Publications by authors named "H Hillen"

Article Synopsis
  • Eukaryotic tRNA precursors need to be processed sequentially to become mature tRNAs, with ELAC2 being essential for processing both nucleus-encoded (nu-tRNAs) and mitochondria-encoded (mt-tRNAs) types.
  • ELAC2 can independently process nu-tRNAs, but for most mt-tRNAs, it requires the assistance of TRMT10C and SDR5C1, especially for those without a canonical structure.
  • The study reveals that while standard tRNAs are recognized through direct interactions between ELAC2 and the RNA, the processing of noncanonical mt-tRNAs relies on interactions between ELAC2 and the proteins TRMT10C and SDR5C1, highlighting an evolved mechanism for tRNA maturation in
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Tracking cell death in vivo can enable a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying tissue homeostasis and disease. Unfortunately, existing cell death labeling methods lack compatibility with in vivo applications or suffer from low sensitivity, poor tissue penetration, and limited temporal resolution. Here, we fluorescently labeled dead cells in vivo with Trypan Blue (TBlue) to detect single scattered dead cells or to generate whole-mount three-dimensional maps of large areas of necrotic tissue during organ regeneration.

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Human mitochondria harbour a circular, polyploid genome (mtDNA) encoding 11 messenger RNAs (mRNAs), two ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs) and 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs). Mitochondrial transcription produces long, polycistronic transcripts that span almost the entire length of the genome, and hence contain all three types of RNAs. The primary transcripts then undergo a number of processing and maturation steps, which constitute key regulatory points of mitochondrial gene expression.

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Chloroplasts contain a dedicated genome that encodes subunits of the photosynthesis machinery. Transcription of photosynthesis genes is predominantly carried out by a plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP), a nearly 1 MDa complex composed of core subunits with homology to eubacterial RNA polymerases (RNAPs) and at least 12 additional chloroplast-specific PEP-associated proteins (PAPs). However, the architecture of this complex and the functions of the PAPs remain unknown.

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Cellular proteostasis requires transport of polypeptides across membranes. Although defective transport processes trigger cytosolic rescue and quality control mechanisms that clear translocases and membranes from unproductive cargo, proteins that are synthesized within mitochondria are not accessible to these mechanisms. Mitochondrial-encoded proteins are inserted cotranslationally into the inner membrane by the conserved insertase OXA1L.

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