Cell ResearchPub Date : 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01120-9
Niklas A. Schmacke, Veit Hornung
{"title":"Decoding NLRP3: Phase separation enters the scene","authors":"Niklas A. Schmacke, Veit Hornung","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01120-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01120-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Activation of the innate immune sensor protein NLRP3 leads to the assembly of a multiprotein complex called the inflammasome, causing cell death and inflammation. In a recent paper in</b> <b><i>Cell Research</i></b>, <b>Zou et al. now provide evidence that palmitoylation of NLRP3 promotes its liquid–liquid phase separation, driving inflammasome activation</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853161","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 : 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01109-4
Gang Du, Hao Wu
{"title":"Gasdermin D pores hitch a ride: extracellular vesicles spread pyroptosis","authors":"Gang Du, Hao Wu","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01109-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01109-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Pyroptosis is a highly immunogenic cell death due to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18. A recent study published in</b> <b><i>Cell</i></b> <b>by Wright and colleagues uncovered a novel mechanism in which extracellular vesicles released from pyroptotic cells serve as carriers of functional gasdermin D pores to propagate pyroptosis to bystander cells, providing valuable insights into the process of bystander cell death and opening up potential therapeutic avenues.</b></p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853164","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 : 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01121-8
Xianglin Huang, Brian E. Krumm, Bryan L. Roth
{"title":"Orchestrating NTSR1 signaling from the interface","authors":"Xianglin Huang, Brian E. Krumm, Bryan L. Roth","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01121-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01121-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Biased allosteric modulators provide great therapeutic potential by selectively directing signal bias in the presence of endogenous ligand under (patho)physiological conditions. In a recent</b> <b><i>Cell Research</i></b> <b>paper, Sun et al. revealed the structural mechanisms underlying the biased allosteric modulation exerted by SBI-533 directly at the neurotensin receptor 1–β-arrestin1 interface</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"268 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853178","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 : 2025-04-21DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01118-3
Nikita Sharaev, Jiangfeng Zhao, Wojciech P. Galej
{"title":"Spliceosome-associated quality control","authors":"Nikita Sharaev, Jiangfeng Zhao, Wojciech P. Galej","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01118-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01118-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Intron removal from pre-mRNAs is one of the key steps in gene expression, but how it is achieved with high fidelity remains a subject of active research. Recent structural studies provide new insights into the spliceosome-mediated splice site proofreading mechanism</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143853163","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 : 2025-04-16DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01114-7
Zhenzhen Li, Qikui Xu, Yan Zhang, Jing Zhong, Tianxiang Zhang, Junchao Xue, Shuxian Liu, Haishan Gao, Z. Z. Zhao Zhang, Jianping Wu, En-Zhi Shen
{"title":"Mechanistic insights into RNA cleavage by human Argonaute2–siRNA complex","authors":"Zhenzhen Li, Qikui Xu, Yan Zhang, Jing Zhong, Tianxiang Zhang, Junchao Xue, Shuxian Liu, Haishan Gao, Z. Z. Zhao Zhang, Jianping Wu, En-Zhi Shen","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01114-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01114-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In animals, AGO-clade Argonaute proteins utilize small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) as guides to recognize target with complete complementarity, resulting in target RNA cleavage that is a critical step for target silencing. These proteins feature a constricted nucleic acid-binding channel that limits base pairing between the guide and target beyond the seed region. How the AGO–siRNA complexes overcome this structural limitation and achieve efficient target cleavage remains unclear. We performed cryo-electron microscopy of human AGO–siRNA complexes bound to target RNAs of increasing lengths to examine the conformational changes associated with target recognition and cleavage. Initially, conformational transition propagates from the opening of the PAZ domain and extends through a repositioning of the PIWI–L1–N domain toward the binding channel, facilitating the capture of siRNA–target duplex. Subsequent extension of base pairing drives the downward movement of the PIWI–L1–N domain to enable catalytic activation. Finally, further base pairing toward the 3′ end of siRNA destabilizes the PAZ–N domain, resulting in a “uni-lobed” architecture, which might facilitate the multi-turnover action of the AGO–siRNA enzyme complex. In contrast to PIWI-clade Argonautes, the “uni-lobed” structure of the AGO complex makes multiple contacts with the target in the central region of the siRNA–target duplex, positioning it within the catalytic site. Our findings shed light on the stepwise mechanisms by which the AGO–siRNA complex executes target RNA cleavage and offer insights into the distinct operational modalities of AGO and PIWI proteins in achieving such cleavage.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143836746","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 : 2025-04-15DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01119-2
Michal Schwartz
{"title":"Why resident microglial-like cells were missed in the peripheral nervous system.","authors":"Michal Schwartz","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01119-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01119-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":28.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143970444","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 : 2025-04-14DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01115-6
Jonathon A. Ditlev, Julie D. Forman-Kay
{"title":"Beyond peptide targeting sequences: machine learning of cellular condensate localization","authors":"Jonathon A. Ditlev, Julie D. Forman-Kay","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01115-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01115-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Proteins within cells must navigate complex intracellular environments to co-localize with partners and regulate functional cellular organization. In a recent</b><b><i>Science</i></b> <b>paper, Kilgore et al. report the development of ProtGPS, a machine learning-trained predictor of protein localization within biomolecular condensates in cells that can be used to predict the ability of disease-linked mutations to dysregulate protein localization to biomolecular condensates.</b></p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143827374","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 : 2025-04-14DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01117-4
Manuel Beltrán-Visiedo, Rebecca M. Shulman, Lorenzo Galluzzi
{"title":"Selective CDK4 inhibition holds promise for breast cancer","authors":"Manuel Beltrán-Visiedo, Rebecca M. Shulman, Lorenzo Galluzzi","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01117-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01117-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>Although CDK4/6 inhibitors have revolutionized the management of patients with locally advanced/metastatic HR</b><sup><b>+</b></sup><b>HER2</b><sup><i>−</i></sup> <b>breast cancer, hematological side effects, notably neutropenia, have been challenging to circumvent. A highly selective CDK4 inhibitor has recently been shown to cause limited hematological toxicity in preclinical breast cancer models, hence enabling dose escalation in support of superior tumor control</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"108 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143827135","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 : 2025-04-14DOI: 10.1038/s41422-025-01116-5
Thomas C. T. Michaels, Anton Wutz
{"title":"Phase separation paints Xi with Xist","authors":"Thomas C. T. Michaels, Anton Wutz","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01116-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01116-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><b>In a recent study, Ding et al. investigated the role of hnRNPK phase separation in mammalian dosage compensation. The study stands out by linking biophysical and biochemical measurements with genetic and cell biological experimentation, providing wide-ranging evidence for specific mechanistic aspects of X chromosome inactivation, while expanding the potential repertoire for phase separation in biology</b>.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"49 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143827375","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":"Signal-induced NLRP3 phase separation initiates inflammasome activation","authors":"Gonglu Zou, Yuluan Tang, Jie Yang, Shuo Fu, Yuheng Li, Xuanyao Ren, Nanhai Zhou, Wenlong Zhao, Juyi Gao, Ziran Ruan, Zhengfan Jiang","doi":"10.1038/s41422-025-01096-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-025-01096-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>NLRP3 inflammasome is activated by diverse stimuli including infections, intracellular and environmental irritants. How NLRP3 senses these unrelated stimuli and what activates NLRP3 remain unknown. Here we report that signal-dependent NLRP3 phase separation initiated its activation, in which the palmitoyltransferase ZDHHC7-mediated tonic NLRP3 palmitoylation and an IDR region in the FISNA domain of NLRP3 play important roles. Moreover, three conserved hydrophobic residues in the IDR critically mediate multivalent weak interactions. NLRP3-activating stimuli including K<sup>+</sup> efflux and NLRP3-interacting molecules imiquimod, palmitate, and cardiolipin all cause NLRP3 conformational change and induce its phase separation and activation in cells and/or in vitro. Surprisingly, amphiphilic molecules like di-alcohols used to inhibit biomolecular phase separation and chemotherapeutic drugs doxorubicin and paclitaxel activate NLRP3 independently of ZDHHC7 by directly inducing NLRP3 phase separation. Mechanistically, amphiphilic molecules decrease the solubility of both palmitoylated and non-palmitoylated NLRP3 to directly induce its phase separation and activation while NLRP3 palmitoylation reduces its solubility to some extent without activation. Therefore, ZDHHC7-mediated NLRP3 palmitoylation in resting cells licenses its activation by lowering the threshold for NLRP3 phase separation in response to any of the diverse stimuli whereas NLRP3 solubility-reducing molecules like di-alcohols and chemotherapeutic drugs activate NLRP3 directly. The signal-induced NLRP3 phase separation likely provides the simplest and most direct mechanistic basis for NLRP3 activation.</p>","PeriodicalId":9926,"journal":{"name":"Cell Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":44.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143744701","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}