The nucleolus, once considered a mere 'ribosome factory', is now recognized as a dynamic hub influencing nearly every aspect of cellular life, from genome organization to stress response and ageing. Despite being a hallmark of eukaryotic cells, recent discoveries reveal that even prokaryotes exhibit nucleolus-like structures, hinting at ancient origins for nucleolar functions. This review explores the evolutionary journey of the nucleolus, tracing its roots back to early life and examining its structural and functional diversity across domains. We highlight key nucleolar proteins that play vital roles not only in ribosome production but also in regulating cell cycle, DNA repair and cellular stress, linking nucleolar activity directly to health and disease. Dysfunctions in nucleolar processes are implicated in cancer, ribosomopathies and neurodegenerative disorders, positioning the nucleolus as a critical target for innovative therapeutic strategies. As advanced imaging and molecular techniques unlock deeper insights into both canonical and mysterious non-canonical roles, the nucleolus stands as a model for how cellular microenvironments can evolve to meet complex biological demands. By addressing open questions surrounding the evolution of the nucleolus, its organization and diverse functions, the ideas presented here aim to contribute to the ongoing discussion, challenging traditional paradigms and suggesting new avenues for uncovering the fundamental principles that drive cellular life.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.240330 | DOI Listing |
ACS Sens
March 2025
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Drug Research and Clinical Pharmacy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, Jiangsu, China.
Traditional biological detection methods rely on signal amplification strategies such as enzymatic catalysis or nucleic acid amplification. However, their efficiency decreases in low-temperature environments, compromising their detection sensitivity. To break the loss of enzyme catalytic activity at low temperatures, research on cold-adaptive nanozymes has attracted much attention.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol
February 2025
Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
Food allergy has had a rapid rise in prevalence, and thus it is important to identify approaches to limit the development of food allergy early in life. Because maternal dietary supplementation with α-tocopherol (α-T), an isoform of vitamin E, during pregnancy and nursing increases neonate plasma levels of α-T and can limit neonate development of other allergies, we hypothesized that α-T can limit development of food allergy. To assess this, male mice with mutations in their skin barrier genes (FT-/- mice) were mated with wild-type females that received a diet supplemented with α-tocopherol or a control diet.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol
February 2025
Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
Ammonia fertilizer, primarily composed of ammonium chloride, is widely used in pond fish farming throughout Asia. Despite the belief that it possesses antiviral properties, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) has been demonstrated to act as a potent inhibitor of autophagy, which is used by many fish viruses to promote their proliferation during infection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Immunol
February 2025
Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States.
The life cycle of effector T cells is determined by signals downstream of the T cell receptor (TCR) that induce activation and proinflammatory activity, or death as part of the process to resolve inflammation. We recently reported that T cell myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88) tunes down TCR activation and limits T cell survival in the cardiac and tumor inflammatory environments, in contrast to its proinflammatory role in myeloid cells upon toll-like receptor (TLR) recognition of pathogen- and damage-associated molecular patterns. However, the molecular mechanism remains unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Adv
March 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis. Although chromatin intratumoral heterogeneity is a characteristic feature of GBM, most current studies are conducted at a single tumor site. To investigate the GBM-specific 3D genome organization and its heterogeneity, we conducted Hi-C experiments in 21 GBM samples from nine patients, along with three normal brain samples.
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