Biochemistry

Mechanism of Ca2+ transport by ferroportin

1. Jiemin Shen
2. Azaan Saalim Wilbon
3. Ming Zhou
4. Yaping Pan

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study makes an important contribution to the function of the iron transporter Ferroportin (Fpn). By using a combination of proteoliposome assays, mutagenesis and structural studies by cryo EM, the authors are able to demonstrate that the H+-driven transporter for Fe2+-efflux is also capable of passive Ca2+ influx. The evidence supporting the conclusions is convincing, but the rate of Ca2+ influx and the physiological relevance of Ca2+ entry is yet to be established. The work will be of broad interest to cell biologists and biochemists.

Reviewed by eLife

Structures of ferroportin in complex with its specific inhibitor vamifeport

1. Elena Farah Lehmann
2. Márton Liziczai
3. Katarzyna Drożdżyk
4. Patrick Altermatt
5. Cassiano Langini
6. Vania Manolova
7. Hanna Sundstrom
8. Franz Dürrenberger
9. Raimund Dutzler
10. Cristina Manatschal

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study reports cryo-EM structures of human ferroportin (FPN), a protein essential for iron transport in humans. This manuscript will be of interest to researchers studying membrane transport mechanisms as well as to those interested in drug design. The structures detail interactions between FPN and the small-molecule inhibitor vamifeport, which is currently in clinical trials for sickle cell disease, and ta new (occluded) protein conformation that is stabilized by a sybody (a nanobody selected from a synthetic library) is identified. Evidence for the mechanism of inhibition by vamifeport is convincing, but evidence for the physiological relevance of the occluded conformation is still incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

Drosophila SUMM4 complex couples insulator function and DNA replication control

1. Evgeniya N Andreyeva
2. Alexander V Emelyanov
3. Markus Nevil
4. Lu Sun
5. Elena Vershilova
6. Christina A Hill
7. Michael-C Keogh
8. Robert J Duronio
9. Arthur I Skoultchi
10. Dmitry V Fyodorov

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This paper will be of interest to those studying DNA replication in the context of chromatin and development. This important study uncovers a new interaction partner for the chromatin protein SuUR and tries to understand how this complex (SUMM4) functions to control under-replication in polytene chromosomes. While the experiments are of high quality and carefully controlled, the data currently do not fully support all the conclusions, particularly as they relate to conclusions about DNA replication timing.

Reviewed by eLife

How do Vampires Suck Blood?

1. Meng Gou
2. Xuyuan Duan
3. Jun Li
4. Yaocen Wang
5. Qingwei Li
6. Yue Pang
7. Yonghui Dong

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Regulation of branched versus linear Arp2/3‐generated actin filaments

1. Luyan Cao
2. Foad Ghasemi
3. Michael Way
4. Antoine Jégou
5. Guillaume Romet‐Lemonne

Reviewed by Review Commons

Structure of human phagocyte NADPH oxidase in the resting state

1. Rui Liu
2. Kangcheng Song
3. Jing-Xiang Wu
4. Xiao-Peng Geng
5. Liming Zheng
6. Xiaoyin Gao
7. Hailin Peng
8. Lei Chen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  NOX2 is the most well-studied member of the NADPH oxidase family, membrane enzymes that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the proper function of NOX2 is critical for innate immunity against pathogens in mammals. This study reports a high-resolution structure of the NOX2-p22 complex, providing valuable information for a mechanistic understanding of NOX2 activation at the molecular level.

Reviewed by eLife

The ‘ForensOMICS’ approach for postmortem interval estimation from human bone by integrating metabolomics, lipidomics, and proteomics

1. Andrea Bonicelli
2. Hayley L Mickleburgh
3. Alberto Chighine
4. Emanuela Locci
5. Daniel J Wescott
6. Noemi Procopio

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This well-presented and sophisticated study provides significant proof-of-concept for the application of the ForensOMICS approach as a new pathway for forensic taphonomy with great promise to advance future research. The solid foundation of the research combining metabolomics, proteomics, and lipidomics is considered very exciting, strong, and expands the boundaries of forensics research.

Reviewed by eLife

DNA-Stimulated Liquid-Liquid phase separation by eukaryotic topoisomerase ii modulates catalytic function

1. Joshua Jeong
2. Joyce H Lee
3. Claudia C Carcamo
4. Matthew W Parker
5. James M Berger

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  Type II topoisomerases are essential players in virtually every aspect of genome organization and function of all organisms. The in vitro data presented here clearly demonstrate that eukaryotic type II topoisomerases phase separate under physiological conditions, forming liquid-liquid condensates, and that the outcomes of type topoisomerase II activity on DNA are altered in these condensates. The experiments and methods are sound, clearly described, and fully support the insightful and carefully formulated interpretation of the data. This work has broad implications for dissecting and delineating the myriad fundamental roles of this centrally important molecule.

Reviewed by eLife

Integrative modeling reveals the molecular architecture of the intraflagellar transport A (IFT-A) complex

1. Caitlyn L McCafferty
2. Ophelia Papoulas
3. Mareike A Jordan
4. Gabriel Hoogerbrugge
5. Candice Nichols
6. Gaia Pigino
7. David W Taylor
8. John B Wallingford
9. Edward M Marcotte

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This paper will be of interest to scientists working on cilia, intraflagellar transport, and structural modeling. Using an integrative modeling approach, the paper provides a fundamental structural model for a part of the molecular machinery that is responsible for cilium assembly. However, additional approaches would improve confidence in the as yet incomplete structure model.

Reviewed by eLife

Piezo1 as a force-through-membrane sensor in red blood cells

1. George Vaisey
2. Priyam Banerjee
3. Alison J North
4. Christoph A Haselwandter
5. Roderick MacKinnon

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important paper uses advanced imaging approaches to explore how Piezo1 distributes on surface red blood cells. The study provides compelling evidence that this molecule 'reads' the membrane curvature and clear support for the force-through-membrane model of mechanosensation.

Reviewed by eLife