Issues

Summary: Multivalent protein interactions with polymeric filaments constitute the cytoskeleton as distinct microenvironment. We here highlight a set of diverse phenomena that emerge due to protein avidity.

Summary: In multicellular eukaryotes, structural and mechanical properties in nuclear membranes and chromatin can result in specialized nuclear-size scaling relationships.

Summary: αvβ8 integrin is essential for normal organ development and physiology and integrin dysfunction is linked to multiple human diseases.

Summary: EPB41L5 has a previously uncharacterized role in controlling ciliary function through IQCB1 and CEP290. This EPB41L5 function appears to be independent of its function in epithelial morphogenesis.

Summary: We find that internalized particles are mechanically deformed in macrophages, suggesting that the process of phagocytosis also employs a ‘chewing’ step to help destroy unwanted targets in macrophages.

Summary: Identification of an important new role for Gαi3 effectors and regulators in the control of Bcl-2 function as a mediator of the cellular responses to metabolic stress.

Summary: Deletion of microcephaly-associated gene Cpap (or Cenpj), leads to cilia loss, neuroprogenitor mislocalization, junctional integrity disruption, massive heterotopia and severe cerebellar hypoplasia in developing mouse brain.

Summary: Rocaglamide, a flavagline and chemical ligand of PHB1, inhibits RAS GTP loading and KRAS nanoclustering at the plasma membrane. PHB1 might control KRAS activation by regulating the segregation of specific KRAS-binding phospholipid.

Summary: A robust, high-throughput microscopy-based method to investigate nuclear architecture-dependent gene expression at single-cell and single-allele resolution in the context of the cell cycle.

Summary: Crumbs and Xpd act together to regulate the stability of mitotic Kinesin-5, providing a mechanism for Xpd-dependent regulation of mitosis and organ growth.

Highlighted Article: TDP-43 interacts with Tnks-1/2 via a tankyrase-binding domain. This interaction promotes the cytoplasmic accumulation and stabilization of TDP-43.

Summary: The dynein motor regulates mitotic spindle orientation through two novel mechanisms: through the cortical interactor transgelin-2 and through mitotic phosphoregulation of the dynein motor itself.

Summary: Homologous recombination repair (HRR) is suppressed by radiation exposure in a dose-dependent manner. RIF1 has a role in this dose-dependent suppression of HRR by controlling replication initiation.

Highlighted Article: The lack of core centriole proteins leads to the absence of centrioles, making its assembly difficult to study. We use Sas-6 and Ana2 particles as a new model to probe this pathway.

Highlighted Article: TGF-β signaling suppresses the expression of the Wnt transcription factor TCF7L2 and compromises TCF7L2-dependent functions in tissue-resident PDGFRα⁺ fibroblasts.

Summary: Cx37-mediated switching between proliferation and growth arrest depends on phosphorylation at serine 319, which induces a protein conformation that likely supports unique interactions with cell cycle regulatory proteins.

Summary: Destruction of AURKA plays no role in inactivating the kinase at mitotic exit but is required to keep AURKA activity low in interphase so that a mitochondrial network can be reassembled.

Summary: TPR domain proteins affect trafficking and subcellular distribution of the glucocorticoid receptor. Immunophilins associated to the Hsp90-based chaperone heterocomplex play a major role in determining glucocorticoid receptor subcellular localization.

Summary: Through HITS-CLIP and RNA-seq, we show that the RNA-binding protein LIN28A enhances the translation of target mRNAs involved in meiosis in male germline cells.

Highlighted Article: Schwann cells reprogrammed to a repair phenotype produce exosomes with increased expression of miRNA-21. These exosomes promote neurite growth through downregulation of PTEN and activation of PI3-kinase in receiving neurons.

Summary: Disease-associated OPTN mutations impact the formation of a viral RNA-induced compartment, which is important for regulating NF-κB and IRF3 signalling and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion.

Summary: We describe a sensitive protein-fragment complementation assay to facilitate the monitoring of ubiquitylation events that take place in cultured cells or model organisms.

Summary: A novel technical strategy combining orthotopic transplantation of mammary organoids, uDISCO organ size reduction and clearing, and fluorescence imaging enables visualization and investigation of rare cellular events in vivo.

Highlighted Article: A simple method to generate stiffness gradient hydrogels that allows users to deduce gel stiffness, at any given point, using fluorescence microscopy and a mathematical equation.