoplasmic components by generating double-layered isolation membranes and delivering these isolated contents to the lysosomes [cite]10.1146/annurev-cellbio-092910-154005[/cite]. Though this pathway was originally identified as a system essential

24/01/2018

Centriolar satellites prevent uncontrolled degradation of centrosome proteins: a speculative review

Lecland and Merdes

INTRODUCTION Centrosomes are cytoplasmic structures that serve as primary microtubule organizing centers in a large variety of animal cells. They consist of a pair of cylindrically shaped centrioles, surrounded by pericentriolar material. Since the 1950s,

23/12/2017

Novel role of the SIRT4-OPA1 axis in mitochondrial quality control

Lang and Piekorz

Aging is defined by various molecular and cellular hallmarks, among them stem cell exhaustion, genomic instability, altered proteostasis, cellular senescence, and mitochondrial dysfunction [cite]10.1016/j.cell.2013.05.039[/cite]. Mitochondrial defects are considered major drivers of cellular aging and are

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Whether you’re preparing a manuscript, reviewing a paper, or just exploring the journal, this FAQ answers the essentials—from scope and founders to impact and how to submit. Prefer a tailored path? Pick For authors or For reviewers below.

Peer-reviewed, open-access research using unicellular organisms (and multicellular microorganisms) to understand cellular responses and human disease.

The journal (founded in 2014) is led by its Editors-in-Chief Frank Madeo, Didac Carmona-Gutierrez, and Guido Kroemer

Microbial Cell has been publishing original scientific literature since 2014, and from the very beginning has been managed by active scientists through an independent Publishing House (Shared science Publishers). The journal was conceived as a platform to acknowledge the importance of unicellular organisms, both as model systems as well as in the biological context of human health and disease.

Ever since, Microbial Cell has very positively developed and strongly grown into a respected journal in the unicellular research community and even beyond. This scientific impact is reflected in the yearly number of citations obtained by articles published in Microbial Cell, as recorded by the Web of Science (Clarivate, formerly Thomson/Reuters):

The scientific impact of Microbial Cell is also mirrored in a series of milestones:

2015: Microbial Cell is included in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), a selection of developing journals drafted by Clarivate Analytics based on the candidate’s publishing standards, quality, editorial content, and citation data. Note: As an ESCI-selected journal, Microbial Cell is currently being evaluated in a rigorous and long process to determine an inclusion in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE), which allows the official calculation of Clarivate Analytics’ impact factor.

2016: Microbial Cell is awarded the so-called DOAJ Seal by the selective Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). The DOAJ Seal is an exclusive mark of certification for open access journals granted by DOAJ to journals that adhere to outstanding best practice and achieve an extra high and clear commitment to open access and high publishing standards.

2017: Microbial Cell is included in Pubmed Central (PMC), allowing the archiving of all the journal’s articles in PMC and PubMed.

2019: Microbial Cell is indexed in the prestigious abstract and citation database Scopus after a thorough selection process. This also means that Microbial Cell obtains, for the first time, an official Scopus CiteScore as well as an official journal ranking in the Scimago Journal and Country Ranking.

2022: Microbial Cell’s CiteScore reaches a value of 7.2 for the year 2021, positioning Microbial Cell among the top microbiology journals (previously available CiteScores: 2019: 5.4; 2020: 5.1).

2022: Microbial Cell is indexed in the highly selective Science Citation Index Expanded™, which covers approx. 9,500 of the world’s most impactful journals across 178 scientific disciplines. In their journal selection and curation process, Clarivate´s editors apply 24 ‘quality’ criteria and four ‘impact’ criteria to select the most influential journals in their respective fields. This selection is also a pre-requisite for inclusion in the JCR, which features the impact factor.

2022: Microbial Cell is listed in the Journal Citation Reports™ (JCR), and obtains its first official Journal Impact Factor™ (JIF) for the year 2021: 5.316.

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