How Do Cells Form Compartments and How Is this Related to the Onset of Neurodegenerative Diseases?

Anthony A. Hyman

Molecules in cells are not randomly distributed but form compartments that perform specific functions. A few years ago, scientists discovered that many of these compartments develop by the process of phase separation which results in liquid-like compartments. This is the case for stress granules – drops formed by the cell when it is under stress, e.g. from heat or chemicals. As ANTHONY A. HYMAN explains, it has been shown that the same proteins that are associated with the formation of stress granules are also linked to neurodegenerative diseases. The research presented in this video followed the hypothesis that if the process of formation of stress granules goes wrong these proteins aggregate which leads to the onset of a disease. An in-vitro aging experiment confirmed this hypothesis and thereby suggests that finding a way to maintain the cell compartments in the liquid state might help in curing neurodegenerative diseases.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21036/LTPUB10279

Researcher

Anthony Hyman is Founding Director of the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics in Dresden, Germany. Before joining the Max Planck Society, he worked as a Group Leader at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany. His research interests include cytoplasmic organization and how cells form non-membrane bound compartments. Anthony Hyman is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society (UK) and was awarded the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize for his work on microtubules and cell division in 2011.

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics: The Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG), located in Dresden, was founded in 1998 and is one of more than 80 institutes of the Max Planck Society, an independent, non-profit organization in Germany. 550 curiosity-driven scientists from over 50 countries ask: How do cells form tissues? To study this pivotal process, we investigate the molecular principles underlying cellular function and tissue morphogenesis. Our basic research programs span multiple scales of magnitude, from molecular assemblies to organelles, cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. A key part of the MPI-CBG’s research strategy is to provide all researchers with state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology, assisted by experienced central scientific services and facilities. These facilities are also involved in the development and optimization of new technologies tailored to specific research projects. All PhD students at MPI-CBG are members of our International Max Planck Research School for Cell, Developmental and Systems Biology (IMPRS-CellDevoSys). Degrees are awarded in partnership with the TU Dresden, one of Germany’s excellence universities. www.mpi-cbg.de