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Galenza et al. show that basal stem cell progeny seamlessly integrate into a physiologically active barrier epithelium by gestating their future apical surface in a sheltering niche created by a transient occluding junction.
Using single-cell transcriptomics and functional assays, we identified various subsets of pancreatic beta cells. One subset, characterized by high levels of CD63, demonstrated enhanced glucose metabolism, mitochondrial activity, and glucose-induced insulin secretion, and the proportion of these beta cells was decreased in mouse models of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and humans with T2D.
Biomolecular condensation of macromolecules is an increasingly important concept in cell biology. Indeed, research on condensates touches on multiple areas of research, from biochemistry to biophysics and from organelles to cell polarity. We asked experts at the forefront of this field to comment on what excites them most regarding biomolecular condensation, as well as on current challenges, priorities and needs for the functional study of condensates.
Mangione et al. report that sensory bristles co-opt neighbouring epidermal cells, which adopt a special morphology and contribute to touch sensing in Drosophila.
The molecular and cellular events that occur during the onset of human organogenesis remain mysterious. We used single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to provide a global view of human embryonic cell-type specification, shedding light on developmental processes such as axial patterning, stage transition, and differences between human and mouse embryonic development.
Rubio-Navarro et al. identify a subset of pancreatic beta cells marked by high CD63 levels with enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. CD63-high beta cells are diminished in mouse models of and in humans with type 2 diabetes.
Programmed cell death (PCD) enables cells to co-ordinate their exit to benefit the surviving organism. A new study describes how cells can programme their death by inducing extensive disulfide bonding of the actin cytoskeleton in response to an imbalance of cystine, a raw material for glutathione production.
Activation of a crucial immune adaptor protein, STING, is tightly regulated by subcellular trafficking, but how it is deactivated remains less well defined. A study now shows that ESCRT-dependent encapsulation of STING-carrying vesicles by lysosomal compartments — through the process of microautophagy — mediates the termination of STING signalling.
A study using a multi-organoid platform and state-of-the-art transcriptional profiling identifies potential therapeutic targets against SARS-CoV-2. The authors find that CIART, a gene involved in circadian regulation, promotes SARS-CoV-2 infection by regulating the retinoid X receptor pathway and fatty acid synthesis.
Systematic infection of a human multi-organoid system shows that deficiency in the host factor CIART impairs SARS-CoV-2 infection through downregulation of the RXR pathway and subsequent impairment of fatty-acid synthesis.
Kuchitsu et al. show that STING-positive vesicles of a recycling endosome origin are encapsulated into lysosomes after STING ubiquitination and this process requires ESCRT proteins Tsg101 and Vps4.
We discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infection causes DNA damage both in cultured cells and in vivo. Mechanistically, SARS-CoV-2 degrades the enzyme CHK1, which leads to a reduction in dNTPs and impaired DNA replication. Moreover, inhibition of the formation of binding protein 53BP1 foci by the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein hinders the repair of damaged DNA. The ensuing accumulation of DNA damage causes cellular senescence and inflammation.
Gioia, Tavella et al. show that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causes DNA damage through CHK1 degradation and impairs 53BP1 recruitment to DNA lesions. The induced DNA damage is associated with expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and senescence markers.
Dimple Notani is principal investigator (PI) at the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Bangalore, India, studying gene regulation. Nature Cell Biology contacted Dimple to discuss the state of the field and her experience running a research lab in India through a pandemic and as a junior PI.
Zou et al. show that SMARCD3 regulates DAB1 activity and Reelin signalling in the developing cerebellum, which can be hijacked to promote medulloblastoma cell migration and metastatic dissemination.
