{"title":"Structural basis of stepwise proton sensing-mediated GPCR activation.","authors":"Xiaolei Yue, Li Peng, Shenhui Liu, Bingjie Zhang, Xiaodan Zhang, Hao Chang, Yuan Pei, Xiaoting Li, Junlin Liu, Wenqing Shui, Lijie Wu, Huji Xu, Zhi-Jie Liu, Tian Hua","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01092-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-025-01092-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The regulation of pH homeostasis is crucial in many biological processes vital for survival, growth, and function of life. The pH-sensing G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), including GPR4, GPR65 and GPR68, play a pivotal role in detecting changes in extracellular proton concentrations, impacting both physiological and pathological states. However, comprehensive understanding of the proton sensing mechanism is still elusive. Here, we determined the cryo-electron microscopy structures of GPR4 and GPR65 in various activation states across different pH levels, coupled with G<sub>s</sub>, G<sub>q</sub> or G<sub>13</sub> proteins, as well as a small molecule NE52-QQ57-bound inactive GPR4 structure. These structures reveal the dynamic nature of the extracellular loop 2 and its signature conformations in different receptor states, and disclose the proton sensing mechanism mediated by networks of extracellular histidine and carboxylic acid residues. Notably, we unexpectedly captured partially active intermediate states of both GPR4-G<sub>s</sub> and GPR4-G<sub>q</sub> complexes, and identified a unique allosteric binding site for NE52-QQ57 in GPR4. By integrating prior investigations with our structural analysis and mutagenesis data, we propose a detailed atomic model for stepwise proton sensation and GPCR activation. These insights may pave the way for the development of selective ligands and targeted therapeutic interventions for pH sensing-relevant diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":" ","pages":"423-436"},"PeriodicalIF":28.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12134361/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143979144","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01103-w
Deepshikha Malik, Ashish Deshmukh, Silvija Bilokapic, Mario Halic
{"title":"Mechanisms of chromatin remodeling by the human Snf2-type ATPase SNF2H.","authors":"Deepshikha Malik, Ashish Deshmukh, Silvija Bilokapic, Mario Halic","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01103-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41422-025-01103-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":" ","pages":"465-468"},"PeriodicalIF":28.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12134373/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771542","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-05-29DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01133-4
Panagiotis N. Moschou, Peter V. Bozhkov
{"title":"FUSTer than stress granules: a prion-like domain warns plants of heat","authors":"Panagiotis N. Moschou, Peter V. Bozhkov","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01133-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01133-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144164773","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-05-29DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01129-0
Sonja Wolff, Susan Erster, Gustavo Palacios, Ute M Moll
{"title":"Editorial Expression of Concern: p53's mitochondrial translocation and MOMP action is independent of Puma and Bax and severely disrupts mitochondrial membrane integrity.","authors":"Sonja Wolff, Susan Erster, Gustavo Palacios, Ute M Moll","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01129-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01129-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":28.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144172705","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-05-19DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01131-6
Beibei Wang, Qiunan Jin, Hui Yang
{"title":"Filament assembly powers NbaSPARDA in bacterial defense","authors":"Beibei Wang, Qiunan Jin, Hui Yang","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01131-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01131-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>The SPARDA system, a short Argonaute-based bacterial defense mechanism, employs guide RNA to recognize invading complementary DNA and degrade both invader and the host genome, leading to cell death or dormancy. A recent paper published in</b> <b><i>Cell Research</i></b> <b>elucidated the activation mechanism of</b> <b><i>Novosphingopyxis baekryungensis Nba</i></b><b>SPARDA by capturing cryo-EM snapshots, demonstrating that guide RNA–target DNA heteroduplex formation triggers filament assembly and subsequent activation of collateral nuclease activity on environmental nucleic acids</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144088038","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01127-2
Alina Üffing,Eleanor Attridge,Sharon A Tooze
{"title":"Targeting an alternative route: autophagy in RAS-driven cancers.","authors":"Alina Üffing,Eleanor Attridge,Sharon A Tooze","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01127-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01127-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144065802","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}
Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-05-16DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01130-7
Liushuai Li,Yajie Liu,Juhong Rao,Hengrui Hu,Jia Liu,Xi Wang,Jiang Li,Zhihong Hu,Manli Wang
{"title":"Mucin-like protein of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is a key virulence factor and a potent target for developing novel attenuated vaccine.","authors":"Liushuai Li,Yajie Liu,Juhong Rao,Hengrui Hu,Jia Liu,Xi Wang,Jiang Li,Zhihong Hu,Manli Wang","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01130-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01130-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"32 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144065801","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 thermosensor FUST1 primes heat-induced stress granule formation via biomolecular condensation in Arabidopsis.","authors":"Pan Geng,Changxuan Li,Xuebo Quan,Jiaxuan Peng,Zhiying Yao,Yunhe Wang,Ming Yang,Yanning Wang,Yunfan Jin,Yan Xiong,Hongtao Liu,Yijun Qi,Peiguo Yang,Kai Huang,Xiaofeng Fang","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01125-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01125-4","url":null,"abstract":"The ability to sense cellular temperature and induce physiological changes is pivotal for plants to cope with warming climate. Biomolecular condensation is emerging as a thermo-sensing mechanism, but the underlying molecular basis remains elusive. Here we show that an intrinsically disordered protein FUST1 senses heat via its condensation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Heat-dependent condensation of FUST1 is primarily determined by its prion-like domain (PrLD). All-atom molecular dynamics simulation and experimental validation reveal that PrLD encodes a thermo-switch, experiencing lock-to-open conformational changes that control the intermolecular contacts. FUST1 interacts with integral stress granule (SG) components and localizes in the SGs. Importantly, FUST1 condensation is autonomous and precedes condensation of several known SG markers and is indispensable for SG assembly. Loss of FUST1 significantly delays SG assembly and impairs both basal and acquired heat tolerance. These findings illuminate the molecular basis for thermo-sensing by biomolecular condensation and shed light on the molecular mechanism of heat stress granule assembly.","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143945476","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":"DNA remnants in red blood cells enable early detection of cancer","authors":"Haobo Sun, Xingyun Yao, Yurong Jiao, Xiangxing Kong, Yuehua Han, Ying Li, Jianping Ge, Yanfei Cao, Hongsheng Lu, Pingli Wang, Yu Xu, Jun Li, Kefeng Ding, Xiaofei Gao","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01122-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01122-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cytoplasmic DNA emerges as a consequence of genomic instability. However, its potential role in disease diagnosis has yet to be fully explored. Here we analyzed DNA remnants in mature red blood cells (rbcDNA) from both healthy individuals and cancer patients. Our study unveiled distinct genomic profiles in rbcDNA from cancer patients with early-stage solid tumors compared to those of healthy donors. Significant changes in read counts at specific genomic regions within rbcDNA were identified in patients, which were termed tumor-associated rbcDNA features. These features demonstrated potential for highly accurate early-stage cancer detection, proposing a novel approach for cancer detection. Moreover, tumor-associated rbcDNA features were observed in tumor mouse models, with some features being conserved between mice and humans. Chronic, but not transient, up-regulation of interleukin-18 is essential for the development of these features by promoting DNA damage in bone marrow hematopoietic cells through the up-regulation of NR4A1. These results underscore the remote regulation of chromosomal stability in hematopoietic cells by solid tumors and propose tumor-associated rbcDNA features as a promising strategy for early cancer detection.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"110 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143926856","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}