@article{12189,
  abstract     = {Meiotic crossovers (COs) are important for reshuffling genetic information between homologous chromosomes and they are essential for their correct segregation. COs are unevenly distributed along chromosomes and the underlying mechanisms controlling CO localization are not well understood. We previously showed that meiotic COs are mis-localized in the absence of AXR1, an enzyme involved in the neddylation/rubylation protein modification pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we report that in axr1-/-, male meiocytes show a strong defect in chromosome pairing whereas the formation of the telomere bouquet is not affected. COs are also redistributed towards subtelomeric chromosomal ends where they frequently form clusters, in contrast to large central regions depleted in recombination. The CO suppressed regions correlate with DNA hypermethylation of transposable elements (TEs) in the CHH context in axr1-/- meiocytes. Through examining somatic methylomes, we found axr1-/- affects DNA methylation in a plant, causing hypermethylation in all sequence contexts (CG, CHG and CHH) in TEs. Impairment of the main pathways involved in DNA methylation is epistatic over axr1-/- for DNA methylation in somatic cells but does not restore regular chromosome segregation during meiosis. Collectively, our findings reveal that the neddylation pathway not only regulates hormonal perception and CO distribution but is also, directly or indirectly, a major limiting pathway of TE DNA methylation in somatic cells.},
  author       = {Christophorou, Nicolas and She, Wenjing and Long, Jincheng and Hurel, Aurélie and Beaubiat, Sébastien and Idir, Yassir and Tagliaro-Jahns, Marina and Chambon, Aurélie and Solier, Victor and Vezon, Daniel and Grelon, Mathilde and Feng, Xiaoqi and Bouché, Nicolas and Mézard, Christine},
  issn         = {1553-7404},
  journal      = {PLOS Genetics},
  keywords     = {Cancer Research, Genetics (clinical), Genetics, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics},
  number       = {6},
  publisher    = {Public Library of Science (PLoS)},
  title        = {{AXR1 affects DNA methylation independently of its role in regulating meiotic crossover localization}},
  doi          = {10.1371/journal.pgen.1008894},
  volume       = {16},
  year         = {2020},
}

@article{11059,
  abstract     = {The genome is packaged and organized nonrandomly within the 3D space of the nucleus to promote efficient gene expression and to faithfully maintain silencing of heterochromatin. The genome is enclosed within the nucleus by the nuclear envelope membrane, which contains a set of proteins that actively participate in chromatin organization and gene regulation. Technological advances are providing views of genome organization at unprecedented resolution and are beginning to reveal the ways that cells co-opt the structures of the nuclear periphery for nuclear organization and gene regulation. These genome regulatory roles of proteins of the nuclear periphery have important influences on development, disease and ageing.},
  author       = {Buchwalter, Abigail and Kaneshiro, Jeanae M. and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {1471-0064},
  journal      = {Nature Reviews Genetics},
  keywords     = {Genetics (clinical), Genetics, Molecular Biology},
  number       = {1},
  pages        = {39--50},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Coaching from the sidelines: The nuclear periphery in genome regulation}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41576-018-0063-5},
  volume       = {20},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{11060,
  abstract     = {The inner nuclear membrane (INM) is a subdomain of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that is gated by the nuclear pore complex. It is unknown whether proteins of the INM and ER are degraded through shared or distinct pathways in mammalian cells. We applied dynamic proteomics to profile protein half-lives and report that INM and ER residents turn over at similar rates, indicating that the INM’s unique topology is not a barrier to turnover. Using a microscopy approach, we observed that the proteasome can degrade INM proteins in situ. However, we also uncovered evidence for selective, vesicular transport-mediated turnover of a single INM protein, emerin, that is potentiated by ER stress. Emerin is rapidly cleared from the INM by a mechanism that requires emerin’s LEM domain to mediate vesicular trafficking to lysosomes. This work demonstrates that the INM can be dynamically remodeled in response to environmental inputs.},
  author       = {Buchwalter, Abigail and Schulte, Roberta and Tsai, Hsiao and Capitanio, Juliana and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {2050-084X},
  journal      = {eLife},
  keywords     = {General Immunology and Microbiology, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Medicine, General Neuroscience},
  publisher    = {eLife Sciences Publications},
  title        = {{Selective clearance of the inner nuclear membrane protein emerin by vesicular transport during ER stress}},
  doi          = {10.7554/elife.49796},
  volume       = {8},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{8405,
  abstract     = {Atomic-resolution structure determination is crucial for understanding protein function. Cryo-EM and NMR spectroscopy both provide structural information, but currently cryo-EM does not routinely give access to atomic-level structural data, and, generally, NMR structure determination is restricted to small (<30 kDa) proteins. We introduce an integrated structure determination approach that simultaneously uses NMR and EM data to overcome the limits of each of these methods. The approach enables structure determination of the 468 kDa large dodecameric aminopeptidase TET2 to a precision and accuracy below 1 Å by combining secondary-structure information obtained from near-complete magic-angle-spinning NMR assignments of the 39 kDa-large subunits, distance restraints from backbone amides and ILV methyl groups, and a 4.1 Å resolution EM map. The resulting structure exceeds current standards of NMR and EM structure determination in terms of molecular weight and precision. Importantly, the approach is successful even in cases where only medium-resolution cryo-EM data are available.},
  author       = {Gauto, Diego F. and Estrozi, Leandro F. and Schwieters, Charles D. and Effantin, Gregory and Macek, Pavel and Sounier, Remy and Sivertsen, Astrid C. and Schmidt, Elena and Kerfah, Rime and Mas, Guillaume and Colletier, Jacques-Philippe and Güntert, Peter and Favier, Adrien and Schoehn, Guy and Schanda, Paul and Boisbouvier, Jerome},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Physics and Astronomy, General Chemistry},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Integrated NMR and cryo-EM atomic-resolution structure determination of a half-megadalton enzyme complex}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-019-10490-9},
  volume       = {10},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{9060,
  abstract     = {Molecular motors are essential to the living, generating fluctuations that boost transport and assist assembly. Active colloids, that consume energy to move, hold similar potential for man-made materials controlled by forces generated from within. Yet, their use as a powerhouse in materials science lacks. Here we show a massive acceleration of the annealing of a monolayer of passive beads by moderate addition of self-propelled microparticles. We rationalize our observations with a model of collisions that drive active fluctuations and activate the annealing. The experiment is quantitatively compared with Brownian dynamic simulations that further unveil a dynamical transition in the mechanism of annealing. Active dopants travel uniformly in the system or co-localize at the grain boundaries as a result of the persistence of their motion. Our findings uncover the potential of internal activity to control materials and lay the groundwork for the rise of materials science beyond equilibrium.},
  author       = {Ramananarivo, Sophie and Ducrot, Etienne and Palacci, Jérémie A},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Physics and Astronomy, General Chemistry},
  number       = {1},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Activity-controlled annealing of colloidal monolayers}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-019-11362-y},
  volume       = {10},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{12190,
  abstract     = {Meiotic crossover frequency varies within genomes, which influences genetic diversity and adaptation. In turn, genetic variation within populations can act to modify crossover frequency in cis and trans. To identify genetic variation that controls meiotic crossover frequency, we screened Arabidopsis accessions using fluorescent recombination reporters. We mapped a genetic modifier of crossover frequency in Col × Bur populations of Arabidopsis to a premature stop codon within TBP-ASSOCIATED FACTOR 4b (TAF4b), which encodes a subunit of the RNA polymerase II general transcription factor TFIID. The Arabidopsis taf4b mutation is a rare variant found in the British Isles, originating in South-West Ireland. Using genetics, genomics, and immunocytology, we demonstrate a genome-wide decrease in taf4b crossovers, with strongest reduction in the sub-telomeric regions. Using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) from purified meiocytes, we show that TAF4b expression is meiocyte enriched, whereas its paralog TAF4 is broadly expressed. Consistent with the role of TFIID in promoting gene expression, RNA-seq of wild-type and taf4b meiocytes identified widespread transcriptional changes, including in genes that regulate the meiotic cell cycle and recombination. Therefore, TAF4b duplication is associated with acquisition of meiocyte-specific expression and promotion of germline transcription, which act directly or indirectly to elevate crossovers. This identifies a novel mode of meiotic recombination control via a general transcription factor.},
  author       = {Lawrence, Emma J. and Gao, Hongbo and Tock, Andrew J. and Lambing, Christophe and Blackwell, Alexander R. and Feng, Xiaoqi and Henderson, Ian R.},
  issn         = {0960-9822},
  journal      = {Current Biology},
  keywords     = {General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology},
  number       = {16},
  pages        = {2676--2686.e3},
  publisher    = {Elsevier BV},
  title        = {{Natural variation in TBP-ASSOCIATED FACTOR 4b controls meiotic crossover and germline transcription in Arabidopsis}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.084},
  volume       = {29},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{12192,
  abstract     = {Transposable elements (TEs), the movement of which can damage the genome, are epigenetically silenced in eukaryotes. Intriguingly, TEs are activated in the sperm companion cell – vegetative cell (VC) – of the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, the extent and mechanism of this activation are unknown. Here we show that about 100 heterochromatic TEs are activated in VCs, mostly by DEMETER-catalyzed DNA demethylation. We further demonstrate that DEMETER access to some of these TEs is permitted by the natural depletion of linker histone H1 in VCs. Ectopically expressed H1 suppresses TEs in VCs by reducing DNA demethylation and via a methylation-independent mechanism. We demonstrate that H1 is required for heterochromatin condensation in plant cells and show that H1 overexpression creates heterochromatic foci in the VC progenitor cell. Taken together, our results demonstrate that the natural depletion of H1 during male gametogenesis facilitates DEMETER-directed DNA demethylation, heterochromatin relaxation, and TE activation.},
  author       = {He, Shengbo and Vickers, Martin and Zhang, Jingyi and Feng, Xiaoqi},
  issn         = {2050-084X},
  journal      = {eLife},
  keywords     = {General Immunology and Microbiology, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Medicine, General Neuroscience},
  publisher    = {eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd},
  title        = {{Natural depletion of histone H1 in sex cells causes DNA demethylation, heterochromatin decondensation and transposon activation}},
  doi          = {10.7554/elife.42530},
  volume       = {8},
  year         = {2019},
}

@article{10880,
  abstract     = {Acquisition of evolutionary novelties is a fundamental process for adapting to the external environment and invading new niches and results in the diversification of life, which we can see in the world today. How such novel phenotypic traits are acquired in the course of evolution and are built up in developing embryos has been a central question in biology. Whole-genome duplication (WGD) is a process of genome doubling that supplies raw genetic materials and increases genome complexity. Recently, it has been gradually revealed that WGD and subsequent fate changes of duplicated genes can facilitate phenotypic evolution. Here, we review the current understanding of the relationship between WGD and the acquisition of evolutionary novelties. We show some examples of this link and discuss how WGD and subsequent duplicated genes can facilitate phenotypic evolution as well as when such genomic doubling can be advantageous for adaptation.},
  author       = {Yuuta, Moriyama and Koshiba-Takeuchi, Kazuko},
  issn         = {2041-2657},
  journal      = {Briefings in Functional Genomics},
  keywords     = {Genetics, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, General Medicine},
  number       = {5},
  pages        = {329--338},
  publisher    = {Oxford University Press},
  title        = {{Significance of whole-genome duplications on the emergence of evolutionary novelties}},
  doi          = {10.1093/bfgp/ely007},
  volume       = {17},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{11063,
  abstract     = {The total number of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) per nucleus varies greatly between different cell types and is known to change during cell differentiation and cell transformation. However, the underlying mechanisms that control how many nuclear transport channels are assembled into a given nuclear envelope remain unclear. Here, we report that depletion of the NPC basket protein Tpr, but not Nup153, dramatically increases the total NPC number in various cell types. This negative regulation of Tpr occurs via a phosphorylation cascade of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), the central kinase of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Tpr serves as a scaffold for ERK to phosphorylate the nucleoporin (Nup) Nup153, which is critical for early stages of NPC biogenesis. Our results reveal a critical role of the Nup Tpr in coordinating signal transduction pathways during cell proliferation and the dynamic organization of the nucleus.},
  author       = {McCloskey, Asako and Ibarra, Arkaitz and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {0890-9369},
  journal      = {Genes & Development},
  keywords     = {Developmental Biology, Genetics},
  number       = {19-20},
  pages        = {1321--1331},
  publisher    = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory},
  title        = {{Tpr regulates the total number of nuclear pore complexes per cell nucleus}},
  doi          = {10.1101/gad.315523.118},
  volume       = {32},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{8436,
  abstract     = {The exchange of metabolites between the mitochondrial matrix and the cytosol depends on β-barrel channels in the outer membrane and α-helical carrier proteins in the inner membrane. The essential translocase of the inner membrane (TIM) chaperones escort these proteins through the intermembrane space, but the structural and mechanistic details remain elusive. We have used an integrated structural biology approach to reveal the functional principle of TIM chaperones. Multiple clamp-like binding sites hold the mitochondrial membrane proteins in a translocation-competent elongated form, thus mimicking characteristics of co-translational membrane insertion. The bound preprotein undergoes conformational dynamics within the chaperone binding clefts, pointing to a multitude of dynamic local binding events. Mutations in these binding sites cause cell death or growth defects associated with impairment of carrier and β-barrel protein biogenesis. Our work reveals how a single mitochondrial “transfer-chaperone” system is able to guide α-helical and β-barrel membrane proteins in a “nascent chain-like” conformation through a ribosome-free compartment.},
  author       = {Weinhäupl, Katharina and Lindau, Caroline and Hessel, Audrey and Wang, Yong and Schütze, Conny and Jores, Tobias and Melchionda, Laura and Schönfisch, Birgit and Kalbacher, Hubert and Bersch, Beate and Rapaport, Doron and Brennich, Martha and Lindorff-Larsen, Kresten and Wiedemann, Nils and Schanda, Paul},
  issn         = {0092-8674},
  journal      = {Cell},
  keywords     = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology},
  number       = {5},
  pages        = {1365--1379.e25},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Structural basis of membrane protein chaperoning through the mitochondrial intermembrane space}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.039},
  volume       = {175},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{13374,
  abstract     = {Confining molecules to volumes only slightly larger than the molecules themselves can profoundly alter their properties. Molecular switches—entities that can be toggled between two or more forms upon exposure to an external stimulus—often require conformational freedom to isomerize. Therefore, placing these switches in confined spaces can render them non-operational. To preserve the switchability of these species under confinement, we work with a water-soluble coordination cage that is flexible enough to adapt its shape to the conformation of the encapsulated guest. We show that owing to its flexibility, the cage is not only capable of accommodating—and solubilizing in water—several light-responsive spiropyran-based molecular switches, but, more importantly, it also provides an environment suitable for the efficient, reversible photoisomerization of the bound guests. Our findings pave the way towards studying various molecular switching processes in confined environments.},
  author       = {Samanta, Dipak and Galaktionova, Daria and Gemen, Julius and Shimon, Linda J. W. and Diskin-Posner, Yael and Avram, Liat and Král, Petr and Klajn, Rafal},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, Multidisciplinary},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Reversible chromism of spiropyran in the cavity of a flexible coordination cage}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-017-02715-6},
  volume       = {9},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{14284,
  abstract     = {Pore-forming toxins (PFT) are virulence factors that transform from soluble to membrane-bound states. The Yersinia YaxAB system represents a family of binary α-PFTs with orthologues in human, insect, and plant pathogens, with unknown structures. YaxAB was shown to be cytotoxic and likely involved in pathogenesis, though the molecular basis for its two-component lytic mechanism remains elusive. Here, we present crystal structures of YaxA and YaxB, together with a cryo-electron microscopy map of the YaxAB complex. Our structures reveal a pore predominantly composed of decamers of YaxA–YaxB heterodimers. Both subunits bear membrane-active moieties, but only YaxA is capable of binding to membranes by itself. YaxB can subsequently be recruited to membrane-associated YaxA and induced to present its lytic transmembrane helices. Pore formation can progress by further oligomerization of YaxA–YaxB dimers. Our results allow for a comparison between pore assemblies belonging to the wider ClyA-like family of α-PFTs, highlighting diverse pore architectures.},
  author       = {Bräuning, Bastian and Bertosin, Eva and Praetorius, Florian M and Ihling, Christian and Schatt, Alexandra and Adler, Agnes and Richter, Klaus and Sinz, Andrea and Dietz, Hendrik and Groll, Michael},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, Multidisciplinary},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Structure and mechanism of the two-component α-helical pore-forming toxin YaxAB}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-018-04139-2},
  volume       = {9},
  year         = {2018},
}

@article{11065,
  abstract     = {Premature aging disorders provide an opportunity to study the mechanisms that drive aging. In Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a mutant form of the nuclear scaffold protein lamin A distorts nuclei and sequesters nuclear proteins. We sought to investigate protein homeostasis in this disease. Here, we report a widespread increase in protein turnover in HGPS-derived cells compared to normal cells. We determine that global protein synthesis is elevated as a consequence of activated nucleoli and enhanced ribosome biogenesis in HGPS-derived fibroblasts. Depleting normal lamin A or inducing mutant lamin A expression are each sufficient to drive nucleolar expansion. We further show that nucleolar size correlates with donor age in primary fibroblasts derived from healthy individuals and that ribosomal RNA production increases with age, indicating that nucleolar size and activity can serve as aging biomarkers. While limiting ribosome biogenesis extends lifespan in several systems, we show that increased ribosome biogenesis and activity are a hallmark of premature aging.},
  author       = {Buchwalter, Abigail and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Nucleolar expansion and elevated protein translation in premature aging}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41467-017-00322-z},
  volume       = {8},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{11066,
  abstract     = {Recent studies have shown that a subset of nucleoporins (Nups) can detach from the nuclear pore complex and move into the nuclear interior to regulate transcription. One such dynamic Nup, called Nup98, has been implicated in gene activation in healthy cells and has been shown to drive leukemogenesis when mutated in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Here we show that in hematopoietic cells, Nup98 binds predominantly to transcription start sites to recruit the Wdr82–Set1A/COMPASS (complex of proteins associated with Set1) complex, which is required for deposition of the histone 3 Lys4 trimethyl (H3K4me3)-activating mark. Depletion of Nup98 or Wdr82 abolishes Set1A recruitment to chromatin and subsequently ablates H3K4me3 at adjacent promoters. Furthermore, expression of a Nup98 fusion protein implicated in aggressive AML causes mislocalization of H3K4me3 at abnormal regions and up-regulation of associated genes. Our findings establish a function of Nup98 in hematopoietic gene activation and provide mechanistic insight into which Nup98 leukemic fusion proteins promote AML.},
  author       = {Franks, Tobias M. and McCloskey, Asako and Shokhirev, Maxim Nikolaievich and Benner, Chris and Rathore, Annie and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {0890-9369},
  journal      = {Genes & Development},
  keywords     = {Developmental Biology, Genetics},
  number       = {22},
  pages        = {2222--2234},
  publisher    = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory},
  title        = {{Nup98 recruits the Wdr82–Set1A/COMPASS complex to promoters to regulate H3K4 trimethylation in hematopoietic progenitor cells}},
  doi          = {10.1101/gad.306753.117},
  volume       = {31},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{11067,
  abstract     = {Neural progenitor cells (NeuPCs) possess a unique nuclear architecture that changes during differentiation. Nucleoporins are linked with cell-type-specific gene regulation, coupling physical changes in nuclear structure to transcriptional output; but, whether and how they coordinate with key fate-determining transcription factors is unclear. Here we show that the nucleoporin Nup153 interacts with Sox2 in adult NeuPCs, where it is indispensable for their maintenance and controls neuronal differentiation. Genome-wide analyses show that Nup153 and Sox2 bind and co-regulate hundreds of genes. Binding of Nup153 to gene promoters or transcriptional end sites correlates with increased or decreased gene expression, respectively, and inhibiting Nup153 expression alters open chromatin configurations at its target genes, disrupts genomic localization of Sox2, and promotes differentiation in vitro and a gliogenic fate switch in vivo. Together, these findings reveal that nuclear structural proteins may exert bimodal transcriptional effects to control cell fate.},
  author       = {Toda, Tomohisa and Hsu, Jonathan Y. and Linker, Sara B. and Hu, Lauren and Schafer, Simon T. and Mertens, Jerome and Jacinto, Filipe V. and HETZER, Martin W and Gage, Fred H.},
  issn         = {1934-5909},
  journal      = {Cell Stem Cell},
  keywords     = {Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Medicine},
  number       = {5},
  pages        = {618--634.e7},
  publisher    = {Elsevier},
  title        = {{Nup153 interacts with Sox2 to enable bimodal gene regulation and maintenance of neural progenitor cells}},
  doi          = {10.1016/j.stem.2017.08.012},
  volume       = {21},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{14005,
  abstract     = {Strong-field photoelectron holography and laser-induced electron diffraction (LIED) are two powerful emerging methods for probing the ultrafast dynamics of molecules. However, both of them have remained restricted to static systems and to nuclear dynamics induced by strong-field ionization. Here we extend these promising methods to image purely electronic valence-shell dynamics in molecules using photoelectron holography. In the same experiment, we use LIED and photoelectron holography simultaneously, to observe coupled electronic-rotational dynamics taking place on similar timescales. These results offer perspectives for imaging ultrafast dynamics of molecules on femtosecond to attosecond timescales.},
  author       = {Walt, Samuel G. and Bhargava Ram, Niraghatam and Atala, Marcos and Shvetsov-Shilovski, Nikolay I and von Conta, Aaron and Baykusheva, Denitsa Rangelova and Lein, Manfred and Wörner, Hans Jakob},
  issn         = {2041-1723},
  journal      = {Nature Communications},
  keywords     = {General Physics and Astronomy, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, General Chemistry, Multidisciplinary},
  publisher    = {Springer Nature},
  title        = {{Dynamics of valence-shell electrons and nuclei probed by strong-field holography and rescattering}},
  doi          = {10.1038/ncomms15651},
  volume       = {8},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{10370,
  abstract     = {Eukaryotic cells are densely packed with macromolecular complexes and intertwining organelles, continually transported and reshaped. Intriguingly, organelles avoid clashing and entangling with each other in such limited space. Mitochondria form extensive networks constantly remodeled by fission and fusion. Here, we show that mitochondrial fission is triggered by mechanical forces. Mechano-stimulation of mitochondria – via encounter with motile intracellular pathogens, via external pressure applied by an atomic force microscope, or via cell migration across uneven microsurfaces – results in the recruitment of the mitochondrial fission machinery, and subsequent division. We propose that MFF, owing to affinity for narrow mitochondria, acts as a membrane-bound force sensor to recruit the fission machinery to mechanically strained sites. Thus, mitochondria adapt to the environment by sensing and responding to biomechanical cues. Our findings that mechanical triggers can be coupled to biochemical responses in membrane dynamics may explain how organelles orderly cohabit in the crowded cytoplasm.},
  author       = {Helle, Sebastian Carsten Johannes and Feng, Qian and Aebersold, Mathias J and Hirt, Luca and Grüter, Raphael R and Vahid, Afshin and Sirianni, Andrea and Mostowy, Serge and Snedeker, Jess G and Šarić, Anđela and Idema, Timon and Zambelli, Tomaso and Kornmann, Benoît},
  issn         = {2050-084X},
  journal      = {eLife},
  keywords     = {general immunology and microbiology, general biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, general medicine, general neuroscience},
  publisher    = {eLife Sciences Publications},
  title        = {{Mechanical force induces mitochondrial fission}},
  doi          = {10.7554/elife.30292},
  volume       = {6},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{12193,
  abstract     = {DNA methylation regulates eukaryotic gene expression and is extensively reprogrammed during animal development. However, whether developmental methylation reprogramming during the sporophytic life cycle of flowering plants regulates genes is presently unknown. Here we report a distinctive gene-targeted RNA-directed DNA methylation (RdDM) activity in the Arabidopsis thaliana male sexual lineage that regulates gene expression in meiocytes. Loss of sexual-lineage-specific RdDM causes mis-splicing of the MPS1 gene (also known as PRD2), thereby disrupting meiosis. Our results establish a regulatory paradigm in which de novo methylation creates a cell-lineage-specific epigenetic signature that controls gene expression and contributes to cellular function in flowering plants.},
  author       = {Walker, James and Gao, Hongbo and Zhang, Jingyi and Aldridge, Billy and Vickers, Martin and Higgins, James D. and Feng, Xiaoqi},
  issn         = {1546-1718},
  journal      = {Nature Genetics},
  keywords     = {Genetics},
  number       = {1},
  pages        = {130--137},
  publisher    = {Nature Research},
  title        = {{Sexual-lineage-specific DNA methylation regulates meiosis in Arabidopsis}},
  doi          = {10.1038/s41588-017-0008-5},
  volume       = {50},
  year         = {2017},
}

@article{11070,
  abstract     = {The organization of the genome in the three-dimensional space of the nucleus is coupled with cell type-specific gene expression. However, how nuclear architecture influences transcription that governs cell identity remains unknown. Here, we show that nuclear pore complex (NPC) components Nup93 and Nup153 bind superenhancers (SE), regulatory structures that drive the expression of key genes that specify cell identity. We found that nucleoporin-associated SEs localize preferentially to the nuclear periphery, and absence of Nup153 and Nup93 results in dramatic transcriptional changes of SE-associated genes. Our results reveal a crucial role of NPC components in the regulation of cell type-specifying genes and highlight nuclear architecture as a regulatory layer of genome functions in cell fate.},
  author       = {Ibarra, Arkaitz and Benner, Chris and Tyagi, Swati and Cool, Jonah and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {1549-5477},
  journal      = {Genes & Development},
  keywords     = {Developmental Biology, Genetics},
  number       = {20},
  pages        = {2253--2258},
  publisher    = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory},
  title        = {{Nucleoporin-mediated regulation of cell identity genes}},
  doi          = {10.1101/gad.287417.116},
  volume       = {30},
  year         = {2016},
}

@article{11071,
  abstract     = {Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) emerged as nuclear transport channels in eukaryotic cells ∼1.5 billion years ago. While the primary role of NPCs is to regulate nucleo–cytoplasmic transport, recent research suggests that certain NPC proteins have additionally acquired the role of affecting gene expression at the nuclear periphery and in the nucleoplasm in metazoans. Here we identify a widely expressed variant of the transmembrane nucleoporin (Nup) Pom121 (named sPom121, for “soluble Pom121”) that arose by genomic rearrangement before the divergence of hominoids. sPom121 lacks the nuclear membrane-anchoring domain and thus does not localize to the NPC. Instead, sPom121 colocalizes and interacts with nucleoplasmic Nup98, a previously identified transcriptional regulator, at gene promoters to control transcription of its target genes in human cells. Interestingly, sPom121 transcripts appear independently in several mammalian species, suggesting convergent innovation of Nup-mediated transcription regulation during mammalian evolution. Our findings implicate alternate transcription initiation as a mechanism to increase the functional diversity of NPC components.},
  author       = {Franks, Tobias M. and Benner, Chris and Narvaiza, Iñigo and Marchetto, Maria C.N. and Young, Janet M. and Malik, Harmit S. and Gage, Fred H. and HETZER, Martin W},
  issn         = {1549-5477},
  journal      = {Genes & Development},
  keywords     = {Developmental Biology, Genetics},
  number       = {10},
  pages        = {1155--1171},
  publisher    = {Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory},
  title        = {{Evolution of a transcriptional regulator from a transmembrane nucleoporin}},
  doi          = {10.1101/gad.280941.116},
  volume       = {30},
  year         = {2016},
}

