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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.
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.
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.
The canonical Wnt pathway controls metazoan development and tissue homeostasis, and its disregulation in humans results in cancer. Transcription of Wnt target genes is regulated by nuclear β-catenin. How does β-catenin interact with chromatin to regulate Wnt target gene transcription?
Endosomes have important roles in processes, including cytokinesis, polarization and migration, in which their function might be distinct from those classically associated with endosomes. We speculate that endosomes function as multifunctional platforms on which unique sets of molecular machines are assembled to suit different cellular roles.
Myofibril assembly results in an array of identical sarcomeres in striated muscle. Recent studies have begun to unravel the mechanisms that set sarcomere spacing and the assembly of initial sarcomere arrays, and point to integrin-dependent adhesion as the starting point for myofibrillogenesis.
