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In this Tools of the Trade article, Nouf Laqtom (at the Abu-Remaileh lab) describes the LysoIP system used to tag and isolate lysosomes for multi-omic approaches and to determine their composition under physiological and pathological states.
Quality control of misfolded glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) does not occur through ER-associated degradation, as the lipid anchor precludes retrotranslocation across the ER membrane. Instead, different organisms have developed distinct solutions to prevent the accumulation of misfolded GPI-APs.
Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) complexes, which connect regulatory DNA elements, form chromatin loops and hold together sister chromatids, are required for accurate chromosome segregation and of control transcription, replication and DNA repair. It has recently become clear that SMC complexes also control nuclear organization by counteracting clustering between similar chromatin regions.
Skeletal muscles show high metabolic flexibility and functional plasticity in their response to different exercise modalities. Recent findings have advanced our understanding of signalling, transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms that regulate muscle adaptation to exercise and their impact on muscle physiology.
Transport of the developmental mRNA oskar to its destination at the posterior pole of the Drosophila embryo relies on the two dsRNA-binding proteins Egalitarian and Staufen that promote switching between the motor proteins dynein and kinesin.
A new study collaboratively delivered by Valentina Greco’s and Smita Krishnaswamy’s labs provides new insight into patterns of calcium signalling in epithelial tissues using intravital imaging of the basal layer of the mouse epidermis.
The eukaryotic genome is organized into topologically associating domains by cohesin and CTCF. Davidson et al. now reveal a role for DNA tension in the regulation of the CTCF–cohesin interaction to modulate domain boundaries.
Numerous databases collate data on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs); Ma and Zhang describe their range and discuss their contribution to lncRNA research.
The discovery that peripheral organs such as the spleen support blood formation following radiation has inspired haematology research for over five decades.
Phospholipids are asymmetrically distributed between membrane leaflets but change their location in various biological processes, which requires designated proteins — flippases and scramblases. Recent insights into the functional mechanisms of these proteins pave the way for better understanding of the roles of membrane asymmetry and the (patho)physiological consequences of its disruption.
In this Tools of the Trade article, Benjamin Jackson (at the Finley lab) describes the use of genetic co-essentiality analysis to interrogate the assembly of metabolic networks, fuelling discovery of new aspects of metabolism.
Cold temperature prolongs lifespan in nematodes by inducing ubiquitin-independent proteasome activity, which prevents protein aggregation and neuronal degeneration. The pathway is conserved in humans.
McCarthy et al. identify distinct populations of smooth muscle cells in the intestine that support the establishment of the intestinal stem cell niche during postnatal development by supplying trophic signals to enable niche expansion.
Self-assembly of replication protein A (RPA) into dynamic condensates after binding of single-stranded DNA promotes telomere maintenance in cancer cells.
Spindle assembly during cell division requires self-organization of microtubules into a complex, bipolar structure that directs the movement of chromosomes. Recent advances reveal the emergent properties of the spindle, most importantly its mechanical features, that facilitate robust assembly and chromosome segregation.
