Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Waldweg 33, 37073, Göttingen, Germany.
Department of Genetics, The Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
Sci Rep. 2020 Nov 11;10(1):19525. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-76076-4.
Vimentin is one of the first cytoplasmic intermediate filaments to be expressed in mammalian cells during embryogenesis, but its role in cellular fitness has long been a mystery. Vimentin is acknowledged to play a role in cell stiffness, cell motility, and cytoplasmic organization, yet it is widely considered to be dispensable for cellular function and organismal development. Here, we show that Vimentin plays a role in cellular stress response in differentiating cells, by recruiting aggregates, stress granules, and RNA-binding proteins, directing their elimination and asymmetric partitioning. In the absence of Vimentin, pluripotent embryonic stem cells fail to differentiate properly, with a pronounced deficiency in neuronal differentiation. Our results uncover a novel function for Vimentin, with important implications for development, tissue homeostasis, and in particular, stress response.
波形蛋白是哺乳动物胚胎发生过程中最早表达的细胞内中间丝之一，但它在细胞适应性中的作用长期以来一直是个谜。波形蛋白被认为在细胞硬度、细胞运动和细胞质组织中发挥作用，但它被广泛认为对于细胞功能和生物体发育是可有可无的。在这里，我们表明波形蛋白在分化细胞的细胞应激反应中发挥作用，通过募集聚集体、应激颗粒和 RNA 结合蛋白，指导它们的消除和不对称分配。在缺乏波形蛋白的情况下，多能胚胎干细胞不能正常分化，神经元分化明显缺陷。我们的研究结果揭示了波形蛋白的新功能，对发育、组织稳态，特别是应激反应具有重要意义。
