Review, Reviews
Hormesis: a fundamental concept in biology
Edward J. Calabrese
This article addresses the concept of hormetic dose response, which describes the limits to which integrative endpoints can be modulated (i.e., enhanced or diminished) by pharmaceutical, chemical and physical means.
Live longer on MARS: a yeast paradigm of mitochondrial adaptive ROS signaling in aging
Gerald S. Shadel
In this article, the potential relevance of Mitochondrial Adaptive ROS Signaling (MARS) to the human disease Ataxia-Telangiectasia and as a potential anti-aging target is discussed.
Prokaryotic Argonautes – variations on the RNA interference theme
John van der Oost1, Daan C. Swarts1, Matthijs M. Jore1,2
This article comments on work published by Swarts et al. (Nature, 2014), which demonstrates that Argonaute family protein of the bacterium Thermus thermophilus acts as a barrier for the uptake and propagation of foreign DNA.
Longevity pathways and maintenance of the proteome: the role of autophagy and mitophagy during yeast ageing
Belém Sampaio-Marques1,2, William C. Burhans3, Paula Ludovico1,2
This review describes recent findings that shed light on how longevity pathways and metabolic status impact maintenance of the proteome in both yeast ageing paradigms. These findings demonstrate that yeast remain a powerful model system for elucidating these relationships and their influence on ageing regulation.
Secondary structures involving the poly(A) tail and other 3’ sequences are major determinants of mRNA isoform stability in yeast
Zarmik Moqtaderi#, Joseph V. Geisberg# and Kevin Struhl
This article comments on work published by Geisberg et al. (Cell (2014), which points to an important role for mRNA structure at 3’ termini in governing transcript stability, likely by reducing the interaction of the mRNA with the degradation apparatus.
De novo peroxisome biogenesis revisited
Marten Veenhuis and Ida J. van der Klei
This article comments on work published by Knoops et al. (JCB, 2014), which describes an alternative peroxisome formation pathway in yeast pex3 and pex19 cells, which relies on the existence of small peroxisomal remnants that are present in these cells.
Transcriptional and genomic mayhem due to aging-induced nucleosome loss in budding yeast
Zheng Hu1, Kaifu Chen2, Wei Li2 and Jessica K. Tyler2
This article comments on work published by Zheng et al. (Genes and Development, 2014), which investigated a loss of histones during replicative aging in budding yeast, which was also accompanied by a significantly-increased frequency of genomic instability including DNA breaks, chromosomal translocations, retrotransposition, and transfer of mitochondrial DNA into the nuclear genome.
The Parkinson’s disease-associated protein α-synuclein disrupts stress signaling – a possible implication for methamphetamine use?
Shaoxiao Wang1 and Stephan N. Witt1,2
This article comments on work published by Wang et al. (PNAS, 2012), which reported that human α-syn, at high expression levels, disrupts stress-activated signal transduction pathways in both yeast and human neuroblastoma cells. Disruption of these signaling pathways ultimately leads to vulnerability to stress and to cell death.
Massive gene swamping among cheese-making Penicillium fungi
Jeanne Ropars1,2, Gabriela Aguileta1,2,3, Damien M. de Vienne4,5 and Tatiana Giraud1,2
This article comments on work published by Cheeseman et al. (Nat Comm, 2014), which indicates that horizontal gene transfer is a crucial mechanism of rapid adaptation, even among eukaryotes.
Diverse conditions support near-zero growth in yeast: Implications for the study of cell lifespan
August 20, 2019
This review discusses alternative cultivation methods for baker's yeast to study its chronological lifespan, with the aim of better understanding the ageing of non-dividing cells and their potential implications for the lifespan of multicellular eukaryotes such as humans.
Evolution of the bacterial nucleosidase PpnN and its relation to the stringent response
July 16, 2019
This article comments on work published by Zhang et al (Mol Cell, 2019), which discovered an interesting mode of regulation of purine metabolism unique to Proteobacteria.
Integrins in disguise – mechanosensors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as functional integrin analogues
July 15, 2019
This article shows that although yeast lack integrin-like proteins, they possess WSC- and MID-type mechanosensors that functionally resemble integrins in animal cells, playing a role in sensing external mechanical stimuli and activating the conserved PKC1-SLT1 cell wall integrity pathway, with potential implications for understanding mechanosensing in yeast biology.
Bacterial maze runners reveal hidden diversity in chemotactic performance
July 1, 2019
This article comments on work published by Salek et al. (Nat Commun, 2019), which combined microfluidic experiments with mathematical modeling to demonstrate that even in clonal populations, bacteria are individuals with different abilities to climb chemical gradients.
Laundry and textile hygiene in healthcare and beyond
July 1, 2019
This article shows that while institutional laundering is regulated to ensure hygiene, the trend towards energy-efficient washing at lower temperatures raises concerns about the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic laundering, with a focus on addressing microbial contamination in both clinical and home settings.
Bacterial pathogens under high-tension: Staphylococcus aureus adhesion to von Willebrand factor is activated by force
June 11, 2019
This article comments on work published by Viela et al (mBio, 2019), which shows that the bacterial cell surface protein A to the large plasma glycoprotein von Willebrand factor interaction is tightly regulated by mechanical force.
Yeast AP-1 like transcription factors (Yap) and stress response: a current overview
May 28, 2019
This review summarizes current understanding of the eight Yap transcription factors in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, detailing their activation by specific stress conditions and discussing their function and evolution across various fungal species.
Septin clearance from the division site triggers cytokinesis in budding yeast
May 22, 2019
This article comments on work published by Tamborrini et al (Nat Commun., 2019), which shows that septin displacement during splitting is an essential prerequisite for contractile actomyosin ring constriction during mitosis.
The influence of the microbiota on immune development, chronic inflammation, and cancer in the context of aging
May 13, 2019
This article shows that the microbiota is crucial for immune system development and that its relationship with the immune system during aging and the pathogenesis of age-related diseases, including cancer, needs further research to inform disease treatment and prevention.