Reviews & Analysis

Polo-like kinases (Plks) are key regulators of cell division that are conserved from yeasts to humans. The functions and regulation of Plks in the cell cycle and in development are being explored in various organisms.

Many proteins must be integrated into or transported across a membrane to reach their site of function. Whereas ATP-dependent factors bind to completed polypeptides and chaperone them until membrane translocation is initiated, a GTP-dependent co-translational pathway couples ongoing protein synthesis to membrane transport.

DNA repair occurs in the context of nuclear architecture. Assembly of the repair machinery on damaged chromatin and the ensuing signalling events require tight spatial and temporal coordination. Higher-order chromatin structure, chromatin dynamics and non-random global genome organization also influence genome maintenance.

Epigenetic inheritance concerns the mechanisms that ensure the transmission of epigenetic marks from mother to daughter cell. Chromatin modifications and nuclear organization are candidate epigenetic marks — whether they fulfil the criterion of heritability and what mechanisms ensure their propagation is an area of intensive research.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are responsible for the ATP-powered translocation of many substrates across membranes. Structural similarities support a common mechanism by which ABC transporters, both importers and exporters, couple the binding and hydrolysis of ATP to substrate translocation.

The nuclear envelope is a dynamic structure that is disassembled and reassembled during 'open' mitosis in higher eukaryotes. These mitotic changes are subject to both spatial and temporal control mechanisms that are embedded in the more general regulatory network that directs cell division.

Tie receptors and their angiopoietin ligands have important functions during embryonic vessel assembly and maturation, and control adult vascular homeostasis. The structural characteristics and the spatio-temporal regulation of these receptors and ligands provide important insights into their functions.

The proper establishment of the skin barrier during embryogenesis and its maintenance during adult homeostasis is crucial for survival. Interestingly, the molecular mechanisms that govern embryonic development of the epidermis are reused during adult life to regulate skin homeostasis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that bind to the 3′ untranslated region of target mRNAs to repress their translation and stability. Recently, miRNAs have been shown to regulate stem cell fate and behaviour by fine-tuning the protein levels of factors that are required for their function.

The 26S proteasome is a large protein complex that consists of a catalytic 20S core and a 19S regulatory particle, each of which contains numerous subunits. Proteasome-dedicated chaperones guarantee the efficient and correct assembly of this degradation machine, which is essential for its function.

Recent progress in high-throughput sequencing has uncovered an astounding landscape of small RNAs in eukaryotic cells. Various small RNAs can be classified into three classes based on their biogenesis mechanism and the type of Argonaute protein that they are associated with.

Genetic studies combined within vivoimaging analysis have identified signalling pathways and developmentally regulated transcription factors that govern cell lineage allocation and axis patterning in the early mammalian embryo. These mechanisms are also conserved in lower vertebrates.

During anaphase, the mitotic spindle reorganizes in preparation for cytokinesis. Kinesin motor proteins and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) bundle the interpolar microtubule plus ends and generate the central spindle, which regulates cleavage furrow initiation and the completion of cytokinesis.

Cells respond to a wide range of signals from the surrounding extracellular matrix. Research into the complex interplay between cell adhesion and the cytoskeleton, combined with advanced surface nanoengineering technologies, can shed light on the mechanisms by which cells sense the neighbouring nanoenvironment.

Neurons that sense touch, sound and acceleration respond rapidly to specific mechanical signals. But what are the proteins that transduce these signals? Current studies are directed towards characterizing channel proteins as candidate transduction molecules and determining how they are mechanically gated.

Cells sense their physical surroundings by translating mechanical forces and deformations into biochemical signals. Defects in mechanotransduction are implicated in the development of many diseases, ranging from muscular dystrophies, cardiomyopathies and loss of hearing to cancer progression and metastasis.

Mechanical forces regulate basic cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation and tissue organization during embryogenesis. What are the mechanisms that underlie force-induced mechanotransduction during development? And what is the role of actomyosin-mediated contractile forces in the regulation of cell and tissue structure and function?

Blood flow is crucial for vascular morphogenesis and physiology. Endothelial cells respond to blood flow by transducing mechanical forces into biochemical signals that regulate cellular responses. Chronic exposure to disturbed flow causes the constant activation of these cellular responses, which cause vessel dysfunction and disease.