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Interferon carries out its cellular effects, including its antiviral effects, by inducing the synthesis of many new proteins, amongst which is the IFIT (ISG56) family of proteins. The first crystal structure of an IFIT, reported by Yang et al., revealed several functional properties of the protein that may help us to better understand the biological functions of these proteins.
In a recent issue of Nature, Hao et al. report an unexpected link between the secreted stem cell factor/Wnt agonist R-spondin and Wnt receptors through the transmembrane ZNRF3 protein, a RING finger ubiquitin ligase. ZNRF3 acts to turn over Frizzled and LRP6 receptors. R-spondin binds to ZNRF3, in addition to transmembrane LGR4/5 receptors, to antagonize degradation of the Wnt receptors by ZNRF3, thereby resulting in increased Frizzled and LRP6 levels and a greater Wnt response.
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a neuromuscular disorder often considered to be the third most common muscular dystrophy. Deletions reducing the copy number of the D4Z4 repeat in the distal end of the 4q arm are the main genetic cause of the disease. The recently highlighted research has identified a transcriptional activatory long non-coding RNA involved in the disease that acts through the recruitment of ASH1L, a protein belonging to the Trithorax family.
Adipose tissue remodeling is a dynamic process during nutritional fluctuation that plays critical roles in metabolic homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. The process is highly regulated by many factors, including adipokines and cytokines that are locally released within fat pads. In a recent study published in Nature, Jonker and colleagues identified FGF1 as an important mediator that is selectively induced in fat cells by high-fat diet feeding and established the PPARγ-FGF1 axis as a critical pathway that regulates adipose tissue remodeling and ultimately systemic metabolic homeostasis.
Although overlooked for many years, alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is now emerging as a major mechanism of gene regulation. A recent study identifies poly(A)-binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1), a general factor of polyadenylation, as a suppressor of alternative poly(A) sites.
Recent progress in the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) field as well as the establishment of germline stem cell isolation and culture methodologies may provide an in vitro platform for the study of physiological and pathological human gamete development and open new avenues for cell replacement-based personalized treatment of infertility.
Endothelial cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix regulates migration and outgrowth of blood vessels during angiogenesis. Cell adhesion is mediated by integrins, which transduce signals from the extracellular environment into the cell and, in turn, are regulated by intracellular signaling molecules. In a paper recently published in Cell Research, Sandri et al. show that RIN2 connects three GTPases, R-Ras, Rab5 and Rac1, to promote endothelial cell adhesion through the regulation of integrin internalization and Rac1 activation.
