Volume 2 (2018)
Cover: This month in Cell Stress: Kinase signaling in the innate immune system. Fluorescence microscopic depiction of immune cell responses within the CNS upon chronic pain. Images by Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP) licensed under the CC BY 2.0 license. Image modified by Cell Stress. The cover is published under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Mitochondrial stress management: a dynamic journey
Miriam Valera-Alberni1,2 and Carles Canto1
Mitochondria undergo continuous challenges in the course of their life, from their generation to their degradation. These challenges include the management of reactive oxygen species, the proper assembly of mitochondrial respiratory complexes and the need to balance potential mutations in the mitochondrial DNA. The detection of damage and the ability to keep it under control is critical to fine-tune mitochondrial function to the organismal energy needs. In this review, we will analyze the multiple mechanisms that safeguard mitochondrial function in light of in crescendo damage. This sequence of events will include initial defense against excessive reactive oxygen species production, compensation mechanisms by the unfolded protein response (UPRmt), mitochondrial dynamics and elimination by mitophagy.
Therapeutic anti-tumor immunity directed against neo-epitopes by intratumor delivery of mRNA encoding MLKL
Lien Van Hoecke1,2 and Xavier Saelens1,2,3
We have developed a potentially generic treatment method to induce tumor antigen-specific cellular immunity based on the transient intra-tumor expression of the necroptosis-inducing factor MLKL (Figure 1). Importantly, we have
Base editors: a powerful tool for generating animal models of human diseases
Zongyang Lu1,2 and Xingxu Huang1,3
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
Unweaving the role of nuclear Lamins in neural circuit integrity
Samantha L. Deal1 and Shinya Yamamoto1,2,3,4
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
Red blood cell extracellular vesicles as robust carriers of RNA-based therapeutics
Chanh Tin Pham1, Xin Zhang1, Austin Lam1, Minh TN Le1
The emerging RNA-based therapeutics are renowned for a wide array of druggable targets, which are difficult to achieve by conventional therapies, with high specificity and great versatility. RNA-based drugs function
New insights into the role of soluble E-cadherin in tumor angiogenesis
Maggie K.S. Tang1, Philip P. Ip2 and Alice S.T. Wong1
Ovarian cancer, the leading cause of death among all gynecological malignancies, is a highly aggressive disease with a propensity for metastasis. Due to the discreet anatomical location, by the time
Neuronal Lamin regulates motor circuit integrity and controls motor function and lifespan
Lisa J. Oyston1,2,3, Yong Qi Lin1, Thang M. Khuong1, Qiao-Ping Wang1, Man Tat Lau1, Teleri Clark1 and G. Gregory Neely1
Neuronal aging involves a progressive decline in cognitive abilities and loss of motor function. Mutations in human Lamin genes (LMNA, LMNB1, LMNB2) lead to a wide-range of diseases including muscular dystrophy, peripheral neuropathy and progeria. Here we investigate the role of neuronal Lamin in regulating age-related phenotypes. Neuronal targeting of Lamin led to shortened lifespan, progressive impairment of motor function and loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons within the protocerebral anterior medial (PAM) cluster in the Drosophila melanogaster brain. Loss of neuronal Lamin caused an age-related decline in neural physiology, with slower neurotransmission and increased chance of motor circuit failure with age. Unexpectedly, Lamin-dependent decline in motor function was specific for the chemical synapses of the dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM). Together (...)
p53 and energy balance: meeting hypothalamic AgRP neurons
Omar Al-Massadi1,2,#, Mar Quiñones1,2,#, Ruben Nogueiras1,2
Cancer cells undergo profound metabolic changes to cope with the high energy demand for cell growth and division. Given the importance of this metabolic reprogramming in tumor development, it seems
Mitochondrial stress management: a dynamic journey
Miriam Valera-Alberni1,2 and Carles Canto1
Mitochondria undergo continuous challenges in the course of their life, from their generation to their degradation. These challenges include the management of reactive oxygen species, the proper assembly of mitochondrial respiratory complexes and the need to balance potential mutations in the mitochondrial DNA. The detection of damage and the ability to keep it under control is critical to fine-tune mitochondrial function to the organismal energy needs. In this review, we will analyze the multiple mechanisms that safeguard mitochondrial function in light of in crescendo damage. This sequence of events will include initial defense against excessive reactive oxygen species production, compensation mechanisms by the unfolded protein response (UPRmt), mitochondrial dynamics and elimination by mitophagy.
Therapeutic anti-tumor immunity directed against neo-epitopes by intratumor delivery of mRNA encoding MLKL
Lien Van Hoecke1,2 and Xavier Saelens1,2,3
We have developed a potentially generic treatment method to induce tumor antigen-specific cellular immunity based on the transient intra-tumor expression of the necroptosis-inducing factor MLKL (Figure 1). Importantly, we have
Endolysosomal dysfunction and exosome secretion: implications for neurodegenerative disorders
André M. Miranda1,2,3,4 and Gilbert Di Paolo1,2,5
A master regulator of both endolysosomal function and autophagy is Vps34 and its lipid product phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (PI3P) through which the lipid kinase exerts most of its biological actions in eukaryotic
Putting together and taking apart: assembly and disassembly of the Rad51 nucleoprotein filament in DNA repair and genome stability
Tadas Andriuskevicius1, Oleksii Kotenko1 and Svetlana Makovets1
Homologous recombination is a key mechanism providing both genome stability and genetic diversity in all living organisms. Recombinases play a central role in this pathway: multiple protein subunits of Rad51 or its orthologues bind single-stranded DNA to form a nucleoprotein filament which is essential for initiating recombination events. Multiple factors are involved in the regulation of this step, both positively and negatively. In this review, we discuss Rad51 nucleoprotein assembly and disassembly, how it is regulated and what functional significance it has in genome maintenance.
Oxidation of p62 as an evolutionary adaptation to promote autophagy in stress conditions
Elsje G. Otten1,§, Rhoda Stefanatos1, Bernadette Carroll1, Viktor I. Korolchuk1
Autophagy (literally meaning self-eating) is an intracellular trafficking pathway. It involves the formation of a double membraned organelle (called the autophagosome) around components of the cell, such as damaged proteins,
How to use a multipurpose SNARE: The emerging role of Snap29 in cellular health
Valeria Mastrodonato1,#, Elena Morelli1,# and Thomas Vaccari1
[table id=90 /] INTRODUCTION The specialized trafficking routes that evolved between compartments of the endomembrane system rely on a wide set of proteins, including primarily SNAREs, Rab GTPases and a
Therapeutic potential of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors with immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy in breast cancer
Na Luo1, Ayaka Sugiura2 and Justin M. Balko1,3,4,5
Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are a positive prognostic biomarker in breast cancer, particularly in hormone receptor-negative disease. High TILs associate with an improved survival rate in breast cancer patients, and
The emerging role of minor intron splicing in neurological disorders
Daniel Jutzi 1,2,+, Maureen V. Akinyi 3,+, Jonas Mechtersheimer1,2,+, Mikko J. Frilander3 and Marc-David Ruepp1,4
INTRODUCTION Pre-mRNA splicing is an essential step in eukaryotic gene expression. It is predominantly a co-transcriptional process during which the non-coding introns are excised from precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) molecules and
A new way to regulate inflammation: selective autophagic degradation of IKKγ mediated by ANGPTL8
Yu Zhang1, Ling Zheng2 and Kun Huang1
Activation of transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is one of the central events in inflammation and immunity. In resting cells, the activity of NF-κB is inhibited by its binding partner,
Rejuvenation of the aged neuromuscular junction by exercise
Tabita Kreko-Pierce1,2 and Benjamin A. Eaton1,2
Age-dependent declines in muscle function are observed across species. The loss of mobility resulting from the decline in muscle function represents an important health issue and a key determinant of quality of life for the elderly. It is believed that changes in the structure and function of the neuromuscular junction are important contributors to the observed declines in motor function with increased age. Numerous studies indicate that the aging muscle is an important contributor to the deterioration of the neuromuscular junction but the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving the degeneration of the synapse remain incompletely described. Importantly, growing data from both animal models and humans indicate that exercise can rejuvenate the neuromuscular junction and improve motor function. In this review we will focus on the role of muscle-derived neurotrophin signaling in the rejuvenation of the aged neuromuscular junction in response to exercise.
Base editors: a powerful tool for generating animal models of human diseases
Zongyang Lu1,2 and Xingxu Huang1,3
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
Unweaving the role of nuclear Lamins in neural circuit integrity
Samantha L. Deal1 and Shinya Yamamoto1,2,3,4
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
Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid-based pathogenesis and potential therapies
Yixiu Zhou1, Yuhui Sun2, Quan-Hong Ma2 and Yaobo Liu2
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
Membrane closure in stress induced-autophagosome formation
Eiji Morita1
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
Centriolar satellites prevent uncontrolled degradation of centrosome proteins: a speculative review
Nicolas Lecland1 and Andreas Merdes1
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
Novel role of the SIRT4-OPA1 axis in mitochondrial quality control
Alexander Lang1 and Roland P. Piekorz1
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