-
Annual Review of Pathology 2015Numerous genetic and environmental insults impede the ability of cells to properly fold and posttranslationally modify secretory and transmembrane proteins in the... (Review)
Review
Numerous genetic and environmental insults impede the ability of cells to properly fold and posttranslationally modify secretory and transmembrane proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), leading to a buildup of misfolded proteins in this organelle--a condition called ER stress. ER-stressed cells must rapidly restore protein-folding capacity to match protein-folding demand if they are to survive. In the presence of high levels of misfolded proteins in the ER, an intracellular signaling pathway called the unfolded protein response (UPR) induces a set of transcriptional and translational events that restore ER homeostasis. However, if ER stress persists chronically at high levels, a terminal UPR program ensures that cells commit to self-destruction. Chronic ER stress and defects in UPR signaling are emerging as key contributors to a growing list of human diseases, including diabetes, neurodegeneration, and cancer. Hence, there is much interest in targeting components of the UPR as a therapeutic strategy to combat these ER stress-associated pathologies.
Topics: Animals; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Humans; Unfolded Protein Response
PubMed: 25387057
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathol-012513-104649 -
Trends in Cell Biology Jul 2018Interorganellar contacts are increasingly recognized as central to the control of cellular behavior. These contacts, which typically involve a small fraction of the... (Review)
Review
Interorganellar contacts are increasingly recognized as central to the control of cellular behavior. These contacts, which typically involve a small fraction of the endomembrane surface, are local communication hubs that resemble synapses. We propose the term contactology to denote the analysis of interorganellar contacts. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) contacts with mitochondria were recognized several decades ago; major roles in ion and lipid transfer, signaling, and membrane dynamics have been established, while others continue to emerge. The functional diversity of ER-mitochondrial (ER-mito) contacts is mirrored in their structural heterogeneity, with subspecialization likely supported by multiple, different linker-forming protein structures. The nanoscale size of the contacts has made studying their structure, function, and dynamics difficult. This review focuses on the structure of the ER-mito contacts, methods for studying them, and the roles of contacts in Ca and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling.
Topics: Animals; Calcium; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Humans; Mitochondria; Reactive Oxygen Species; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 29588129
DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2018.02.009 -
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology May 2019Mitochondria are essential for the viability of eukaryotic cells as they perform crucial functions in bioenergetics, metabolism and signalling and have been associated... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria are essential for the viability of eukaryotic cells as they perform crucial functions in bioenergetics, metabolism and signalling and have been associated with numerous diseases. Recent functional and proteomic studies have revealed the remarkable complexity of mitochondrial protein organization. Protein machineries with diverse functions such as protein translocation, respiration, metabolite transport, protein quality control and the control of membrane architecture interact with each other in dynamic networks. In this Review, we discuss the emerging role of the mitochondrial protein import machinery as a key organizer of these mitochondrial protein networks. The preprotein translocases that reside on the mitochondrial membranes not only function during organelle biogenesis to deliver newly synthesized proteins to their final mitochondrial destination but also cooperate with numerous other mitochondrial protein complexes that perform a wide range of functions. Moreover, these protein networks form membrane contact sites, for example, with the endoplasmic reticulum, that are key for integration of mitochondria with cellular function, and defects in protein import can lead to diseases.
Topics: Animals; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Humans; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Membranes; Mitochondrial Proteins; Protein Transport; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 30626975
DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0092-0 -
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology Aug 2020Cellular stress induced by the abnormal accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is emerging as a possible driver of human... (Review)
Review
Cellular stress induced by the abnormal accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins at the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is emerging as a possible driver of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, obesity and neurodegeneration. ER proteostasis surveillance is mediated by the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signal transduction pathway that senses the fidelity of protein folding in the ER lumen. The UPR transmits information about protein folding status to the nucleus and cytosol to adjust the protein folding capacity of the cell or, in the event of chronic damage, induce apoptotic cell death. Recent advances in the understanding of the regulation of UPR signalling and its implications in the pathophysiology of disease might open new therapeutic avenues.
Topics: Animals; Apoptosis; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Humans; Neoplasms; Protein Folding; Proteins; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response
PubMed: 32457508
DOI: 10.1038/s41580-020-0250-z -
EMBO Reports Aug 2022Eukaryotic cells adequately control the mass and functions of organelles in various situations. Autophagy, an intracellular degradation system, largely contributes to... (Review)
Review
Eukaryotic cells adequately control the mass and functions of organelles in various situations. Autophagy, an intracellular degradation system, largely contributes to this organelle control by degrading the excess or defective portions of organelles. The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an organelle with distinct structural domains associated with specific functions. The ER dynamically changes its mass, components, and shape in response to metabolic, developmental, or proteotoxic cues to maintain or regulate its functions. Therefore, elaborate mechanisms are required for proper degradation of the ER. Here, we review our current knowledge on diverse mechanisms underlying selective autophagy of the ER, which enable efficient degradation of specific ER subdomains according to different demands of cells.
Topics: Autophagy; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Macroautophagy
PubMed: 35758175
DOI: 10.15252/embr.202255192 -
Cell Death & Disease Oct 2023Autophagy is the process by which cells degrade and recycle proteins and organelles to maintain intracellular homeostasis. Generally, autophagy plays a protective role... (Review)
Review
Autophagy is the process by which cells degrade and recycle proteins and organelles to maintain intracellular homeostasis. Generally, autophagy plays a protective role in cells, but disruption of autophagy mechanisms or excessive autophagic flux usually leads to cell death. Despite recent progress in the study of the regulation and underlying molecular mechanisms of autophagy, numerous questions remain to be answered. How does autophagy regulate cell death? What are the fine-tuned regulatory mechanisms underlying autophagy-dependent cell death (ADCD) and autophagy-mediated cell death (AMCD)? In this article, we highlight the different roles of autophagy in cell death and discuss six of the main autophagy-related cell death modalities, with a focus on the metabolic changes caused by excessive endoplasmic reticulum-phagy (ER-phagy)-induced cell death and the role of mitophagy in autophagy-mediated ferroptosis. Finally, we discuss autophagy enhancement in the treatment of diseases and offer a new perspective based on the use of autophagy for different functional conversions (including the conversion of autophagy and that of different autophagy-mediated cell death modalities) for the clinical treatment of tumors.
Topics: Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Autophagy; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Mitophagy; Cell Death
PubMed: 37794028
DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06154-8 -
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences :... Jan 2016The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a large, dynamic structure that serves many roles in the cell including calcium storage, protein synthesis and lipid metabolism. The... (Review)
Review
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is a large, dynamic structure that serves many roles in the cell including calcium storage, protein synthesis and lipid metabolism. The diverse functions of the ER are performed by distinct domains; consisting of tubules, sheets and the nuclear envelope. Several proteins that contribute to the overall architecture and dynamics of the ER have been identified, but many questions remain as to how the ER changes shape in response to cellular cues, cell type, cell cycle state and during development of the organism. Here we discuss what is known about the dynamics of the ER, what questions remain, and how coordinated responses add to the layers of regulation in this dynamic organelle.
Topics: Animals; Calcium; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Fertilization; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Mitosis; Protein Biosynthesis; Protein Folding; Proteins; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response
PubMed: 26433683
DOI: 10.1007/s00018-015-2052-6 -
Molecular Cell Apr 2022Endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) pathways comprising chaperones, folding enzymes, and degradation factors ensure the fidelity of ER protein folding and... (Review)
Review
Endoplasmic reticulum quality control (ERQC) pathways comprising chaperones, folding enzymes, and degradation factors ensure the fidelity of ER protein folding and trafficking to downstream secretory environments. However, multiple factors, including tissue-specific secretory proteomes, environmental and genetic insults, and organismal aging, challenge ERQC. Thus, a key question is: how do cells adapt ERQC to match the diverse, ever-changing demands encountered during normal physiology and in disease? The answer lies in the unfolded protein response (UPR), a signaling mechanism activated by ER stress. In mammals, the UPR comprises three signaling pathways regulated downstream of the ER membrane proteins IRE1, ATF6, and PERK. Upon activation, these UPR pathways remodel ERQC to alleviate cellular stress and restore ER function. Here, we describe how UPR signaling pathways adapt ERQC, highlighting their importance for maintaining ER function across tissues and the potential for targeting the UPR to mitigate pathologies associated with protein misfolding diseases.
Topics: Animals; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Mammals; Quality Control; Signal Transduction; Unfolded Protein Response
PubMed: 35452616
DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.03.025 -
Physiological Reviews Jul 2022ER-phagy (reticulophagy) defines the degradation of portions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within lysosomes or vacuoles. It is part of the self-digestion (i.e.,... (Review)
Review
ER-phagy (reticulophagy) defines the degradation of portions of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) within lysosomes or vacuoles. It is part of the self-digestion (i.e., autophagic) programs recycling cytoplasmic material and organelles, which rapidly mobilize metabolites in cells confronted with nutrient shortage. Moreover, selective clearance of ER subdomains participates in the control of ER size and activity during ER stress, the reestablishment of ER homeostasis after ER stress resolution, and the removal of ER parts in which aberrant and potentially cytotoxic material has been segregated. ER-phagy relies on the individual and/or concerted activation of the ER-phagy receptors, ER peripheral or integral membrane proteins that share the presence of LC3/Atg8-binding motifs in their cytosolic domains. ER-phagy involves the physical separation of portions of the ER from the bulk ER network and their delivery to the endolysosomal/vacuolar catabolic district. This last step is accomplished by a variety of mechanisms including macro-ER-phagy (in which ER fragments are sequestered by double-membrane autophagosomes that eventually fuse with lysosomes/vacuoles), micro-ER-phagy (in which ER fragments are directly engulfed by endosomes/lysosomes/vacuoles), or direct fusion of ER-derived vesicles with lysosomes/vacuoles. ER-phagy is dysfunctional in specific human diseases, and its regulators are subverted by pathogens, highlighting its crucial role for cell and organism life.
Topics: Autophagy; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Humans; Lysosomes; Membrane Proteins
PubMed: 35188422
DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00038.2021 -
Developmental Cell Apr 2021Beginning with the earliest studies of autophagy in cancer, there have been indications that autophagy can both promote and inhibit cancer growth and progression;... (Review)
Review
Beginning with the earliest studies of autophagy in cancer, there have been indications that autophagy can both promote and inhibit cancer growth and progression; autophagy regulation of organelle homeostasis is similarly complicated. In this review we discuss pro- and antitumor effects of organelle-targeted autophagy and how this contributes to several hallmarks of cancer, such as evading cell death, genomic instability, and altered metabolism. Typically, the removal of damaged or dysfunctional organelles prevents tumor development but can also aid in proliferation or drug resistance in established tumors. By better understanding how organelle-specific autophagy takes place and can be manipulated, it may be possible to go beyond the brute-force approach of trying to manipulate all autophagy in order to improve therapeutic targeting of this process in cancer.
Topics: Autophagy; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Homeostasis; Humans; Macroautophagy; Mitophagy; Neoplasms
PubMed: 33689692
DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.02.010