Cell Biology

The RAB27A effector SYTL5 regulates mitophagy and mitochondrial metabolism

1. Ana Lapao
2. Lauren Sophie Johnson
3. Laura Trachsel-Moncho
4. Samuel J Rodgers
5. Sakshi Singh
6. Matthew Yoke Wui Ng
7. Sigve Nakken
8. Eeva-Liisa Eskelinen
9. Anne Simonsen

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study by Lapao et al. uncovers a novel role for the Rab27A effector SYTL5 in regulating mitochondrial function and mitophagy under hypoxic conditions. Using a range of imaging and functional assays, the authors demonstrate that SYTL5 localizes to mitochondria in a Rab27A-dependent manner and impacts mitochondrial respiration and metabolic reprogramming. While the findings are solid and valuable in the area of cancer biology, further mechanistic clarity and improved imaging would strengthen the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

The Multifaceted Role of EXOC6A in Ciliogenesis

1. Te-Lin Lin
2. Chien-Ting Wu
3. Tang K Tang

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study elucidates the role of the exocyst component EXOC6A at distinct stages of ciliogenesis, which advances our understanding of ciliary membrane remodeling and cilium formation. The authors provide solid evidence that EXOC6A interacts with myosin-Va and is dynamically recruited via dynein-, microtubule-, and actin-dependent mechanisms, to support proper formation of the ciliary membrane. The study will be of interest to cell biologists and other researchers interested in vesicular trafficking, organellar membrane dynamics, and ciliogenesis.

Reviewed by eLife

JIP4 deficiency causes a lysosomal storage disease arising from impaired cystine efflux

1. Layla M. Nassar
2. Xiaojian Shi
3. Agnes Roczniak-Ferguson
4. Hongying Shen
5. Shawn M. Ferguson

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Stress response of membrane-based cell organelles in budding yeast

1. Sheng Peng
2. Bai Li-zhe
3. Cao Hong
4. Li Dan

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Cell membrane glycan contents are biochemical factors that constitute a kinetic barrier to viral particle uptake in a protein-nonspecific manner

1. Yoshihisa Kaizuka
2. Rika Machida

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This fundamental work substantially advances our understanding of how the glycocalyx of cells provide a non-specific barrier for the interaction of viruses with cell-surface receptors. Using both in vitro experiments and in vivo manipulations they provide compelling evidence for the properties of the glycocalyx to serve as an energy barrier as a main attribute of its mode of action. The work will be of broad interest to virologists and the cell biology community that studies host-pathogen interactions.

Reviewed by eLife

Tracking maternal proteins uncovers a central role for the residual body in organelle recycling during Toxoplasma gondii replication

1. Julia von Knoerzer-Suckow
2. Parnian Sazegar
3. Javier Periz
4. Simon Gras
5. Markus Meissner

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents valuable new insights into the patterns of organelle inheritance in the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. An innovative dual-labeling approach used in this study to track maternal-derived and de novo synthesized organelles provides a technical advance with potential to be more broadly applied. Solid evidence is provided that different organelles show distinct inheritance fates during cell replication; however, the data describing the residual body component in this process is incomplete.

Reviewed by eLife

When mitochondria fall apart: Unbalanced mitochondrial segregation triggers loss of mtDNA in the absence of mitochondrial fusion

1. Lisa Dengler
2. Francesco Padovani
3. Bianca Lemke
4. Rebecca Brugger
5. Benedikt Westermann
6. Boris Maček
7. Kurt M. Schmoller
8. Jennifer C. Ewald

Reviewed by Review Commons

MORC2 Mediates Transcriptional Regulation Through Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation and DNA Binding

1. Yanshen Zhang
2. Weiya Xu
3. Wenxiu Duan
4. Yu Wei
5. Wenli Jiang
6. Feng Zhu
7. Chengdong Huang
8. Chao Wang
9. Yihui Bi

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This useful study has demonstrated that MORC2 undergoes phase separation in cells and established multiple interactions responsible for the phase separation. While the characterizations of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions are solid, there is currently incomplete evidence supporting the claim that MORC2 phase separation contributes to the gene regulatory role of MORC2 in cells. With a stronger link between MORC2 phase separation and cellular function, and further analysis of how disease-linked mutations impact condensation propensity, this study would be of significant interest to biophysicists and molecular biologists working on the role of condensates in gene regulation.

Reviewed by eLife

A GCN1-independent activator of the kinase GCN2

1. JiaYi Zhu
2. Giulia Emanuelli
3. Glenn R Masson
4. Vanesa Vinciauskaite
5. Henriette Willems
6. Andrew Lim
7. Christopher Alan Brown
8. David Winpenny
9. Murray Clarke
10. Rebecca Gilley
11. Fergus Preston
12. Jordan Wilson
13. Aldo Bader
14. Taufiq Rahman
15. Joseph E Chambers
16. John Skidmore
17. Nicholas W Morrell
18. Stefan J Marciniak

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This study presents a screen for small-molecule activators of the kinase GCN2 that phosphorylates the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha (eIF2α) in response to diverse stress stimuli. Among the compounds identified, one stands out as a potent activator that functions independently of GCN1, which is important for probing mechanisms of Integrated Stress Response regulation and may have translational relevance in the context of pathogenic GCN2 mutations. While some reviewers found the biochemical analyses convincing, others viewed the cellular evidence as limited, particularly with respect to time points, endogenous readouts, and broader cell-type validation, which prevents a clear assessment of the compound's potential potency in a physiological context.

Reviewed by eLife

Identification of nuclear pore proteins at plasmodesmata: potential role in intercellular transport?

1. T Moritz Schladt
2. Manuel Miras
3. Jona Obinna Ejike
4. Mathieu Pottier
5. Lin Xi
6. Andrea Restrepo-Escobar
7. Masayoshi Nakamura
8. Niklas Pütz
9. Sebastian Hänsch
10. Chen Gao
11. Julia Engelhorn
12. Marcel Dickmanns
13. Gwendolyn V Davis
14. Ahan Dalal
15. Sven Gombos
16. Ronja Lange
17. Rüdiger Simon
18. Waltraud X Schulze
19. Wolf B Frommer

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  Plasmodesmata are channels that allow cell-cell communication in plants; based on the functional similarities between facilitated transport within plasmodesmata and into the nucleus, the authors speculate that nuclear pore complex proteins might be involved in plasmodesmata function. If supported, this would transform our understanding of cell-to-cell communication in plants. The authors localize nuclear pore complex proteins to plasmodesmata using proteomics and heterologous overexpression; however, the data are incomplete since key controls for localization, functionality, and expression level of fluorescent protein fusions are absent.

Reviewed by eLife