Madeo Frank, Eisenberg Tobias, Kroemer Guido
Institute of Molecular Biosciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria.
Genes Dev. 2009 Oct 1;23(19):2253-9. doi: 10.1101/gad.1858009.
Cellular defense mechanisms, including the unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy, attempt to resolve toxic protein aggregates, which are common denominators of neurodegenerative diseases. In this issue of Genes & Development, Hetz and colleagues (pp. 2294-2306) surprisingly show that inhibition of the UPR by knockout of XBP-1 causes a massive increase in autophagy, enhances clearance of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) aggregates, and delays the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. These findings suggest the existence of a homeostatic-if not hormetic-balance between distinct cellular defense mechanisms.
细胞防御机制,包括未折叠蛋白反应(UPR)和自噬,试图清除有毒蛋白质聚集体,而这些聚集体是神经退行性疾病的共同特征。在本期《基因与发育》中,赫茨及其同事(第2294 - 2306页)令人惊讶地发现,通过敲除XBP - 1来抑制UPR会导致自噬大量增加,增强超氧化物歧化酶1(SOD1)聚集体的清除,并延缓肌萎缩侧索硬化症的发展。这些发现表明,在不同的细胞防御机制之间存在一种稳态——即便不是兴奋性的——平衡。