CEP63 deficiency promotes p53-dependent microcephaly and reveals a role for the centrosome in meiotic recombination.

CEP63 is a centrosomal protein that facilitates centriole duplication and is regulated by the DNA damage response. Mutations in CEP63 cause Seckel syndrome, a human disease characterized by microcephaly and dwarfism. Here we demonstrate that Cep63-deficient mice recapitulate Seckel syndrome pathology.

Stromal gene expression defines poor-prognosis subtypes in colorectal cancer.

Recent molecular classifications of colorectal cancer (CRC) based on global gene expression profiles have defined subtypes displaying resistance to therapy and poor prognosis. Upon evaluation of these classification systems, we discovered that their predictive power arises from genes expressed by stromal cells rather than epithelial tumor cells. Bioinformatic and immunohistochemical analyses identify stromal markers that associate robustly with disease relapse across the various classifications.

Mitofusin 2 as a driver that controls energy metabolism and insulin signaling.

Significance: Mitochondrial dynamics is a complex process that impacts on mitochondrial biology.

Recent Advances: Recent evidence indicates that proteins participating in mitochondrial dynamics have additional cellular roles. Mitofusin 2 (Mfn2) is a potent modulator of mitochondrial metabolism with an impact on energy metabolism in muscle, liver, and hypothalamic neurons.

The transcription factor GATA6 enables self-renewal of colon adenoma stem cells by repressing BMP gene expression.

Aberrant activation of WNT signalling and loss of BMP signals represent the two main alterations leading to the initiation of colorectal cancer (CRC). Here we screen for genes required for maintaining the tumour stem cell phenotype and identify the zinc-finger transcription factor GATA6 as a key regulator of the WNT and BMP pathways in CRC. GATA6 directly drives the expression of LGR5 in adenoma stem cells whereas it restricts BMP signalling to differentiated tumour cells.

Colon cancer cells colonize the lung from established liver metastases through p38 MAPK signalling and PTHLH.

The mechanisms that allow colon cancer cells to form liver and lung metastases, and whether KRAS mutation influences where and when metastasis occurs, are unknown. We provide clinical and molecular evidence showing that different MAPK signalling pathways are implicated in this process. Whereas ERK2 activation provides colon cancer cells with the ability to seed and colonize the liver, reduced p38 MAPK signalling endows cancer cells with the ability to form lung metastasis from previously established liver lesions.

Contributions of DNA repair, cell cycle checkpoints and cell death to suppressing the DNA damage-induced tumorigenic behavior of Drosophila epithelial cells.

When exposed to DNA-damaging agents, components of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway trigger apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and DNA repair. Although failures in this pathway are associated with cancer development, the tumor suppressor roles of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis have recently been questioned in mouse models. Using Drosophila epithelial cells that are unable to activate the apoptotic program, we provide evidence that ionizing radiation (IR)-induced DNA damage elicits a tumorigenic behavior in terms of E-cadherin delocalization, cell delamination, basement membrane degradation and neoplasic overgrowth.

Neurons have an active glycogen metabolism that contributes to tolerance to hypoxia.

Glycogen is present in the brain, where it has been found mainly in glial cells but not in neurons. Therefore, all physiologic roles of brain glycogen have been attributed exclusively to astrocytic glycogen. Working with primary cultured neurons, as well as with genetically modified mice and flies, here we report that-against general belief-neurons contain a low but measurable amount of glycogen.