Issues

Summary: In this Cell Science at a Glance and accompanying poster, we illustrate the different stages of formation of COPI-coated vesicles and revisit decades of research in the context of recent advances in the elucidation of COPI coat structure.

Summary: Intravital imaging approaches in mice are reviewed with a focus on cancer progression and treatment, where it offers detailed insight into the dynamic interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment in vivo.

Summary: After fertilization, transcriptionally silent embryos are driven by maternal RNA; recently revealed mechanisms explain how mRNA stability and translation are highly regulated and coordinated with the transition to zygotic control.

Highlighted Article: Cell-matrix interactions are known to control circadian clocks. Here, we discovered that the matrix inversely regulates epithelia and fibroblasts.

Highlighted Article: Using super-resolution microscopy, the width of the mammalian synaptonemal complex, as well as its length, is shown to be subject to sexual dimorphism.

Summary: Development and characterization of mechano-sensitized neuronal networks through the heterologous expression of an engineered bacterial large-conductance mechanosensitive ion channel (MscL).

Summary: The phosphatase TMEM55a dephosphorylates PtdIns(4,5)P₂ to PtdIns(5)P on phagosomes in vivo, which results in a decrease of PtdIns(4,5)P₂ and the downregulation of phagocytosis.

Summary: Coordination of signaling and trafficking pathways is crucial for cell migration. The endosomal adaptor protein APPL1 regulates α5β1 integrin and Rac activity through the GTPase Rab5.

Highlighted Article: The mechanism through which YAP activity is regulated by tension at adherens junctions is demonstrated, which helps explain why cell proliferation is inhibited by high cell density and why Rho activity suppresses Hippo signaling.

Highlighted Article: The RhoGAP ARHGAP19 is critical for cell division of lymphocytes, and is regulated by phosphorylation mediated by CDK1 and ROCK to control the timing of its localization to the cell cortex during mitosis.

Highlighted Article: The C-terminal tail of connexin32 harbors two dileucine-based sorting motifs and an uncanonical motif. These motifs govern the endocytosis of connexin32 and affect its ability to form gap junctions differently.

Summary: Mathematical modeling of canalicular membrane domain formation reconciles a membrane extraction mechanism for biliary lipid secretion with putatively opposing experimental findings.

Highlighted Article: The presence of the ED-A splice domain enhances the ability of fibronectin to bind latent pro-fibrotic TGF-β1 and thus supports activation of myofibroblasts, which are main drivers of fibrosis.