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Structural maintenance of chromosomes (SMC) proteins are highly conserved ATPases that function in chromosome organization and dynamics. Their unique architecture provides insight into how these protein machines tether, fold and manipulate the genome in an ATP-dependent manner.
Recent studies have highlighted the crucial role of ubiquitin and ubiquitin-like modifications in the regulation of translesion DNA synthesis and various DNA-repair processes such as homologous recombination, nucleotide-excision repair and base-excision repair.
Mismatch repair improves the fidelity of DNA replication and affects recombination, DNA-damage signalling, apoptosis and certain cell-type-specific processes of DNA metabolism. Intriguingly, the same system that guards genomic instability on the one hand contributes to cell death on the other.
ADP-ribosylation factor (ARF) proteins regulate membrane trafficking and actin remodelling along the secretory and endocytic pathways. However, recent evidence has revealed that the function of ARF proteins can influence cellular processes such as phagocytosis, cell division and tumour-cell invasion.
Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) regulate vascular development during embryogenesis and angiogenesis in the adult. The recently developed cancer treatments that target VEGF receptor activation highlight the clinical relevance of inhibiting VEGF pathways that are exaggerated in pathological angiogenesis.
Lipid droplets are the main lipid store in eukaryotic cells. Although the term lipid droplet is widely used, a unified nomenclature is lacking. So, could the terminology be consolidated? And what recent developments have there been in the field of lipid droplets?
For successful women scientists, the only universal attribute is a passion for science. A woman's personal life can have an impact on her professional life in many different ways, but it seems that there is no standard formula for success.