August in preprints – Cell biology edition

Cancer biology

Cell competition overcomes host tissue resistance to unleash tumour growth in a Drosophila brain cancer model

Marco Gualtieri, Saline Jabre, Damien Mornico, Maëlwenn Hamon, Cédric Maurange, Pauline Spéder

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.05.668787v1

This study investigates the relationship between tumour growth from neural stem cells and cortex glia. The authors reveal that cortex glia are anti-tumourigenic, with JNK signalling playing a key role in providing resistance.

Picked by: Matthew Davies

RHOV is a Detachment-Responsive Rho GTPase Necessary for Ovarian Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis

Amal T. Elhaw, Priscilla W. Tang, Ya-Yun Cheng, Shriya Kamlapurkar, Zaineb Javed, Sarah Al-Saad, Sierra R. White, Ahmed Emam Abdelnaby, Hannah Khan, Alex Seok Choi, Aidan R. Cole, Yeon-Soo Kim, Huda I. Atiya, Mohamed Trebak, Ioannis Zervantonakis, Ronald J. Buckanovich, Katherine M. Aird, Lan G. Coffman, Karthikeyan Mythreye, Nadine Hempel

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.12.669944v1

This preprint by Amal Taher Elhaw et al., investigates how ovarian cancer cells survive after detaching from extracellular matrix, which is crucial for transcoelomic metastasis. For the first time, this work demonstrates RHOV requisite in various metastatic features ranging from anoikis resistance, anchorage-independence, migration, invasion, and in vivo metastatic colonization. RHOV exhibit a therapeutic potential target as an early marker during transcoelomic metastasis.

Picked by: Vibha Singh

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.22.671866v1

The integrated stress response (ISR) uses transcriptional changes downstream of a number of kinases to help cells respond and adapt to stressful conditions. This preprint studies the role of the ISR in cultured glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cells. To activate the ISR in a spatiotemporally-controlled manner, the authors optogenetically induce clustering of the ISR kinase PKR. The authors find that activation of the ISR induces transcriptional changes that limit migration of GBM cells, opening up the possibility of ISR-activating anti-cancer drugs.

Picked by: Matthew Davies

Mechanosignaling and mechanotransduction

Mechanotransductive feedback control of endothelial cell motility and vascular morphogenesis

Devon E. Mason, Paula Camacho, Megan E. Goeckel, Brendan R. Tobin, Sebastián L. Vega, Pei-Hsun Wu, Dymonn Johnson, Su-Jin Heo, Denis Wirtz, Jason A. Burdick, Levi Wood, Brian Y. Chow, Amber N. Stratman, Joel D. Boerckel

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.06.15.496293v5

Authors in this preprint demonstrate that mechanotransductive feedback history regulates cytoskeletal responses to fresh stimuli, showing that mechanotransduction is non-linear and history dependent. Extended feedback arrest via YAP/TAZ depletion alters subsequent cell adhesion, spreading, and migration.

Picked by: Vibha Singh

Microtubule architecture connects AMOT stability to YAP/TAZ mechanotransduction and Hippo signaling

Giada Vanni, Anna Citron, Ambela Suli, Paolo Contessotto, Robin Caire, Alessandro Gandin, Giovanna Mantovan, Francesca Zanconato, Giovanna Brusatin, Michele Di Palma, Elisa Peirano, Lisa Sofia Pozzer, Carlo Jr. Albanese, Roberto A. Steiner, Michelangelo Cordenonsi, Tito Panciera, Stefano Piccolo

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.08.669326v1

The authors in this preprint describe how perinuclear centrosome–microtubule architecture and AMOT protein stability form a core mechanotransductive rheostat downstream of F-actin, controlling YAP/TAZ activity. Degradation of AMOT associates mechanical cues to Hippo signaling, with suggestions for tumorigenesis and therapeutic targeting.

Picked by: Vibha Singh

Cell organelles and organisation

Crosstalk between tubulin glutamylation and tyrosination regulates kinesin-3-mediated axonal transport

Odvogmed Bayansan, Muhammad Safwan Khawaja, Dwika Sarnia Putri, Oliver Ingvar Wagner

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.08.09.669510v1

This preprint investigates the impact of tubulin post-translational modifications, specifically polyglutamylation, on kinesin-mediated axonal transport. The authors find that polyglutamylation and tyrosination are intimately linked, whereas acetylation is unaffected by polyglutamylation. They also find that polyglutamylated tubulin causes stronger binding of Kinesin, thus reducing its movement speed along the microtubule lattice.

Picked by: Matthew Davies