@article{19963, abstract = {The acquisition of cellular identity requires large-scale alterations in cellular state. The noncanonical proteasome activator PSME3 is known to regulate diverse cellular processes, but its importance for differentiation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that PSME3 binds dynamically to highly active promoters over the course of differentiation. However, loss of PSME3 does not globally affect mRNA transcription. We find instead that PSME3 influences the levels of several adhesion-related proteins and acts upstream of the HSP90 co-chaperone NUDC to regulate cell motility and myoblast differentiation in a proteasome-independent manner. Our findings reveal several new facets of PSME3 functionality and highlight its importance for the differentiation of myogenic cells.}, author = {Kuhn, Kenneth D and Cho, Ukrae H. and Hetzer, Martin W}, issn = {2575-1077}, journal = {Life Science Alliance}, number = {9}, publisher = {Embo Press}, title = {{PSME3 regulates migration and differentiation of myoblasts}}, doi = {10.26508/lsa.202503208}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, } @article{20154, abstract = {In long-lived mammals, including humans, brain cell homeostasis is critical for maintaining brain function throughout life. Most neurons are generated during development and must maintain their cellular identity and plasticity to preserve brain function. Although extensive studies indicate the importance of recycling and regenerating cellular molecules to maintain cellular homeostasis, recent evidence has shown that some proteins and RNAs do not turn over for months and even years. We propose that these long-lived cellular molecules may be the basis for maintaining brain function in the long term, but also a potential convergent target of brain aging. We highlight key discoveries and challenges, and propose potential directions to unravel the mystery of brain cell longevity.}, author = {Hetzer, Martin W and Toda, Tomohisa}, issn = {1878-108X}, journal = {Trends in Neurosciences}, number = {9}, pages = {645--654}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Long-lived cellular molecules in the brain}}, doi = {10.1016/j.tins.2025.07.004}, volume = {48}, year = {2025}, } @article{15316, abstract = {Genomic DNA that resides in the nuclei of mammalian neurons can be as old as the organism itself. The life span of nuclear RNAs, which are critical for proper chromatin architecture and transcription regulation, has not been determined in adult tissues. In this work, we identified and characterized nuclear RNAs that do not turn over for at least 2 years in a subset of postnatally born cells in the mouse brain. These long-lived RNAs were stably retained in nuclei in a neural cell type–specific manner and were required for the maintenance of heterochromatin. Thus, the life span of neural cells may depend on both the molecular longevity of DNA for the storage of genetic information and also the extreme stability of RNA for the functional organization of chromatin.}, author = {Zocher, Sara and Mccloskey, Asako and Karasinsky, Anne and Schulte, Roberta and Friedrich, Ulrike and Lesche, Mathias and Rund, Nicole and Gage, Fred H. and Hetzer, Martin W and Toda, Tomohisa}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6691}, pages = {53--59}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Lifelong persistence of nuclear RNAs in the mouse brain}}, doi = {10.1126/science.adf3481}, volume = {384}, year = {2024}, } @article{18480, abstract = {Caloric restriction (CR) can extend the organism life- and health-span by improving glucose homeostasis. How CR affects the structure-function of pancreatic beta cells remains unknown. We used single nucleus transcriptomics to show that CR increases the expression of genes for beta cell identity, protein processing, and organelle homeostasis. Gene regulatory network analysis reveal that CR activates transcription factors important for beta cell identity and homeostasis, while imaging metabolomics demonstrates that beta cells upon CR are more energetically competent. In fact, high-resolution microscopy show that CR reduces beta cell mitophagy to increase mitochondria mass and the potential for ATP generation. However, CR beta cells have impaired adaptive proliferation in response to high fat diet feeding. Finally, we show that long-term CR delays the onset of beta cell aging hallmarks and promotes cell longevity by reducing beta cell turnover. Therefore, CR could be a feasible approach to preserve compromised beta cell structure-function during aging and diabetes.}, author = {Dos Santos, Cristiane and Cambraia, Amanda and Shrestha, Shristi and Cutler, Melanie and Cottam, Matthew and Perkins, Guy and Lev-Ram, Varda and Roy, Birbickram and Acree, Christopher and Kim, Keun Young and Deerinck, Thomas and Dean, Danielle and Cartailler, Jean Philippe and Macdonald, Patrick E. and Hetzer, Martin W and Ellisman, Mark and Arrojo E Drigo, Rafael}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Calorie restriction increases insulin sensitivity to promote beta cell homeostasis and longevity in mice}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-53127-2}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, } @article{12880, abstract = {Peripheral heterochromatin positioning depends on nuclear envelope associated proteins and repressive histone modifications. Here we show that overexpression (OE) of Lamin B1 (LmnB1) leads to the redistribution of peripheral heterochromatin into heterochromatic foci within the nucleoplasm. These changes represent a perturbation of heterochromatin binding at the nuclear periphery (NP) through a mechanism independent from altering other heterochromatin anchors or histone post-translational modifications. We further show that LmnB1 OE alters gene expression. These changes do not correlate with different levels of H3K9me3, but a significant number of the misregulated genes were likely mislocalized away from the NP upon LmnB1 OE. We also observed an enrichment of developmental processes amongst the upregulated genes. ~74% of these genes were normally repressed in our cell type, suggesting that LmnB1 OE promotes gene de-repression. This demonstrates a broader consequence of LmnB1 OE on cell fate, and highlights the importance of maintaining proper levels of LmnB1.}, author = {Kaneshiro, Jeanae M. and Capitanio, Juliana S. and Hetzer, Martin W}, issn = {1949-1042}, journal = {Nucleus}, number = {1}, publisher = {Taylor & Francis}, title = {{Lamin B1 overexpression alters chromatin organization and gene expression}}, doi = {10.1080/19491034.2023.2202548}, volume = {14}, year = {2023}, } @article{14315, abstract = {During apoptosis, caspases degrade 8 out of ~30 nucleoporins to irreversibly demolish the nuclear pore complex. However, for poorly understood reasons, caspases are also activated during cell differentiation. Here, we show that sublethal activation of caspases during myogenesis results in the transient proteolysis of four peripheral Nups and one transmembrane Nup. ‘Trimmed’ NPCs become nuclear export-defective, and we identified in an unbiased manner several classes of cytoplasmic, plasma membrane, and mitochondrial proteins that rapidly accumulate in the nucleus. NPC trimming by non-apoptotic caspases was also observed in neurogenesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Our results suggest that caspases can reversibly modulate nuclear transport activity, which allows them to function as agents of cell differentiation and adaptation at sublethal levels.}, author = {Cho, Ukrae H. and Hetzer, Martin W}, issn = {2050-084X}, journal = {eLife}, publisher = {eLife Sciences Publications}, title = {{Caspase-mediated nuclear pore complex trimming in cell differentiation and endoplasmic reticulum stress}}, doi = {10.7554/eLife.89066}, volume = {12}, year = {2023}, } @article{14868, abstract = {The role of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) in genome organization remains poorly characterized due to technical limitations in probing genome-wide protein-DNA interactions specific to the nuclear periphery. Here, we developed a new sensitive method, NPC-DamID, which combines in vitro reconstitution of nuclear import and DamID technology. The fixation-free method identifies chromatin interactions at the NPCs in intact nuclei from cells and tissues. We found that NPCs are preferentially associated with common and hierarchically arranged super-enhancers (SEs) across multiple cell types. We also uncovered phase-separated condensates at NPCs that compartmentalize and concentrate transcriptional coactivators and structural proteins at SE-regulated genes. Our results support NPCs as anchoring sites for SE regulatory hubs and cell-type-specific transcriptional control.}, author = {Tyagi, Swati and Capitanio, Juliana S. and Xu, Jiawei and Chen, Fei and Sharma, Rahul and Huang, Jialiang and HETZER, Martin W}, journal = {eLife}, publisher = {eLife Sciences Publications}, title = {{High-precision mapping of nuclear pore-chromatin interactions reveals new principles of genome organization at the nuclear envelope}}, doi = {10.7554/elife.87462}, year = {2023}, } @article{11052, abstract = {In order to combat molecular damage, most cellular proteins undergo rapid turnover. We have previously identified large nuclear protein assemblies that can persist for years in post-mitotic tissues and are subject to age-related decline. Here, we report that mitochondria can be long lived in the mouse brain and reveal that specific mitochondrial proteins have half-lives longer than the average proteome. These mitochondrial long-lived proteins (mitoLLPs) are core components of the electron transport chain (ETC) and display increased longevity in respiratory supercomplexes. We find that COX7C, a mitoLLP that forms a stable contact site between complexes I and IV, is required for complex IV and supercomplex assembly. Remarkably, even upon depletion of COX7C transcripts, ETC function is maintained for days, effectively uncoupling mitochondrial function from ongoing transcription of its mitoLLPs. Our results suggest that modulating protein longevity within the ETC is critical for mitochondrial proteome maintenance and the robustness of mitochondrial function.}, author = {Krishna, Shefali and Arrojo e Drigo, Rafael and Capitanio, Juliana S. and Ramachandra, Ranjan and Ellisman, Mark and HETZER, Martin W}, issn = {1534-5807}, journal = {Developmental Cell}, keywords = {Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Molecular Biology}, number = {21}, pages = {P2952--2965.e9}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Identification of long-lived proteins in the mitochondria reveals increased stability of the electron transport chain}}, doi = {10.1016/j.devcel.2021.10.008}, volume = {56}, year = {2021}, } @article{11062, abstract = {Most neurons are not replaced during an animal’s lifetime. This nondividing state is characterized by extreme longevity and age-dependent decline of key regulatory proteins. To study the lifespans of cells and proteins in adult tissues, we combined isotope labeling of mice with a hybrid imaging method (MIMS-EM). Using 15N mapping, we show that liver and pancreas are composed of cells with vastly different ages, many as old as the animal. Strikingly, we also found that a subset of fibroblasts and endothelial cells, both known for their replicative potential, are characterized by the absence of cell division during adulthood. In addition, we show that the primary cilia of beta cells and neurons contains different structural regions with vastly different lifespans. Based on these results, we propose that age mosaicism across multiple scales is a fundamental principle of adult tissue, cell, and protein complex organization.}, author = {Arrojo e Drigo, Rafael and Lev-Ram, Varda and Tyagi, Swati and Ramachandra, Ranjan and Deerinck, Thomas and Bushong, Eric and Phan, Sebastien and Orphan, Victoria and Lechene, Claude and Ellisman, Mark H. and HETZER, Martin W}, issn = {1550-4131}, journal = {Cell Metabolism}, keywords = {Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Physiology}, number = {2}, pages = {343--351.e3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Age mosaicism across multiple scales in adult tissues}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.010}, volume = {30}, year = {2019}, } @article{11087, abstract = {Intracellular proteins with long lifespans have recently been linked to age-dependent defects, ranging from decreased fertility to the functional decline of neurons. Why long-lived proteins exist in metabolically active cellular environments and how they are maintained over time remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a system-wide identification of proteins with exceptional lifespans in the rat brain. These proteins are inefficiently replenished despite being translated robustly throughout adulthood. Using nucleoporins as a paradigm for long-term protein persistence, we found that nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are maintained over a cell’s life through slow but finite exchange of even its most stable subcomplexes. This maintenance is limited, however, as some nucleoporin levels decrease during aging, providing a rationale for the previously observed age-dependent deterioration of NPC function. Our identification of a long-lived proteome reveals cellular components that are at increased risk for damage accumulation, linking long-term protein persistence to the cellular aging process.}, author = {Toyama, Brandon H. and Savas, Jeffrey N. and Park, Sung Kyu and Harris, Michael S. and Ingolia, Nicholas T. and Yates, John R. and HETZER, Martin W}, issn = {0092-8674}, journal = {Cell}, keywords = {General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology}, number = {5}, pages = {971--982}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Identification of long-lived proteins reveals exceptional stability of essential cellular structures}}, doi = {10.1016/j.cell.2013.07.037}, volume = {154}, year = {2013}, } @article{11092, abstract = {To combat the functional decline of the proteome, cells use the process of protein turnover to replace potentially impaired polypeptides with new functional copies. We found that extremely long-lived proteins (ELLPs) did not turn over in postmitotic cells of the rat central nervous system. These ELLPs were associated with chromatin and the nuclear pore complex, the central transport channels that mediate all molecular trafficking in and out of the nucleus. The longevity of these proteins would be expected to expose them to potentially harmful metabolites, putting them at risk of accumulating damage over extended periods of time. Thus, it is possible that failure to maintain proper levels and functional integrity of ELLPs in nonproliferative cells might contribute to age-related deterioration in cell and tissue function.}, author = {Savas, Jeffrey N. and Toyama, Brandon H. and Xu, Tao and Yates, John R. and HETZER, Martin W}, issn = {1095-9203}, journal = {Science}, number = {6071}, pages = {942--942}, publisher = {American Association for the Advancement of Science}, title = {{Extremely long-lived nuclear pore proteins in the rat brain}}, doi = {10.1126/science.1217421}, volume = {335}, year = {2012}, }