Review, Reviews
Mnemons: encoding memory by protein super-assembly
Fabrice Caudron and Yves Barral
This article comments on work published by Caudron and Barral (Cell, 2013), which proposes that polyQ- and polyN-based elements, termed mnemons, act as cellular memory devices to encode previous environmental conditions.
Intersubunit communications within KaiC hexamers contribute the robust rhythmicity of the cyanobacterial circadian clock
Yohko Kitayama1, Taeko Nishiwaki-Ohkawa1,2 and Takao Kondo1
This article comments on work published by Kitayama et al. (Nat Comm, 2013), which suggests that intersubunit communication precisely synchronizes KaiC subunits to avoid dephasing, and contributes to the robustness of circadian rhythms in cyanobacteria.
Mitochondrial protein import under kinase surveillance
Magdalena Opalińska1 and Chris Meisinger1,2
This article summarizes recent discoveries in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae model system that point towards a vital role of reversible phosphorylation in regulation of mitochondrial protein import.
Building a flagellum in biological outer space
Lewis D. B. Evans, Colin Hughes and Gillian M. Fraser
This article comments on work published by Evans et al. (Nature, 2013), which presents a simple and elegant transit mechanism in which growth is powered by the subunits themselves as they link head-to-tail in a chain that is pulled through the length of the growing structure to the tip. This new mechanism answers an old question and may have resonance in other assembly processes.
A novel mechanism involved in the coupling of mitochondrial biogenesis to oxidative phosphorylation
Jelena Ostojić1, Jean-Paul di Rago2,3, Geneviève Dujardin1,*
This article comments on a study by Ostojić et al. (Cell Metabolism, 2013), which has uncovered a regulatory loop by which the biogenesis of a major enzyme of the OXPHOS pathway, the respiratory complex III, is coupled to the energy producing activity of the mitochondria.
Identifying the assembly pathway of cyanophage inside the marine bacterium using electron cryo-tomography
Wei Dai1, Michael F. Schmid1, Jonathan A. King2, Wah Chiu1,*
Thiswork comments on a study by Dai et al. (Nature 2013) that illustrates that electron cryo-tomography is an approach whereby one can capture directly structural snapshots of transient phage assembly intermediates during maturation process. Such analysis can be generalizable not only to human viruses in human cells but also various molecular machines undergoing biological processes.
Methodologies for in vitro and in vivo evaluation of efficacy of antifungal and antibiofilm agents and surface coatings against fungal biofilms
June 14, 2018
This article highlights the critical importance of accurate susceptibility testing methods and the discovery of novel antifungal and antibiofilm agents in combating invasive fungal infections associated with biofilm formation on medical devices, thereby emphasizing the need for advancements in medical mycology research to address these complex diseases.
Shepherding DNA ends: Rif1 protects telomeres and chromosome breaks
May 17, 2018
This review discusses the conserved mechanisms cells have evolved to protect DNA ends at chromosomal termini and DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), focusing on the protein Rif1’s roles in telomere homeostasis and DSB repair in eukaryotes. It highlights the intriguing connection between Rif1's involvement in both telomere maintenance and DSB repair, and suggests that excluding end-processing factors may underlie Rif1's diverse biological functions at telomeres and chromosome breaks.
The CRISPR conundrum: evolve and maybe die, or survive and risk stagnation
May 16, 2018
In this article García-Martínez et al. cover how the model bacterium Escherichia coli deals with CRISPR-Cas to tackle the major dilemma of evolution versus survival.
pH homeostasis links the nutrient sensing PKA/TORC1/Sch9 ménage-à-trois to stress tolerance and longevity
January 12, 2018
In this article, Deprez et al. discuss accumulating evidence indicates that pH homeostasis plays a prominent role in the determination of ageing and longevity, thereby providing new perspectives and avenues to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Guidelines and recommendations on yeast cell death nomenclature
January 1, 2018
In this review, we propose unified criteria for the definition of accidental, regulated, and programmed forms of cell death in yeast based on a series of morphological and biochemical criteria. Specifically, we provide consensus guidelines on the differential definition of terms including apoptosis, regulated necrosis, and autophagic cell death, as we refer to additional cell death routines that are relevant for the biology of yeast.
Ras signalling in pathogenic yeasts
December 18, 2017
In this article Pentland et al. review the roles of Ras protein function and signalling in the major human yeast pathogens Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans and discuss the potential for targeting Ras as a novel approach to anti-fungal therapy.
The integrated stress response in budding yeast lifespan extension
October 24, 2017
This article summarizes how the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been instrumental in unraveling the molecular and cellular determinants of aging, and how the induction of cellular stress responses has been associated with experimental lifespan extension, thus underscoring the value of yeast as a model for developing potential aging therapies for humans.
Exacerbating and reversing lysosomal storage diseases: from yeast to humans
August 25, 2017
This article summarizes the use of yeast models in advancing our understanding of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs), where they have been instrumental in researching LSD mechanisms, screening for therapeutic compounds, and exploring genetic and gene-environment interactions relevant to diseases like Batten disease, cystinosis, and Niemann-Pick type C disease, as well as their connection to broader health issues such as viral infections and obesity.