Integration of ER protein quality control mechanisms defines β-cell function and ER architecture

Maintaining homeostasis is important for each cell and its organelles. Neha Shrestha and her co-authors studied how homeostasis is kept in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). There are three principal ER quality-control mechanisms, namely, unfolded protein response (UPR), ER-associated degradation (ERAD) and ER-phagy that are important for the maintenance of ER homeostasis. However, how these three pathways interact and communicate to maintain homeostasis and organellar architecture remained until now largely unclear. Using focused-ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM) in wild-type mice and mice lacking SEL1L-HRD1, a protein essential for the ERAD pathway, as well as autophagy, the authors could show major alterations in organellar architecture, especially a strong expansion of ER-volume.

We congratulate the authors for their work published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation: JCI – Integration of ER protein quality control mechanisms defines β-cell function and ER architecture

The work was supported by our 3dEMtrace platform.