Cell adaptation upon stress: the emerging role of membrane-less compartments

TY - JOUR

T1 - Cell adaptation upon stress

T2 - the emerging role of membrane-less compartments

AU - Rabouille, Catherine

AU - Alberti, Simon

N1 - Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PY - 2017/8

Y1 - 2017/8

N2 - Cells under stress transition from a growth to a quiescent state. The conventional thinking is that this is achieved through transcriptional programs, translational regulation, protein degradation, and post-translational modifications. However, there is an increasing realization that stress adaptation also goes along with dramatic changes in the architecture and organization of cells. In particular, it seems to involve the formation of membrane-less compartments and macromolecular assemblies. We propose that cells make widespread use of this ability to change macromolecular organization to adapt to stress conditions and protect themselves. Here, we address what triggers the formation of these assemblies under stress conditions. We present examples illustrating that in some cases, sophisticated signaling pathways transmit environmental fluctuations from the outside to the inside and in others, that external fluctuations directly affect the internal conditions in cells. We further argue that changes in the organization of the cytoplasm and the formation of membrane-less compartments have many advantages over other ways of altering protein function, such as protein degradation, translation or transcription. Furthermore, membrane-less compartments may act as protective devices for key cellular components.

AB - Cells under stress transition from a growth to a quiescent state. The conventional thinking is that this is achieved through transcriptional programs, translational regulation, protein degradation, and post-translational modifications. However, there is an increasing realization that stress adaptation also goes along with dramatic changes in the architecture and organization of cells. In particular, it seems to involve the formation of membrane-less compartments and macromolecular assemblies. We propose that cells make widespread use of this ability to change macromolecular organization to adapt to stress conditions and protect themselves. Here, we address what triggers the formation of these assemblies under stress conditions. We present examples illustrating that in some cases, sophisticated signaling pathways transmit environmental fluctuations from the outside to the inside and in others, that external fluctuations directly affect the internal conditions in cells. We further argue that changes in the organization of the cytoplasm and the formation of membrane-less compartments have many advantages over other ways of altering protein function, such as protein degradation, translation or transcription. Furthermore, membrane-less compartments may act as protective devices for key cellular components.

KW - Adaptation, Biological

KW - Amino Acids

KW - Animals

KW - Cytoplasm

KW - Drosophila

KW - Protein Processing, Post-Translational

KW - Saccharomycetales

KW - Signal Transduction

KW - Stress, Physiological

KW - Journal Article

KW - Review

U2 - 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.02.006

DO - 10.1016/j.ceb.2017.02.006

M3 - Article

C2 - 28342303

SN - 0955-0674

VL - 47

SP - 34

EP - 42

JO - Current Opinion in Immunology

JF - Current Opinion in Immunology

ER -