Research Outputs

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14288/2

Browse

Filters

2010 - 201932020 - 20241

Advanced Search

Filter by

Settings

Quartile: search.filters.quartile.Q1Subject: search.filters.subject.Molecular biology and genetics

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    A conserved tetraspanin subfamily promotes Notch signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans and in human cells
    (National Academy of Sciences, 2010) Sulis, M.L.; Ferrando, A.A.; Greenwald, I.; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Dunn, Cory David; Faculty Member; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; College of Sciences
    The cytosolic domain of Notch is a membrane-tethered transcription factor. Ligand binding ultimately leads to γ-secretase cleavage within the transmembrane domain, allowing the intracellular domain to translocate to the nucleus and activate target gene transcription. Constitutive Notch signaling has been associated with human cancers such as T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). As tetraspanins have been implicated in many different signaling processes, we assessed their potential contribution to Notch signaling. We used a genetic assay in Caenorhabditis elegans to identify TSP-12 as a positive factor for Notch activity in several cellular contexts. Then, using a cell culture system, we showed that two human TSP-12 orthologs, TSPAN33 and TSPAN5, promote Notch activity and are likely to act at the γ-secretase cleavage step. We also acquired evidence for functional redundancy among tetraspanins in both C. elegans and human cells. Selective inhibition of tetraspanins may constitute an anti-NOTCH therapeutic approach to reduce γ-secretase activity.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    De novo mutations in Plxnd1 and Rev3l cause mobius syndrome
    (Nature Publishing Group (NPG), 2015) Tomas-Roca, Laura; Tsaalbi-Shtylik, Anastasia; Jansen, Jacob G.; Singh, Manvendra K.; Epstein, Jonathan A.; Altunoglu, Umut; Verzijl, Harriette; Soria, Laura; van Beusekom, Ellen; Roscioli, Tony; Iqbal, Zafar; Gilissen, Christian; Hoischen, Alexander; de Brouwer,Arjan P. M.; Erasmus, Corrie; Schubert, Dirk; Brunner, Han; Aytes, Antonio Perez; Marin, Faustino; Aroca, Pilar; Carta, Arturo; de Wind, Niels; Padberg, George W.; van Bokhoven, Hans; N/A; Kayserili, Hülya; Other; School of Medicine; 7945
    Mobius syndrome (MBS) is a neurological disorder that is characterized by paralysis of the facial nerves and variable other congenital anomalies. The aetiology of this syndrome has been enigmatic since the initial descriptions by von Graefe in 1880 and by Mobius in 1888, and it has been debated for decades whether MBS has a genetic or a non-genetic aetiology. Here, we report de novo mutations affecting two genes, PLXND1 and REV3L in MBS patients. PLXND1 and REV3L represent totally unrelated pathways involved in hindbrain development: neural migration and DNA translesion synthesis, essential for the replication of endogenously damaged DNA, respectively. Interestingly, analysis of Plxnd1 and Rev3l mutant mice shows that disruption of these separate pathways converge at the facial branchiomotor nucleus, affecting either motoneuron migration or proliferation. The finding that PLXND1 and REV3L mutations are responsible for a proportion of MBS patients suggests that de novo mutations in other genes might account for other MBS patients.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    Temporal and compartment-specific signals coordinate mitotic exit with spindle position
    (Nature Publishing Group (NPG), 2017) Khmelinskii, Anton; Duenas-Sanchez, Rafael; Kurtulmus, Bahtiyar; Knop, Michael; Pereira, Gislene; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Çaydaşı, Ayşe Koca; Faculty Member; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; College of Sciences; 252978
    The spatiotemporal control of mitotic exit is crucial for faithful chromosome segregation during mitosis. In budding yeast, the mitotic exit network (MEN) drives cells out of mitosis, whereas the spindle position checkpoint (SPOC) blocks MEN activity when the anaphase spindle is mispositioned. How the SPOC operates at a molecular level remains unclear. Here, we report novel insights into how mitotic signalling pathways orchestrate chromosome segregation in time and space. We establish that the key function of the central SPOC kinase, Kin4, is to counterbalance MEN activation by the cdc fourteen early anaphase release (FEAR) network in the mother cell compartment. Remarkably, Kin4 becomes dispensable for SPOC function in the absence of FEAR. Cells lacking both FEAR and Kin4 show that FEAR contributes to mitotic exit through regulation of the SPOC component Bfa1 and the MEN kinase Cdc15. Furthermore, we uncover controls that specifically promote mitotic exit in the daughter cell compartment.
  • Placeholder
    PublicationMetadata only
    The long and winding road of reprogramming-induced rejuvenation
    (Nature Portfolio, 2024) Gladyshev, Vadim N.; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics; Yücel, Ali Doğa; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics;  ; College of Sciences;  
    Organismal aging is inherently connected to the aging of its constituent cells and systems. Reducing the biological age of the organism may be assisted by reducing the age of its cells - an approach exemplified by partial cell reprogramming through the expression of Yamanaka factors or exposure to chemical cocktails. It is crucial to protect cell type identity during partial reprogramming, as cells need to retain or rapidly regain their functions following the treatment. Another critical issue is the ability to quantify biological age as reprogrammed older cells acquire younger states. We discuss recent advances in reprogramming-induced rejuvenation and offer a critical review of this procedure and its relationship to the fundamental nature of aging. We further comparatively analyze partial reprogramming, full reprogramming and transdifferentiation approaches, assess safety concerns and emphasize the importance of distinguishing rejuvenation from dedifferentiation. Finally, we highlight translational opportunities that the reprogramming-induced rejuvenation approach offers. Rejuvenation and partial reprogramming are two frontier areas in the field of aging. Here, the authors summarize advances in these fields and suggest future directions for research and therapy.