Cell polarity

RNA granules are important regulators of RNA metabolism. Here the authors report that RNA granules containing RNA helicase DDX6 disassemble during neuronal maturation.

The Frizzled/Dishevelled planar cell polarity pathway is involved in mitotic spindle orientation, but how this is coordinated with the cell cycle is unclear. Here, the authors show with Drosophila sensory organ precursor cells that Cyclin A is recruited in prophase by Frizzled/Dishevelled, regulating division orientation.

A common cellular manifestation for diverse kidney diseases is dysregulated actin cytoskeleton in distinct cell types that include glomerular podocytes and tubular epithelial cells. Here, authors pharmacologically activate dynamin and this results in polymerization and crosslinking of actin filaments to establish the structural integrity of these cells, thus ameliorating disease phenotypes.

A complex involving polarity protein SCRIB and the leucine amino acid transporter SLC7A5 promotes cell proliferation and tamoxifen resistance in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells.

Apical–basal polarity is essential for epithelial cell form and function. Elucidating how distinct apical and basolateral compartments are established and maintained is essential to better understand the roles of apical–basal cell polarization in morphogenesis and how defects in polarity contribute to diseases such as cancer.

The configuration of microtubule networks is cell type-specific and strongly correlates with cell function and behaviour. The regulation of microtubule nucleation, dynamics and distribution all contribute to the establishment and remodelling of these functionally diverse microtubule architectures.