Publications by authors named "Gemma Stathatos"
Article Synopsis
- Alpha, beta, and gamma tubulins are crucial for all eukaryotic cells, but the roles of other tubulins like delta, epsilon, and zeta are not well understood.
- In a study using mice, researchers focused on epsilon tubulin (TUBE1) and found it is vital for various microtubule structures, particularly in spermatogenesis.
- The absence of TUBE1 resulted in significant germ cell loss and male sterility, highlighting its importance and suggesting a connection with katanin that helps regulate microtubule structures.
The transition zone is a specialised gate at the base of cilia/flagella, which separates the ciliary compartment from the cytoplasm and strictly regulates protein entry. We identified a potential new regulator of the male germ cell transition zone, CEP76. We demonstrated that CEP76 was involved in the selective entry and incorporation of key proteins required for sperm function and fertility into the ciliary compartment and ultimately the sperm tail.
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- - Paternal pre-conceptual experiences, like stress or immune activation from infections, can affect the brain and behavior of offspring via changes in sperm that lead to epigenetic modifications.
- - Using a mouse model, researchers injected male mice with a viral mimic, which resulted in their offspring showing signs of depression and altered stress responses, alongside significant changes in brain gene expression.
- - Effects were also seen in the grand-offspring, with behavioral changes indicating an inherited impact, as well as notable alterations in the sperm microRNA profiles of both treated fathers and their male offspring.
The microtubule cytoskeleton forms the framework of a cell and is fundamental for intracellular transport, cell division, and signal transduction. Traditional pharmacological disruption of the ubiquitous microtubule network using, for instance, nocodazole can have devastating consequences for any cell. Reversibly photoswitchable microtubule inhibitors have the potential to overcome the limitations by enabling drug effects to be implemented in a spatiotemporally-controlled manner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDelta (δ-) and epsilon (ε-) tubulin are lesser-known cousins of alpha (α-) and beta (β-) tubulin. They are likely to regulate centriole function in a broad range of species; however, their in vivo role and mechanism of action in mammals remain mysterious. In unicellular species and mammalian cell lines, mutations in δ- and ε-tubulin cause centriole destabilization and atypical mitosis and, in the most severe cases, cell death.
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