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Caveolae are highly abundant, but enigmatic, specialized membrane structures in mammalian cells. What might the function of these specialized domains be? Caveolae function as carriers in the exocytic and endocytic pathways, but have also been implicated in signalling, mechanosensing and lipid regulation.
The classic nuclear protein import pathway comprises an organized cycle of interactions between cargoes and carrier proteins, and is powered by the Ran GTPases. Structural and functional data have uncovered the mechanisms of molecular recognition and the coordination of interactions in this pathway.
Recent studies have revealed remarkable complexity in the biogenesis, trafficking and mechanisms of action of small nuclear and small nucleolar ribonucleoproteins (RNPs). The principles of RNP-complex formation can be used to understand the regulation and function of other non-coding RNPs.
New insights from mouse, Drosophila melanogaster and human studies have shed light on the functions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as active regulators of embryonic development, tissue remodelling and tissue repair in response to injury, infection or disease.
Large-scale approaches have linked protein phosphatase function to a multitude of nuclear processes, such as the DNA-damage response, cell-cycle progression and gene regulation. In addition, proteomics techniques have enabled the identification of new components of multiprotein phosphatase complexes, such as targeting and regulatory subunits.
Extracellular proteases regulate cell function through proteolytic switching of signalling circuits and through shedding of membrane proteins. It is crucial to link proteases to their substrates to understand their functions in development and disease, and to validate proteases as drug targets.
Organelles adopt many complex and dynamic shapes that are often conserved throughout evolution. We are only beginning to understand the mechanisms by which organelle shape is generated and maintained and how, even in the same organelle, different morphologies are created.
