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Current Opinion in Cell Biology Feb 2018Actin polymerization provides driving force to aid several types of processes that involve pulling the plasma membrane into the cell, including phagocytosis, cellular... (Review)
Review
Actin polymerization provides driving force to aid several types of processes that involve pulling the plasma membrane into the cell, including phagocytosis, cellular entry of large viruses, and endocytosis. In endocytosis, actin polymerization is especially important under conditions of high membrane tension or high turgor pressure. Recent modeling efforts have shown how actin polymerization can give rise to a distribution of forces around the endocytic site, and explored how these forces affect the shape dynamics; experiments have revealed the structure of the endocytic machinery in increasing detail, and demonstrated key feedback interactions between actin assembly and membrane curvature. Here we provide a perspective on these findings and suggest avenues for future research.
Topics: Actins; Animals; Cell Membrane; Endocytosis; Polymerization; Yeasts
PubMed: 29207306
DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.11.007 -
Current Opinion in Immunology Feb 2020In various biological processes, phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) that is normally sequestered to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) is exposed to the cell... (Review)
Review
In various biological processes, phosphatidylserine (PtdSer) that is normally sequestered to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) is exposed to the cell surface. When platelets are activated, they expose PtdSer to activate the blood-clotting factors. Cells undergoing apoptosis and senescent neutrophils expose PtdSer that is recognized as an 'eat me' signal by phagocytes for clearance. The PtdSer-exposure and its internalization are mediated by phospholipid scramblases and flippases, respectively. Both have recently been molecularly identified, and their functional mechanism and physiological roles are being elucidated.
Topics: Adenosine Triphosphatases; Animals; Cell Membrane; Humans; Models, Molecular; Phosphatidylserines
PubMed: 31837595
DOI: 10.1016/j.coi.2019.11.009 -
Annual Review of Cell and Developmental... Oct 2016Inside eukaryotic cells, membrane contact sites (MCSs), regions where two membrane-bound organelles are apposed at less than 30 nm, generate regions of important lipid... (Review)
Review
Inside eukaryotic cells, membrane contact sites (MCSs), regions where two membrane-bound organelles are apposed at less than 30 nm, generate regions of important lipid and calcium exchange. This review principally focuses on the structure and the function of MCSs between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the plasma membrane (PM). Here we describe how tethering structures form and maintain these junctions and, in some instances, participate in their function. We then discuss recent insights into the mechanisms by which specific classes of proteins mediate nonvesicular lipid exchange between the ER and PM and how such phenomena, already known to be crucial for maintaining organelle identity, are also emerging as regulators of cell growth and development.
Topics: Animals; Cell Membrane; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Humans; Models, Biological
PubMed: 27298092
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-111315-125024 -
International Journal of Molecular... Oct 2021Mechanical cues are crucial for survival, adaptation, and normal homeostasis in virtually every cell type. The transduction of mechanical messages into intracellular... (Review)
Review
Mechanical cues are crucial for survival, adaptation, and normal homeostasis in virtually every cell type. The transduction of mechanical messages into intracellular biochemical messages is termed mechanotransduction. While significant advances in biochemical signaling have been made in the last few decades, the role of mechanotransduction in physiological and pathological processes has been largely overlooked until recently. In this review, the role of interactions between the cytoskeleton and cell-cell/cell-matrix adhesions in transducing mechanical signals is discussed. In addition, mechanosensors that reside in the cell membrane and the transduction of mechanical signals to the nucleus are discussed. Finally, we describe two examples in which mechanotransduction plays a significant role in normal physiology and disease development. The first example is the role of mechanotransduction in the proliferation and metastasis of cancerous cells. In this system, the role of mechanotransduction in cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, and motility, is described. In the second example, the role of mechanotransduction in a mechanically active organ, the gastrointestinal tract, is described. In the gut, mechanotransduction contributes to normal physiology and the development of motility disorders.
Topics: Animals; Cell Membrane; Cell Nucleus; Cytoskeleton; Focal Adhesions; Humans; Mechanotransduction, Cellular
PubMed: 34768998
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222111566 -
Current Opinion in Cell Biology Feb 2017Due to recent technical developments in microscopy, huge advances have been made in our understanding of the architecture of the cell membrane. It is now well... (Review)
Review
Due to recent technical developments in microscopy, huge advances have been made in our understanding of the architecture of the cell membrane. It is now well appreciated that nanoscale clustering is a common feature of membrane proteins. Many of these clusters have been implicated in signal initiation and integration platforms. However, the mechanisms that mediate the dynamic nanoscale arrangement of membrane proteins are not fully understood and could involve lipid domains, electrostatic interactions between proteins and lipid, protein scaffolding as well as purely mechanical processes. In this review we summarise these mechanisms giving rise to dynamic nanoscale protein reorganisation in the plasma membrane with reference to recent examples of immune receptor clustering to illustrate general principles.
Topics: Animals; Cell Membrane; Humans; Membrane Lipids; Membrane Microdomains; Membrane Proteins
PubMed: 27666166
DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2016.09.004 -
Trends in Plant Science Oct 2018Since the publication of the fluid mosaic as a relevant model for biological membranes, accumulating evidence has revealed the outstanding complexity of the composition... (Review)
Review
Since the publication of the fluid mosaic as a relevant model for biological membranes, accumulating evidence has revealed the outstanding complexity of the composition and organization of the plant plasma membrane (PM). Powerful new methodologies have uncovered the remarkable multiscale and multicomponent heterogeneity of PM subcompartmentalization, and this is emerging as a general trait with different features and properties. It is now evident that the dynamics of such a complex organization are intrinsically related to signaling pathways that regulate key physiological processes. Listing and linking recent progress in precisely qualifying these heterogeneities will help to draw an integrated picture of the plant PM. Understanding the key principles governing such a complex dynamic organization will contribute to deciphering the crucial role of the PM in cell physiology.
Topics: Cell Membrane; Plant Physiological Phenomena; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 30174194
DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2018.07.007 -
Journal of Cell Science Jul 2022The plasma membrane not only protects the cell from the extracellular environment, acting as a selective barrier, but also regulates cellular events that originate at... (Review)
Review
The plasma membrane not only protects the cell from the extracellular environment, acting as a selective barrier, but also regulates cellular events that originate at the cell surface, playing a key role in various biological processes that are essential for the preservation of cell homeostasis. Therefore, elucidation of the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of plasma membrane integrity and functionality is of utmost importance. Cells have developed mechanisms to ensure the quality of proteins that inhabit the cell surface, as well as strategies to cope with injuries inflicted to the plasma membrane. Defects in these mechanisms can lead to the development or onset of several diseases. Despite the importance of these processes, a comprehensive and holistic perspective of plasma membrane quality control is still lacking. To tackle this gap, in this Review, we provide a thorough overview of the mechanisms underlying the identification and targeting of membrane proteins that are to be removed from the cell surface, as well as the membrane repair mechanisms triggered in both physiological and pathological conditions. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying protein quality control at the plasma membrane can reveal promising and unanticipated targets for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches.
Topics: Cell Membrane; Homeostasis; Proteins
PubMed: 35801807
DOI: 10.1242/jcs.259806 -
Biological Chemistry Oct 2016Disruption of the plasma membrane poses deadly threat to eukaryotic cells and survival requires a rapid membrane repair system. Recent evidence reveal various plasma... (Review)
Review
Disruption of the plasma membrane poses deadly threat to eukaryotic cells and survival requires a rapid membrane repair system. Recent evidence reveal various plasma membrane repair mechanisms, which are required for cells to cope with membrane lesions including membrane fusion and replacement strategies, remodeling of cortical actin cytoskeleton and vesicle wound patching. Members of the annexin protein family, which are Ca2+-triggered phospholipid-binding proteins emerge as important components of the plasma membrane repair system. Here, we discuss the mechanisms of plasma membrane repair involving annexins spanning from yeast to human cancer cells.
Topics: Actins; Animals; Annexins; Cell Membrane; Cell-Derived Microparticles; Exocytosis; Humans; Wound Healing
PubMed: 27341560
DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0171 -
Developmental Neurobiology Nov 2016Brain formation requires the establishment of complex neural circuits between a diverse array of neuronal subtypes in an intricate and ever changing microenvironment and... (Review)
Review
Brain formation requires the establishment of complex neural circuits between a diverse array of neuronal subtypes in an intricate and ever changing microenvironment and yet with a large degree of specificity and reproducibility. In the last three decades, mounting evidence has established that neuronal development relies on the coordinated regulation of gene expression, cytoskeletal dynamics, and membrane trafficking. Membrane trafficking has been considered important in that it brings new membrane and proteins to the plasma membrane of developing neurons and because it also generates and maintains the polarized distribution of proteins into neuronal subdomains. More recently, accumulating evidence suggests that membrane trafficking may have an even more active role during development by regulating the distribution and degree of activation of a wide variety of proteins located in plasma membrane subdomains and endosomes. In this article the evidence supporting the different roles of membrane trafficking during axonal development, particularly focusing on the role of SNAREs and Rabs was reviewed. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 76: 1185-1200, 2016.
Topics: Animals; Axons; Cell Membrane; Humans; Protein Transport; SNARE Proteins; rab GTP-Binding Proteins
PubMed: 26945675
DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22390 -
Cancer Gene Therapy Feb 2021The plasma membrane is made of glycerophospholipids that separate the inner and outer parts of the cell. Under physiological conditions, it acts as a barrier and...
The plasma membrane is made of glycerophospholipids that separate the inner and outer parts of the cell. Under physiological conditions, it acts as a barrier and gatekeeper to protect cells from the environment. In pathological situations, it undergoes structural and functional changes, resulting in cell damage. Indeed, plasma membrane damage caused by various stresses (e.g., hypoxia, nutritional deficiencies, ultraviolet radiation, and chemotherapeutic agents) is one of the hallmarks of cell death. Phosphatidylserine exposure and plasma membrane blebbing usually occurs in apoptotic cells, while necrotic cells lose the integrity of the plasma membrane and thereby release intracellular damage-associated molecular patterns. In contrast, the endosomal sorting complex required for transport-III (ESCRT-III), an evolutionarily conserved protein complex with membrane fission machinery, plays a key role in the repair of damaged plasma membranes in various types of regulated cell death, such as necroptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. These emerging findings indicate that ESCRT-III is a potential target to overcome drug resistance during tumor therapy.
Topics: Cell Death; Cell Membrane; Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport; Humans
PubMed: 32669618
DOI: 10.1038/s41417-020-0200-0