Use of the D4H Probe to Track Sterols in Yeast.

Cholesterol is a fundamental component of cellular membranes, and its organization, distribution, and recycling are tightly regulated. Cholesterol can form, together with other lipids and proteins, membrane nanodomains, which play important roles in membrane trafficking, the spatiotemporal organization of signal transduction, or the modulation of plasma membrane transporters, among others. Not surprisingly then, the misregulation of cholesterol biosynthetic and transport pathways has been related to numerous diseases, including neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders.

Light-dependent inhibition of clathrin-mediated endocytosis in yeast unveils conserved functions of the AP2 complex.

Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) is an essential cellular process, conserved among eukaryotes. Yeast constitutes a powerful genetic model to dissect the complex endocytic machinery, yet there is a lack of specific pharmacological agents to interfere with CME in these organisms. TL2 is a light-regulated peptide inhibitor targeting the AP2-β-adaptin/β-arrestin interaction and that can photocontrol CME with high spatiotemporal precision in mammalian cells.

A mechanosensing mechanism controls plasma membrane shape homeostasis at the nanoscale.

As cells migrate and experience forces from their surroundings, they constantly undergo mechanical deformations which reshape their plasma membrane (PM). To maintain homeostasis, cells need to detect and restore such changes, not only in terms of overall PM area and tension as previously described, but also in terms of local, nanoscale topography. Here, we describe a novel phenomenon, by which cells sense and restore mechanically induced PM nanoscale deformations.

Kazrin promotes dynein/dynactin-dependent traffic from early to recycling endosomes.

Kazrin is a protein widely expressed in vertebrates whose depletion causes a myriad of developmental defects, in part derived from altered cell adhesion and migration, as well as failure to undergo epidermal to mesenchymal transition. However, the primary molecular role of kazrin, which might contribute to all these functions, has not been elucidated yet. We previously identified one of its isoforms, kazrin C, as a protein that potently inhibits clathrin-mediated endocytosis when overexpressed.

Eng2, a new player involved in feedback loop regulation of Cdc42 activity in fission yeast.

Cell polarity and morphogenesis are regulated by the small GTPase Cdc42. Even though major advances have been done in the field during the last years, the molecular details leading to its activation in particular cellular contexts are not completely understood. In fission yeast, the β(1,3)-glucanase Eng2 is a "moonlighting protein" with a dual function, acting as a hydrolase during spore dehiscence, and as component of the endocytic machinery in vegetative cells.