Publications by authors named "Suvagata R Chowdhury"

Objective: Citrin, the mitochondrial aspartate/glutamate carrier isoform 2 (AGC2), is structurally and mechanistically the most complex SLC25 family member, because it consists of three domains and forms a homo-dimer. Each protomer has an N-terminal calcium-binding domain with EF-hands, followed by a substrate-transporting carrier domain and a C-terminal domain with an amphipathic helix. The absence or dysfunction of citrin leads to citrin deficiency, a highly prevalent pan-ethnic mitochondrial disease.

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Mitochondrial dynamics play a critical role in cell fate decisions and in controlling mtDNA levels and distribution. However, the molecular mechanisms linking mitochondrial membrane remodeling and quality control to mtDNA copy number (CN) regulation remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) protein mitochondrial fission process 1 (MTFP1) negatively regulates IMM fusion.

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Article Synopsis
  • Organelles create membrane contact sites for molecule and signal transfer, with mitochondria-endoplasmic reticulum contact sites (MERCS) playing a key role in various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders.
  • A genome-wide screen identified 410 genes that regulate MERCS, with 29 genes chosen for further analysis; particularly, GET4 and BAG6 were found to significantly influence MERCS when suppressed.
  • Investigating GET4 and BAG6 revealed that their loss increases MERCS and enhances mitochondrial function, while also showing neuroprotective effects in a Drosophila model of Alzheimer's disease.
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Ras GTPase-activating protein-binding proteins 1 and 2 (G3BP1 and G3BP2, respectively) are widely recognized as core components of stress granules (SGs). We report that G3BPs reside at the cytoplasmic surface of lysosomes. They act in a non-redundant manner to anchor the tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) protein complex to lysosomes and suppress activation of the metabolic master regulator mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) by amino acids and insulin.

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Cristae architecture is important for the function of mitochondria, the organelles that play the central role in many cellular processes. The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) together with the sorting and assembly machinery (SAM) forms the mitochondrial intermembrane space bridging complex (MIB), a large protein complex present in mammalian mitochondria that partakes in the formation and maintenance of cristae. We report here a new subunit of the mammalian MICOS/MIB complex, an armadillo repeat-containing protein 1 (ArmC1).

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Target of rapamycin complex 1 (TORC1) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) antagonistically modulate metabolism and aging. However, how they coordinate to determine longevity and if they act via separable mechanisms is unclear. Here, we show that neuronal AMPK is essential for lifespan extension from TORC1 inhibition, and that TORC1 suppression increases lifespan cell non autonomously via distinct mechanisms from global AMPK activation.

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Human herpesvirus 6A and 6B frequently acquires latency. HHV-6 activation has been associated with various human diseases. Germ line inheritance of chromosomally integrated HHV-6 makes viral DNA-based analysis difficult for determination of early stages of viral activation.

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Obligate intracellular pathogenic express several serine proteases whose roles in chlamydial development and pathogenicity are not completely understood. The chlamydial protease CPAF is expressed during the replicative phase of the chlamydial developmental cycle and is secreted into the lumen of the -containing vacuole called inclusion. How the secreted protease is activated in the inclusion lumen is currently not fully understood.

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The replication vacuole of Legionella pneumophila makes contact with host mitochondria. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Escoll et al. (2017) dissect the mechanisms of this interaction, the effect of the T4SS effector MitF on mitochondrial function, and the resultant metabolic reprogramming of infected cells to benefit the bacteria.

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Presence of pathogens within a eukaryotic cell is apt to generate stress. Such stress eventually leads to host defense responses, which includes, but is not limited to, apoptosis induction and subsequent destruction of the host cell and the pathogen. Obligate intracellular pathogens such as are dependent on the survival of the host cell owing to their unique replication niche within a membrane-bound inclusion.

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Obligate intracellular replicate in a membrane-bound vacuole called inclusion, which serves as a signaling interface with the host cell. Here, we show that the chlamydial deubiquitinating enzyme (Cdu) 1 localizes in the inclusion membrane and faces the cytosol with the active deubiquitinating enzyme domain. The structure of this domain revealed high similarity to mammalian deubiquitinases with a unique α-helix close to the substrate-binding pocket.

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Obligate intracellular bacteria such as depend on metabolites of the host cell and thus protect their sole replication niche by interfering with the host cells' stress response. Here, we investigated the involvement of host microRNAs (miRNAs) in maintaining the viability of -infected primary human cells. We identified miR-30c-5p as a prominently up-regulated miRNA required for the stable down-regulation of p53, a major suppressor of metabolite supply in infected cells.

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