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Previous work has highlighted the role of metabolic shifts in regulating the formation of memory T cells, which are generated during a primary infection to provide long-lasting immunity. A study now shows that memory T cells rely on a gluconeogenesis–glycogenolysis cycle to provide antioxidant defence and support their survival.
To overcome the finite supply of muscle stem cells available for cell therapy, a study now describes a strategy for obtaining an unlimited source of myogenic progenitors derived from human pluripotent cells. Two neuronal cell surface receptors facilitate the selection of a population with enhanced regenerative potential.
The unfolded protein response (UPR) regulates cell metabolism and survival in response to stress, yet how the UPR is connected to other signalling pathways is poorly understood. PERK is now shown to regulate Bmal1 and Clock proteins to promote cancer cell survival, revealing a link between growth regulation and circadian rhythms.
After mitosis, the nucleus must be rebuilt and chromatin decondensed to permit interphase genomic functions, but decondensation mechanisms are poorly understood. Now, the traditional cytoskeletal protein actin is shown to form transient nuclear filaments that are required for chromatin decondensation and nuclear expansion at mitotic exit.
Small RNAs generated at DNA break sites are implicated in mammalian DNA repair. Now, a study shows that following the formation of DNA double-strand breaks, bidirectional transcription events adjacent to the break generate small RNAs that trigger the DNA damage response by local RNA:RNA interactions.
Membrane trafficking specificity between distinct compartments ensures that cargo proteins and lipids are delivered to their target organelle. However, accurate recognition of cargo carriers by tethering factors on target membranes is poorly understood. TBC1D23 is now identified as an adaptor that links endosome-derived vesicles with golgins at the trans-Golgi.
Organoids are a powerful tool to study both physiological and disease processes. A completely synthetic matrix assembled from exchangeable modular parts has been developed and not only supports proliferation of human intestinal organoids derived from pluripotent embryonic stem cells, but also augments subsequent ad vivo implantation into injured murine colon.
A variety of non-coding RNAs have been reported as endogenous sponges for cancer-modulating miRNAs. However, miRNA trapping by transcripts with protein-coding functions is less understood. The mRNA of TYRP1 is now found to sequester the tumour suppressor miR-16 on non-canonical miRNA response elements in melanoma, thereby promoting malignant growth.
PARP inhibitors (PARPi) kill BRCA1/2-mutated cancers, which become resistant when DNA repair functions are restored. Now, MUS81 nuclease inhibition due to EZH2 downregulation is found to restore DNA replication fork protection but not repair, leading to PARPi-resistance in mutant BRCA2 cells and patients. This challenges the DNA repair dominance in synthetic lethality.
Cancer cells preferentially metastasize to certain organs. A study in mouse models of breast cancer shows that the DKK1 negative regulator of WNT signalling inhibits tropism to the lung, but enhances tropism to the bone due to the differential regulation of canonical and non-canonical WNT signalling in the two microenvironments.
The cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and the toll-like receptors (TLRs) coordinate immune responses by activating inflammatory transcriptional programs, but these signals can also trigger cell death. Recent studies identify the MAP kinase substrate MK2 as a key player in determining whether cells live or die in response to TNF and TLR signalling.
Recycling from endosomes to the plasma membrane is an important step in cell homeostasis. The retromer/SNX27/WASH complex recycles numerous receptors, but key ones are still unaccounted for. Now a related conserved heterotrimer, called retriever, has been identified that, together with SNX17, the CCC complex and WASH, mediates the recycling of α5β1 integrins.
It is generally accepted that protein function depends on a defined 3D structure, with unfolding and aggregation dealing a final blow to functionality. A study now shows that the regulated exposure of an unstructured region in yeast pyruvate kinase triggers reversible aggregation to preserve protein function under stress.
During muscle development, nuclei travel from the centre of the myofibre to the periphery, a process defective in certain diseases. A new study reveals that this movement is due to centripetal forces imposed on nuclei by the crosslinking and contraction of myofibrils.
Brown adipose tissue is a key metabolic organ that oxidizes fatty acids and glucose to generate heat. Through epigenomic analyses of multiple adipose depots, the transcription factor nuclear factor I-A (NFIA) is now shown to drive the brown fat genetic program through binding to lineage-specific cis-regulatory elements.
Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from aged donors (A-iPSCs) usually show genomic instability that affects their utility and raises concerns about their safety. Now, a study highlights the importance of ZSCAN10-dependent recovery of glutathione–ROS homeostasis in counteracting the genomic defects in A-iPSCs.
Cancer treatments often focus on killing tumour cells through apoptosis, which is thought to typically require mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP) and subsequent caspase activation. A study now shows that MOMP can trigger TNF-dependent, but caspase-independent cell death, suggesting a different approach to improve cancer therapy.
