Featured
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Brief Communications Arising |
The ‘mitoflash’ probe cpYFP does not respond to superoxide
- Markus Schwarzländer
- , Stephan Wagner
- & Michael P. Murphy
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Letter |
Centriole amplification by mother and daughter centrioles differs in multiciliated cells
Using advanced microscopy techniques, the process of centriole amplification in multiciliated cells is explored, and the daughter centriole identified as the primary nucleation site of more than 90% of the new centrioles, contesting existing de novo theories of centriolar amplification and highlighting a new centrosome asymmetry.
- Adel Al Jord
- , Anne-Iris Lemaître
- & Alice Meunier
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Brief Communications Arising |
POLRMT does not transcribe nuclear genes
- Inge Kühl
- , Christian Kukat
- & Nils-Göran Larsson
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Letter |
Ubiquitin is phosphorylated by PINK1 to activate parkin
Ubiquitin, known for its role in post-translational modification of other proteins, undergoes post-translational modification itself; after a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, the kinase enzyme PINK1 phosphorylates ubiquitin at Ser 65, and the phosphorylated ubiquitin then interacts with ubiquitin ligase (E3) enzyme parkin, which is also phosphorylated by PINK1, and this process is sufficient for full activation of parkin enzymatic activity.
- Fumika Koyano
- , Kei Okatsu
- & Noriyuki Matsuda
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Letter |
Caenorhabditis elegans pathways that surveil and defend mitochondria
A genome-wide RNA interference screen in Caenorhabditis elegans identifies 45 genes with roles in protective pathways following drug- and genetic-disruption-induced mitochondrial inhibition.
- Ying Liu
- , Buck S. Samuel
- & Gary Ruvkun
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Letter |
Endosomes are specialized platforms for bacterial sensing and NOD2 signalling
The endo-lysosomal transporters SLC15A3 and SLC15A4 provide a portal of entry for extracellular bacterial products that activate the cytoplasmic sensor NOD2; these results establish the importance of endosomes as signalling platforms specialized for triggering innate immune responses.
- Norihiro Nakamura
- , Jennie R. Lill
- & Ira Mellman
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Letter |
Mitoflash frequency in early adulthood predicts lifespan in Caenorhabditis elegans
In Caenorhabditis elegans, mitochondrial activity as measured by the frequency of the mitochondrial flash in young adult animals is a powerful predictor of lifespan across genetic, environmental and stochastic factors.
- En-Zhi Shen
- , Chun-Qing Song
- & Meng-Qiu Dong
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Letter |
High-content genome-wide RNAi screens identify regulators of parkin upstream of mitophagy
Mitophagy is the elimination of damaged mitochondria by the autophagosome regulated by the ubiquitin ligase, parkin and the kinase PINK1; a genome-wide RNAi screen with high-content microscopy has identified new genes that have an upstream role in parkin translocation to the mitochondria.
- Samuel A. Hasson
- , Lesley A. Kane
- & Richard J. Youle
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Letter |
An early age increase in vacuolar pH limits mitochondrial function and lifespan in yeast
Vacuolar acidity in yeast is shown to decline with age, and preventing this decrease suppresses mitochondrial dysfunction and extends the lifespan of yeast.
- Adam L. Hughes
- & Daniel E. Gottschling
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Review Article |
Mitochondrial disorders as windows into an ancient organelle
- Scott B. Vafai
- & Vamsi K. Mootha
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News |
DNA-swap technology almost ready for fertility clinic
Mitochondrial transfer could reduce the risk of childhood disease.
- David Cyranoski
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Letter |
Mitochondrial defect drives non-autonomous tumour progression through Hippo signalling in Drosophila
In a Drosophila imaginal epithelial disc system, mutations that lead to mitochondrial dysfunction can also promote tumorigenic growth of neighbouring cells expressing an activated Ras oncogene.
- Shizue Ohsawa
- , Yoshitaka Sato
- & Tatsushi Igaki
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Letter |
Cryptic peroxisomal targeting via alternative splicing and stop codon read-through in fungi
Translocation of glycolytic enzymes to peroxisomes in fungi suggests broader metabolic role for this organelle.
- Johannes Freitag
- , Julia Ast
- & Michael Bölker
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Article |
Rab5 is necessary for the biogenesis of the endolysosomal system in vivo
The small GTPase Rab5 has been proposed to be a master regulator of endosome biogenesis; using in vivo RNA interference and mathematical modelling it is shown here that the endolysosomal system is resilient to loss of Rab5 until its concentration drops below a critical level, at which point endosomes are lost, leading to increased serum low-density lipoprotein levels, alterations in metabolism and hepatocellular polarity.
- Anja Zeigerer
- , Jerome Gilleron
- & Marino Zerial
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News & Views |
Escaped DNA inflames the heart
High blood pressure can damage heart muscle cells and their mitochondrial organelles. DNA from degraded mitochondria has been shown to trigger inflammation leading to heart failure. See Letter p.251
- Klitos Konstantinidis
- & Richard N. Kitsis
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News & Views |
Trouble in the cell's powerhouse
Studies of rare hereditary disorders are intended to find treatments, but they can also bring other discoveries. One such study links the dysfunction of a protein to that of the cell's energy producers, the mitochondria.
- Derek P. Narendra
- & Richard J. Youle
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Article |
Ubiquitin-dependent regulation of COPII coat size and function
The size of COPII vesicles is shown to be controlled by monoubiquitylation, with potential implications for cranio-lenticulo-sutural dysplasia and chylomicron retention disease.
- Lingyan Jin
- , Kanika Bajaj Pahuja
- & Michael Rape
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Research Highlights |
Splitting a bacterial magnet
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Research Highlights |
Wasp neurons lack nuclei
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Letter |
A plastidial sodium-dependent pyruvate transporter
- Tsuyoshi Furumoto
- , Teppei Yamaguchi
- & Katsura Izui
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Letter |
Integrative genomics identifies MCU as an essential component of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter
- Joshua M. Baughman
- , Fabiana Perocchi
- & Vamsi K. Mootha
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Letter |
Aberrant lipid metabolism disrupts calcium homeostasis causing liver endoplasmic reticulum stress in obesity
- Suneng Fu
- , Ling Yang
- & Gökhan S. Hotamisligil
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Letter |
Crucial role for DNA ligase III in mitochondria but not in Xrcc1-dependent repair
Eukaryotic cells have several DNA ligases. DNA ligase III (Lig3) forms a complex with Xrcc1 that can function in nuclear repair. But, Lig3 null animals cannot be made; is this nuclear role in base excision repair its critical function? This is one of two papers showing that the role of Lig3 in the nucleus is non-essential. Rather, the catalytic activity of Lig3, but not Xrcc1, is essential for the maintenance of mitochondria.
- Deniz Simsek
- , Amy Furda
- & Maria Jasin
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News & Views |
Ageing theories unified
Ageing is a complex process involving defects in various cellular components. The latest evidence suggests a unifying mechanism for cellular ageing that is relevant to the development of common age-related diseases. See Article p.359
- Daniel P. Kelly
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Article |
Lkb1 regulates cell cycle and energy metabolism in haematopoietic stem cells
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are very sensitive to energetic and oxidative stress, and modulation of the balance between their quiescence and proliferation is needed to respond to metabolic stress while preserving HSCs' long-term regenerative capacity. Here the tumour suppressor Lkb1 is shown to promote stem-cell maintenance and tissue regeneration by regulating energy metabolism and by preventing aneuploidy.
- Daisuke Nakada
- , Thomas L. Saunders
- & Sean J. Morrison
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Article |
The Lkb1 metabolic sensor maintains haematopoietic stem cell survival
Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are very sensitive to energetic and oxidative stress, and modulation of the balance between their quiescence and proliferation is needed to respond to metabolic stress while preserving HSCs' long term regenerative capacity. Here the tumour suppressor Lkb1 is shown to have a crucial role in maintaining energy homeostasis in haematopoietic cells — an effect largely independent of AMPK and mTOR signalling.
- Sushma Gurumurthy
- , Stephanie Z. Xie
- & Nabeel Bardeesy
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News & Views |
Import and nuclear size
The size of a cell's nucleus is usually proportional to the size of the cell itself. How are the two linked? The answer lies, at least in part, in the import of one or more cytoplasmic cargoes into the nucleus.
- Orna Cohen-Fix
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Research Highlights |
Neurobiology: Powerless against Parkinson's
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News |
Damaged cell powerhouses linked to Parkinson's
Broken mitochondria may drive the disease, and could provide new therapeutic targets.
- Heidi Ledford
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News & Views |
A sensor for calcium uptake
Mitochondria — the cell's power plants — increase their energy production in response to calcium signals in the cytoplasm. A regulator of the elusive mitochondrial calcium channel has now been identified.
- Sean Collins
- & Tobias Meyer
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Review Article |
Linking functional decline of telomeres, mitochondria and stem cells during ageing
- Ergün Sahin
- & Ronald A. DePinho
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News |
How the cell's powerhouses turn deadly
Mitochondria can trigger a lethal immune response after injuries.
- Heidi Ledford
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Letter |
Compensatory evolution in mitochondrial tRNAs navigates valleys of low fitness
Evolution from one fitness peak to another must involve either transitions through intermediates of low fitness or skirting round the fitness valley through compensatory mutations elsewhere. Here, the base pairs in mitochondrial tRNA stems is used as a model to show that deep fitness valleys can be traversed. Transitions between AU and GC pairs have occurred during mammalian evolution without help from genetic drift or mutations elsewhere.
- Margarita V. Meer
- , Alexey S. Kondrashov
- & Fyodor A. Kondrashov
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Letter |
Hsp70 stabilizes lysosomes and reverts Niemann–Pick disease-associated lysosomal pathology
Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a molecular chaperone which, by inhibiting lysosomal membrane permeabilization, promotes the survival of stressed cells. Hsp70 is now shown to stabilize lysosomes by binding to an anionic phospholipid, BMP, resulting in stimulation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) activity. Notably, the decreased ASM activity and lysosomal stability seen in patients with Niemann–Pick disease can be corrected by treatment with recombinant Hsp70.
- Thomas Kirkegaard
- , Anke G. Roth
- & Marja Jäättelä
Repeated ER–endosome contacts promote endosome translocation and neurite outgrowth