In mitosis, sister chromatids are preferred repair templates for homologous recombination, whereas in meiosis interhomolog-based repair is promoted. How this switch, which is a defining event in sexua...

Pancreatic cancer cells express cryptic peptides shared across patients that may be therapeutic targets

This review provides a comprehensive overview of how mitotic cells drive the repurposing of proteins to fulfill mitosis-specific functions. To ensure the successful completion of cell division, the cell strategically reallocates its “workforce” by assigning additional functions to available proteins. Protein repurposing occurs at multiple levels of cellular organization and involves diverse mechanisms. At the protein level, proteins may gain mitosis-specific functions through post-translational modifications. At the structural level, proteins that typically maintain cellular architecture in interphase are co-opted to participate in mitotic spindle formation, chromosome condensation, and kinetochore assembly. Furthermore, the dynamic reorganization of the nuclear envelope and other organelles relies on the temporary reassignment of enzymes, structural proteins, and motor proteins to facilitate these changes. These adaptive mechanisms underscore the remarkable versatility of the cellular proteome in responding to the stringent requirements of mitosis. By leveraging the existing proteome for dual or multiple specialized roles, cells optimize resource usage while maintaining the precision needed to preserve genomic integrity and ensure the survival of the next generation of cells.

The evolutionary origins of the genetic point centromere in the brewer's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a member of the order Saccharomycetales, are still unknown. Competing hypotheses suggest that t...

Cohesin is a multi-subunit molecular machine that is able to create lateral chromatin loops within a linear chromosome fiber. Despite intense study, a…

Most extant eukaryotic systems share core meiosis-specific genes, suggesting meiosis evolved only once in the last eukaryotic common ancestor (LECA). These genes have been characterized as master regu...

imageimageHow the condensin complex is recruited to genomic domains to promote their condensation is incompletely understood. This study identifies a generalised molecular mechanism by which condensin...

Database confirms that overlooked segments of the genome code for a multitude of tiny proteins

Aneuploidy is a hallmark of cancer and developmental disorders such as Down syndrome. Understanding how cells accomplish faithful chromosome segregation and how chromosomal instability (CIN) impacts …

Meiosis is an essential cell division for sexual reproduction and fertility across eukaryotes. It involves a series of tightly regulated processes, including entry into meiosis, pairing of homologs, …