{"title":"Silencing by the HUSH Epigenetic Transcriptional Repressor Complex.","authors":"Paul J Lehner","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-020425-045352","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-020425-045352","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Retroviral and retrotransposon invasion pose a constant threat to genome integrity and have driven the evolution of host defense pathways able to counter these attacks. The human silencing hub (HUSH complex) is an epigenetic transcriptional repressor complex that recognizes and silences newly integrated retroelements through the establishment of ectopic heterochromatin and chromatin compaction. HUSH provides a genome-wide immunosurveillance system whose challenging task is to detect and silence any newly integrated retroelements, and it thus plays a key role in host defense. To distinguish self from nonself genomic DNA, HUSH recognizes long single-exon (intronless) DNA, the essential hallmark of reverse transcription. Retroelements, being RNA derived, lack classical, noncoding cellular introns, so a long, intronless sequence of DNA is the abnormal molecular pattern that allows HUSH to distinguish invading retroelements from intron-containing host genes. As a newly identified component of the innate immune system, HUSH protects the genome from the reverse flow of genetic information from RNA to DNA, revealing an unanticipated mechanism of postintegration genome immunity.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":"94 1","pages":"361-386"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144336262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karin M Reinisch, Pietro De Camilli, Thomas J Melia
{"title":"Lipid Dynamics at Membrane Contact Sites.","authors":"Karin M Reinisch, Pietro De Camilli, Thomas J Melia","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-122821","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-122821","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In eukaryotes, lipid building blocks for cellular membranes are made largely in the endoplasmic reticulum and then redistributed to other organelles. Lipids are transported between organelles by vesicular trafficking or else by proteins located primarily at sites where different organelles are closely apposed. Here we discuss transport at organelle contact sites mediated by shuttle-like proteins that carry single lipids between membranes to fine-tune their composition and by the more recently discovered bridge-like proteins that tether two organelles and provide a path for bulk lipid movement. Protein-mediated lipid transport is assisted by integral membrane proteins that have roles in (<i>a</i>) lowering the energy barrier for lipid transfer between the membrane and the lipid transfer protein, a key parameter determining the transfer rate, and (<i>b</i>) scrambling lipids to counteract the bilayer asymmetry that would result from such transfer. Advances in this field are shedding new light on a variety of physiological mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"479-502"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Biochemical Mechanisms of Genetic Recombination and DNA Repair.","authors":"Vivek B Raina, Aidan Jessop, Eric C Greene","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-113931","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-113931","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genetic recombination involves the exchange of genetic material between homologous sequences of DNA. It is employed during meiosis in sexually reproducing organisms or in somatic cells to accurately repair toxic DNA lesions like double-strand breaks and stalled replication forks. In these separate roles, recombination drives genetic diversity by enabling reshuffling of parental genetic information while also serving as a molecular safeguard against the deleterious effects of gross chromosomal rearrangements or mutagenic insults arising for either endogenous or exogenous reasons. In both cases, efficient recombination ensures faithful transmission of genetic information to subsequent generations. In this review, we provide an exploration of the biochemical mechanisms driving genetic recombination, elucidating the molecular intricacies of fundamental processes involved therein with a focus on mechanistic insights gained into these processes using biochemical and single-molecule techniques.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"161-193"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12810152/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nadiya Jaunbocus, Valerie Ebenki, Haomiao Su, Sarah A Slavoff
{"title":"Eukaryotic Microproteins.","authors":"Nadiya Jaunbocus, Valerie Ebenki, Haomiao Su, Sarah A Slavoff","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-080124-012840","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-080124-012840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microproteins are polypeptides of 100-150 amino acids or fewer that have not been annotated by genome annotation consortia, given their small size and other noncanonical properties. Translated microproteins are now known to number in the thousands in the human genome, to function in critical cellular and physiological processes, and to be dysregulated or mutated in diseases including neurodegeneration and cancer. Knowledge about microproteins has rapidly accumulated since the advent of ribosome profiling enabled their global discovery 15 years ago. In this review, we summarize what is known about eukaryotic microprotein discovery, the sequences and expression mechanisms of small open reading frames, and microprotein functions from yeast to human.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"1-28"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12207985/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143974324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Emerging Approaches for Studying Lipid Dynamics, Metabolism, and Interactions in Cells.","authors":"Lin Luan, Nathan P Frederick, Jeremy M Baskin","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-110827","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-083024-110827","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipids are a major class of biological molecules, the primary components of cellular membranes, and critical signaling molecules that regulate cell biology and physiology. Due to their dynamic behavior within membranes, rapid transport between organelles, and complex and often redundant metabolic pathways, lipids have traditionally been considered among the most challenging biological molecules to study. In recent years, a plethora of tools bridging the chemistry-biology interface has emerged for studying different aspects of lipid biology. Here, we provide an overview of these approaches. We discuss methods for lipid detection, including genetically encoded biosensors, synthetic lipid analogs, and metabolic labeling probes. For targeted manipulation of lipids, we describe pharmacological agents and controllable enzymes, termed membrane editors, that harness optogenetics and chemogenetics. To conclude, we survey techniques for elucidating lipid-protein interactions, including photoaffinity labeling and proximity labeling. Collectively, these strategies are revealing new insights into the regulation, dynamics, and functions of lipids in cell biology.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"417-446"},"PeriodicalIF":24.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12181061/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143655884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Caitlin B Moffatt, Bailey A Plaman, Sebastian J Rowe, Alessio Caruso, Stephen A Early, Natividad Ruiz, Daniel Kahne
{"title":"Inhibiting Lipopolysaccharide Biogenesis: The More You Know the Further You Go.","authors":"Caitlin B Moffatt, Bailey A Plaman, Sebastian J Rowe, Alessio Caruso, Stephen A Early, Natividad Ruiz, Daniel Kahne","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-104707","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-104707","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gram-negative bacteria are intrinsically resistant to many antibiotics because they are surrounded by an outer membrane that creates a robust permeability barrier. The outer membrane has an unusual asymmetric structure with a periplasmic leaflet composed of phospholipids and an outer leaflet composed of lipopolysaccharides. Because lipid biosynthesis is completed in the inner membrane of these didermic bacteria, these components must be transported across the cell envelope and properly assembled to expand the outer membrane during growth and division. Lipopolysaccharide molecules are transported over a multi-protein transenvelope bridge that is powered by ATP hydrolysis in the cytoplasm. This review discusses how this bridge is assembled and functions and how lipopolysaccharide transport is regulated to ensure balanced growth of all envelope layers. A combination of approaches and new experimental tools have significantly advanced our understanding of this molecular machine and contributed to the development of new antimicrobials that interfere with transport.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":"94 1","pages":"137-160"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12646044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144336260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Topoisomerase Regulation of Cancer Gene Expression.","authors":"Laura Baranello, Fedor Kouzine, David Levens","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-091724-010717","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-091724-010717","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Under hyperproliferative conditions, escalation of genomic activity provokes high levels of DNA mechanical stress. Cancer cells cope with this stress through topoisomerase activity. Topoisomerases support genome-wide programs, including those driven by oncogenes and tumor suppressors, by adjusting the supercoiling and by interacting with the regulatory complexes involved in transcription, replication, and chromatin transactions. Topoisomerases also manage DNA conformational alterations that control gene activity. However, when the topological stress from oncogene-driven processes exceeds topoisomerase capacity, aberrant structures associated with DNA damage arise. These abnormalities include R-loop formation during transcription and replication. Excessive supercoiling also creates transcription-replication conflicts triggering DNA damage. Topoisomerase catalytic failure elicits topological dysregulation and DNA damage. This damage contributes further to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The roles of topoisomerases in various genetic processes have been widely described, but the cancer-specific functions of topoisomerases are incompletely understood. Here, we summarize the crucial roles played by topoisomerases in cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"333-359"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143655566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Lipid-Raft Theory of Alzheimer's Disease.","authors":"Ari Rappoport","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-052024-115455","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-052024-115455","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>I present a theory of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that explains its symptoms, pathology, and risk factors. To do this, I introduce a new theory of brain plasticity that elucidates the physiological roles of AD-related agents. New events generate synaptic and branching candidates competing for long-term enhancement. Competition resolution crucially depends on the formation of membrane lipid rafts, which requires astrocyte-produced cholesterol. Sporadic AD is caused by impaired formation of plasma-membrane lipid rafts, preventing the conversion of short- to long-term memory and yielding excessive tau phosphorylation, intracellular cholesterol accumulation, synaptic dysfunction, and neurodegeneration. Amyloid β (Aβ) production is promoted by cholesterol during the switch to competition resolution, and cholesterol accumulation stimulates chronic Aβ production, secretion, and aggregation. The theory addresses all of the major established facts known about the disease and is supported by strong evidence.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"387-416"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142543236","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alejandro Gomez Toledo, Gregory J Golden, Richard D Cummings, Johan Malmström, Jeffrey D Esko
{"title":"Endothelial Glycocalyx Turnover in Vascular Health and Disease: Rethinking Endothelial Dysfunction.","authors":"Alejandro Gomez Toledo, Gregory J Golden, Richard D Cummings, Johan Malmström, Jeffrey D Esko","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-104745","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-032620-104745","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The endothelial glycocalyx, a glycan-rich layer on the luminal surface of endothelial cells lining blood and lymphatic vessels, plays a crucial role in vascular homeostasis by regulating vascular permeability, immune cell trafficking, and vascular tone. Dysregulated endothelial glycocalyx turnover-whether through altered synthesis, intracellular degradation, or shedding-contributes to endothelial dysfunction in conditions such as sepsis, ischemic events, and chronic inflammatory disorders including diabetes and atherosclerosis. In this review, we examine the structure, function, and turnover of the endothelial glycocalyx, emphasizing how pathological changes in its turnover drive vascular dysfunction. We also highlight diagnostic approaches to evaluate dysregulated endothelial glycocalyx turnover in connection with vascular diseases and discuss therapeutic strategies aimed at preventing endothelial glycocalyx degradation and restoring endothelial function.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"561-586"},"PeriodicalIF":24.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13377631/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143708246","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joshua A J Burton, Marcus J Edwards, David J Richardson, Thomas A Clarke
{"title":"Electron Transport Across Bacterial Cell Envelopes.","authors":"Joshua A J Burton, Marcus J Edwards, David J Richardson, Thomas A Clarke","doi":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-052621-092202","DOIUrl":"10.1146/annurev-biochem-052621-092202","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extracellular electron transfer is an ancient and ubiquitous process that is used by a range of microorganisms to exchange electrons between the cell and environment. These electron transfer reactions can impact the solubility and speciation of redox-active molecules in the environment, such as metal oxides, while allowing bacteria to survive in areas of limited nutrient availability. Controlled transfer of electrons across the cell envelope requires assembly of electron transport chains that must pass through the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria or the S-layer of Gram-positive bacteria, but the mechanisms used by bacteria are still far from understood. Here, we review the literature surrounding characterized extracellular electron transfer pathways and use protein modeling tools to investigate novel electron transfer proteins and protein complexes. While these protein models are hypothetical, they provide new insight into features that may explain how extracellular electron transfer complexes interact with a range of different environmental substrates.</p>","PeriodicalId":7980,"journal":{"name":"Annual review of biochemistry","volume":" ","pages":"89-109"},"PeriodicalIF":20.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143647213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}