The major seed storage proteins of maize (Zea mays) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), zein and phaseolin, accumulate in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and in storage vacuoles, respectively. We show here that a chimeric protein composed of phaseolin and 89 amino acids of γ-zein, including the repeated and the Pro-rich domains, maintains the main characteristics of wild-type γ-zein: It is insoluble unless its disulfide bonds are reduced and forms ER-located protein bodies. Unlike wild-type phaseolin, the protein, which we called zeolin, accumulates to very high amounts in leaves of transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). A relevant proportion of the ER chaperone BiP is associated with zeolin protein bodies in an ATP-sensitive fashion. Pulse-chase labeling confirms the high affinity of BiP to insoluble zeolin but indicates that, unlike structurally defective proteins that also extensively interact with BiP, zeolin is highly stable. We conclude that the γ-zein portion is sufficient to induce the formation of protein bodies also when fused to another protein. Because the storage proteins of cereals and legumes nutritionally complement each other, zeolin can be used as a starting point to produce nutritionally balanced and highly stable chimeric storage proteins.

Centrosomes organize microtubule (MT) arrays and are comprised of centrioles surrounded by ordered pericentriolar proteins. Centrioles are barrel-shaped structures composed of MTs, and as basal bodies they template the formation of cilia/flagella. Defects in centriole assembly can lead to ciliopathies and genome instability. The assembly of procentrioles requires a set of conserved proteins. It is initiated at the G1-to-S transition by PLK4 and CEP152, which help recruit SASS6 and STIL to the vicinity of the mother centriole to organize the cartwheel. Subsequently, CPAP promotes centriolar MT assembly and elongation in G2. While centriole integrity is maintained by CEP135 and POC1 through MT stabilization, centriole elongation requires POC5 and is restricted by CP110 and CEP97. How strict control of centriole length is achieved remains unclear. Here, we show that CEP120 and SPICE1 are required to localize CEP135 (but not SASS6, STIL, or CPAP) to procentrioles. CEP120 associates with SPICE1 and CPAP, and depletion of any of these proteins results in short procentrioles. Furthermore, CEP120 or CPAP overexpression results in excessive centriole elongation, a process dependent on CEP120, SPICE1, and CPAP. Our findings identify a shared function for these proteins in centriole length control.

We compared the composition of γ-tubulin ring complexes tandem-affinity purified from asynchronous and mitotic human cells by mass spectrometry. We identified various interactors including the novel core subunit GCP8. GCP8 is the first subunit with an interphase-specific role in centrosomal γ-tubulin recruitment and microtubule nucleation.

The urokinase receptor (uPAR) was originally identified as the membrane receptor of the serine protease urokinase (uPA), thereby implicated in the plasminogen activation cascade and regulation of pericellular proteolysis. Later on, vitronectin was showed to be another major ligand providing uPAR with a role in cell adhesion. Other unrelated ligands have been subsequently reported including for example factor XII and SRPX2 expanding the functions of uPAR to unexpected biological areas such as the initiation of the coagulation cascade or the regulation of language development. Due to its glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor, uPAR has no intracellular domain and thus exerts its signaling capacity through lateral interactions with other components of the plasma membrane that actually mediate uPAR-induced signals. As yet, a total 42 proteins interacting directly with uPAR can be numbered comprising 9 soluble ligands and 33 lateral partners. The fact that uPAR interacts with members of three major families of membrane receptors i.e. G protein-coupled receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases, and integrins implies that the actual number of components constituting the uPAR interacome is extremely high. For example, 156 factors belong to the integrin adhesome. Moreover, in the light of the wide diversity of the components of the uPAR interactome, uPAR appears to be an essential player of major biological systems including the blood coagulation, complement and plasma kallikrein-kinin cascades. This review describes the soluble ligands and lateral partners of the uPAR interactome, the mechanisms regulating uPAR interactions and their proved and/or potential biological functions.