Exocytosis is a dynamic physiological process that enables the release of biomolecules to the surrounding environment via the fusion of membrane compartments to the plasma membrane. Understanding its mechanisms is crucial, as defects can compromise essential biological functions. The development of pH-sensitive optical reporters alongside fluorescence microscopy enables the assessment of individual vesicle exocytosis events at the cellular level. Manual annotation represents, however, a time-consuming task, prone to selection biases and human operational errors. Here, we introduce ExoJ, an automated plugin based on ImageJ2/Fiji. ExoJ identifies user-defined genuine populations of exocytosis events, recording quantitative features including intensity, apparent size and duration. We designed ExoJ to be fully user-configurable, making it suitable to study distinct forms of vesicle exocytosis regardless of the imaging quality. Our plugin demonstrates its capabilities by showcasing distinct exocytic dynamics among tetraspanins and vesicular SNAREs protein reporters. Assessment of performance on synthetic data showed ExoJ is a robust tool, capable to correctly identify exocytosis events independently of signal-to-noise ratio conditions. We propose ExoJ as a standard solution for future comparative and quantitative studies of exocytosis.
ExoJ: an ImageJ2/Fiji plugin for automated spatiotemporal detection and analysis of exocytosis
Call for papers: Cell Biology of Mitochondria
We are welcoming submissions for our upcoming special issue: Cell Biology of Mitochondria. This issue will be coordinated by two Guest Editors: Ana J. Garcia-Saez (University of Cologne, Germany) and Heidi McBride (McGill University, Canada). Submission deadline: 1 October 2024.
Focal adhesion kinase signalling – tumour vulnerabilities and clinical opportunities
In this Review, David Schlaepfer and colleagues summarise 30 years of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) research with a view of the ongoing clinical testing of small-molecule FAK inhibitors. The authors touch on how FAK plays an important signal integration role and ultimately functions to guide cellular behaviour. Additionally, the authors discuss how FAK inhibition might present a powerful tool to influence the physiological response to other therapeutic approaches.
JCS-FocalPlane Training Grants
Early-career researchers - working in an area covered by JCS - who would like to attend a microscopy training course, please apply. Deadline dates for 2024 applications: 7 September (decision by week commencing 8 October 2024); 22 November (decision by week commencing 16 December).
Biologists @ 100 - join us in Liverpool in March 2025
We are excited to invite you to a unique scientific conference, celebrating the 100-year anniversary of The Company of Biologists, and bringing together our different communities. The conference will incorporate the Spring Meetings of the BSCB and the BSDB, the JEB Symposium Sensory Perception in a Changing World and a DMM programme on antimicrobial resistance. Find out more and register your interest to join us in March 2025 in Liverpool, UK.
Interview with Journal of Cell Science Editor Rob Parton
Read our interview with Rob Parton, a Cell Scientist to Watch, about his career journey leading him from the UK to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, the evolution of the membrane trafficking field and his advice for running a highly collaborative lab. As a Journal of Cell Science Editor, Rob brings to the journal his expertise in multiscale analysis of membrane function, membrane microdomains, lipid droplets and advanced microscopy techniques in cell biology.
Social media
