Triptolide inhibits ovarian cancer growth and metastasis via reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages
For full text please see pdf.
Cell Stress
Cell Stress (CES) emerges as a peer-reviewed publishing platform for high-impact research. CES publishes articles of extraordinary novelty and significance, including research papers and reviews that cover heterogenous topics in the field of cellular pathophysiology.
MicroRNA as key players in skin regeneration and anti-aging pathways
Azizi et al.For full text please see pdf.
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.
Triptolide inhibits ovarian cancer growth and metastasis via reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages
Chen et al.For full text please see pdf.
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 (…)
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.
Antifungal peptides: from modes of action to synergistic and immunologic potential
Carmona-Gutierrez et al.Reversal of Cushing syndrome by antibody-mediated neutralization of ACBP/DBI
Shen et al.For full text please see pdf.
CRISPR-activation screen identified potassium channels for protection against mycotoxins through cell cycle progression and mitochondrial function
Tang et al.Zearalenone (ZEA) exposure has carcinogenic effects on human and animal health by exhibiting intestinal, hepatic, and renal toxicity. At present, the underlying mechanisms on how ZEA induces apoptosis and damage to tissues still remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to identify genes that modulate the cellular response to ZEA using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 screening, and further validate novel gene functions to elucidate molecular mechanisms underlying particular biological processes in vivo and in vitro. Two ZEA-resistant cell lines, designated Ov-KCNJ4 and Ov-KCNJ12, were yielded by CRISPR activation screening which had significant changes in ZEA resistance and growth rates. Results showed that ZEA could interact with the cell membrane proteins (…)
Macrolide antibiotics activate the integrated stress response and promote tumor proliferation
Yu et al.Macrolide antibiotics are widely used antibacterial agents that are associated with autophagy inhibition. This study aimed to investigate the association between macrolide antibiotics and malignant tumors, as well as the effect on autophagy, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and integrated stress response (ISR). The meta-analysis indicated a modestly higher risk of cancer in macrolide antibiotic ever-users compared to non-users. Further experiments showed that macrolides block autophagic flux by inhibiting lysosomal acidification. Additionally, azithromycin, a representative macrolide antibiotic, induced the accumulation of ROS, and stimulated the ISR and the activation of transcription factor EB (TFEB) and TFE3 in a ROS-dependent manner. Finally, animal experiments confirmed that azithromycin promoted tumor progression in vivo, which (…)
Autophagic degradation of CNS myelin maintains axon integrity
Ktena et al.(Macro)autophagy is a major lysosome-dependent degradation mechanism which engulfs, removes and recycles unwanted cytoplasmic material, including damaged organelles and toxic protein aggregates. Although a few studies implicate autophagy in CNS demyelinating pathologies, its role, particularly in mature oligodendrocytes and CNS myelin, remains poorly studied. Here, using both pharmacological and genetic inhibition of the autophagic machinery, we provide evidence that autophagy is an essential mechanism for oligodendrocyte maturation in vitro. Our study reveals that two core myelin proteins, namely proteolipid protein (PLP) and myelin basic protein (MBP) are incorporated into autophagosomes in oligodendrocytes, resulting in their degradation. Furthermore, we ablated atg5, a core gene of the autophagic machinery, specifically in myelinating (…)
COX4-1 promotes mitochondrial supercomplex assembly and limits reactive oxide species production in radioresistant GBM
Oliva et al.Glioblastoma (GBM) is a fatal disease with recurrences often associated with radioresistance. Although often effective at treating newly diagnosed GBM, increasing evidence suggests that radiotherapy-induced alterations in tumor metabolism promote GBM recurrence and aggressiveness. Using isogenic radiosensitive and radioresistant GBM cell lines and patient-derived xenolines, we found that acquired radioresistance is associated with a shift from a glycolytic metabolism to a more oxidative metabolism marked by a substantial increase in the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complex cytochrome c oxidase (CcO). This elevated CcO activity was associated with a switch in the isoform expression of the CcO regulatory subunit COX4, from COX4-2 to COX4-1, assembly of CcO-containing mitochondrial supercomplexes (SCs), and reduced superoxide (O2●-) production. Overexpression of COX4-1 in the radiosensitive cells was sufficient to promote the switch from glycolytic to (…)
MYCN upregulates the transsulfuration pathway to suppress the ferroptotic vulnerability in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma
Floros et al.Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent, oxidative form of cell death that is countered mainly by glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and the production of glutathione (GSH), which is formed from cysteine. The identification of the cancers that may benefit from pharmacological ferroptotic induction is just emerging. We recently demonstrated that inducing ferroptosis genetically or pharmacologically in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma (NB) is a novel and effective way to kill these cells. MYCN increases iron metabolism and subsequent hydroxyl radicals through increased expression of the transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and low levels of the ferroportin receptor. To counter increased hydroxyl radicals, MYCN binds to the promoter of SLC3A2 (solute carrier family 3 member 2). SLC3A2 is a subunit of system Xc-, which is (…)
Evaluation of I-TAC as a potential early plasma marker to differentiate between critical and non-critical COVID-19
Zhang et al.INTRODUCTION The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is not a single entity but a disease with an extraordinary spectrum of phenotypes. The virus can cause asymptomatic
p38 regulates the tumor suppressor PDCD4 via the TSC-mTORC1 pathway
Braun et al.Programmed cell death protein 4 (PDCD4) exerts critical functions as tumor suppressor and in immune cells to regulate inflammatory processes. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) promotes degradation of PDCD4 via mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). However, additional pathways that may regulate PDCD4 expression are largely ill-defined. In this study, we have found that activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 promoted degradation of PDCD4 in macrophages and fibroblasts. Mechanistically, we identified a pathway from p38 and its substrate MAP kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2) to the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) to regulate mTORC1-dependent (…)
Targeting the TGFβ pathway in uterine carcinosarcoma
Dwivedi et al.Uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) is a relatively infrequent, but extremely aggressive endometrial malignancy. Although surgery and chemotherapy have improved outcomes, overall survival (OS) remains dismal due to the lack of targeted therapy and biphasic (epithelial and mesenchymal) nature that renders the tumor aggressive and difficult to manage. Here we report a role of transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) in maintaining epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and aggressiveness in UCS. Using a 3D-culture system, we evaluated the efficacy of the transforming growth factor-β receptor-I (TGFβR1) kinase inhibitor Galunisertib (GLT), alone and in combination with standard chemotherapeutic drugs used for the management of UCS. We demonstrate that GLT by inhibiting canonical and non-canonical signaling emanating from transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1) reduces cellular viability, invasion, clonal growth and differentiation. (…)
HIF1α-dependent mitophagy facilitates cardiomyoblast differentiation
Zhao et al.Mitophagy is thought to play a key role in eliminating damaged mitochondria, with diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration exhibiting defects in this process. Mitophagy is also involved in cell differentiation and maturation, potentially through modulating mitochondrial metabolic reprogramming. Here we examined mitophagy that is induced upon iron chelation and found that the transcriptional activity of HIF1α, in part through upregulation of BNIP3 and NIX, is an essential mediator of this pathway in SH-SY5Y cells. In contrast, HIF1α is dispensable for mitophagy occurring upon mitochondrial depolarisation. To examine the role of this pathway in a metabolic reprogramming and differentiation context, we utilised the H9c2 cell line model of cardiomyocyte maturation. During differentiation of these cardiomyoblasts, mitophagy increased and required HIF1α-dependent upregulation of NIX. Though HIF1α was essential for expression of key (…)
Targeting Nfix to fix muscular dystrophies
Rossi et al.A shared knowledge in the field is that to be really successful, any therapeutic strategy has to rely on good muscle quality. In fact, there is no available approach able to rescue muscle damage when
A game of substrates: replication fork remodeling and its roles in genome stability and chemo-resistance
SidorovaDuring the hours that human cells spend in the DNA synthesis (S) phase of the cell cycle, they may encounter adversities such as DNA damage or shortage of nucleotides. Under these stresses, replication forks in DNA may experience slowing, stalling, and breakage. Fork remodeling mechanisms, which stabilize slow or stalled replication forks and ensure their ability to continue or resume replication, protect cells from genomic instability and carcinogenesis. Fork remodeling includes DNA strand exchanges that result in annealing of newly synthesized strands (fork reversal), controlled DNA resection, and cleavage of DNA strands. Defects in major tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2, and a subset of the Fanconi Anemia genes have been shown to result in deregulation in fork remodeling, and most prominently, loss of kilobases of nascent DNA from stalled replication forks. This phenomenon has recently gained spotlight as a potential marker and mediator of (…)
New insight into the role of autophagy in tumorigenesis
Tian et al.TP53, commonly known as p53, is an important tumor suppressor. Its increased expression was observed not only in the liver tumors of our Atg5-knockout mice but also in the lung tumors of Kras and Atg7
Protein quality control meets transcriptome remodeling under stress
Mathew and StirlingProtein quality control (PQC) is an essential part of cellular homeostasis and encompasses the balance of non-native protein folding and degradation. Under stress, triage of non-native or disassembled proteins to aggregate structures mitigates cellular damage
Exploding the necroptotic bubble
Edry-Botzer and GerlicSeveral new types of regulated cell death have emerged from analysis of necrotic forms of cell death; one example is necroptosis, a RIPK3-MLKL-dependent and caspase-independent form of cell death. Although the initiation steps of necroptosis
Emerging roles of mitochondria and autophagy in liver injury during sepsis
Aki et al.Recent research indicates crucial roles of autophagy during sepsis. In animal models of sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) or the systemic administration of lipopolysaccharides (LPS), autophagy is implicated in the activation and/or damage of various cells/organs, such as immune cells, heart, lung, kidney, and liver. Since sepsis is associated with an increased production of pro- as well as anti-inflammatory cytokines, it has long been considered that hypercytokinemia is a fetal immune response leading to multiple organ failure (MOF) and mortality of humans during sepsis. However, a recent paradigm illuminates the crucial roles of mitochondrial dysfunction as well as the perturbation of autophagy in the pathogenesis of sepsis. In the livers of animal models of sepsis, autophagy is involved in the elimination of damaged mitochondria to prevent the generation of mitochondrial ROS and the initiation of the mitochondrial apoptotic (…)
Fumarase mediates transcriptional response to nutrient stress
Zhao and JiangTo date, emerging evidence demonstrate that metabolites participate in a wide variety of cellular activities besides their direct role in metabolism. Previous studies have reported that metabolic activity of FH is critically involved in the
HIF1α or mitophagy: which drives cardiomyocyte differentiation?
Villarejo-Zori et al.Cardiomyocytes (CMs) are the main cellular component of the heart's atria and ventricles, and their contractile capacity is the engine that drives blood flow throughout the body. The differentiation of cardiac myoblasts into CMs during
Copper – a novel stimulator of autophagy
Zischka and KroemerIn biomedicine, the transition metal copper has a Janus-faced dual role, as an essential but static cofactor of vital enzymes but also as a highly detrimental poison, if in excess. This vision is best exemplified
Coronavirus infections: Epidemiological, clinical and immunological features and hypotheses
INTRODUCTION Infections have been limiting quality of life and longevity throughout human history. Endemic infections have been associated to a significant number of avoidable deaths and a significant increase of morbidity all around the word.
ACBP is an appetite stimulator across phylogenetic barriers
Madeo et al.Human civilization is unique with respect to the organization of our natural environment, allowing constant supply of nutrients to most individuals in developed countries, contrasting with the natural fluctuation in food sources found in wildlife.
LTX-315 – a promising novel antitumor peptide and immunotherapeutic agent
ZweytickHost defense in mammals, as provided by the innate immune system, comprises proteins such as lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional iron-binding glycoprotein originally discovered in bovine milk. LF is further pepsin-cleaved to a cationic amphipathic peptide,
Anti-regulatory T cells are natural regulatory effector T cells
ØdumIt is well established that the immune system uses regulatory immune-suppressive cells to inhibit and terminate immune reactions and maintain immune balance. In the last decade, Andersen and colleagues have discovered that regulatory cells also
The targeting of tumor-associated macrophages by vaccination
AndersenImmune suppressive myeloid cells include a heterogenous population of cells that include tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). TAMs are major players in inducing the immunosuppressive microenvironment associated with many tumors. These lesions were recently defined as tumors
Mitochondrial stress delays tumorigenesis in a Li-Fraumeni syndrome mouse model
Donnelly et al.As a prominent hub of metabolic activity, the mitochondrion can initiate retrograde signaling in response to bioenergetic stress that is important for various adaptive changes including cell cycle regulation [1][2]. There is abundant evidence that
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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.Check Article Types and Manuscript Preparation guidelines. Submit online via Scholastica.