Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death
09:18

Identification of Intracellular Signaling Events Induced in Viable Cells by Interaction with Neighboring Cells Undergoing Apoptotic Cell Death

Published on: December 27, 2016

Survival of the weakest: signaling aided by endosomes

Marisa P McShane1, Marino Zerial

  • 1Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany.

The Journal of Cell Biology
|September 10, 2008
PubMed

Insights

The study reveals how endosomal trafficking enhances weak signals from the c-Met receptor to the STAT3 protein. This mechanism is crucial for understanding cancer signaling and therapeutic targeting.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • The receptor tyrosine kinase c-Met is vital for cell functions and frequently altered in cancer, making it a therapeutic target.
  • While downstream signaling pathways are known, the precise spatiotemporal regulation of c-Met signaling remains unclear.

Discussion:

  • This research proposes a model where endosomal trafficking mediates c-Met-activated STAT3 signaling.
  • The study demonstrates how endosomal compartments amplify weak signals for effective nuclear transmission.

Key Insights:

  • Endosomal trafficking plays a critical role in the spatiotemporal regulation of c-Met signaling.
  • Exploiting endosomal pathways can enhance the transmission of weak signaling events.

Outlook:

  • These findings have significant mechanistic implications for signaling research, particularly in cancer.
  • Understanding this trafficking mechanism may open new avenues for targeted cancer therapies.

More Related Videos

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis12:55

Strategies for Tracking Anastasis, A Cell Survival Phenomenon that Reverses Apoptosis

Published on: February 16, 2015

Related Concept Videos

Maturation of Endosomes01:28

Maturation of Endosomes

The early endosome containing internalized molecules matures through transformations in its location, morphology, intraluminal pH, and membrane protein composition. Together, these changes result in a more acidic late endosome that contains multiple intraluminal vesicles; therefore, the late endosome is also called a multivesicular body (MVB).
Changes in location
The maturing endosome moves along microtubules from the periphery of the cell towards the perinuclear region. This movement of the...
Receptor Downregulation in MVBs01:15

Receptor Downregulation in MVBs

Multivesicular bodies (MVBs) are mature endosomes that sort ubiquitinated proteins and then fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sorted proteins. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGFR) form a complex that can be internalized through endocytosis, sorted into an MVB, and later degraded.
The EGFR can initiate signaling pathways that  lead to cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. Overexpression of EGFR  stimulates cells to proliferate. Excessive  EGFR activation may...
The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin01:28

The Early Endosome: Endocytosis of Transferrin

Essential proteins such as insulin or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and micronutrients such as iron enter a eukaryotic cell through receptor-mediated endocytosis. Subsequently, the early endosomes fuse with the vesicles containing such receptor-ligand complexes and play a vital role in sorting the incoming ligands and receptors. While the ligands are either degraded inside the vesicle or released into the cytosol, their receptors are returned to the plasma membrane for further rounds of...
Recycling Endosomes and Transcytosis00:58

Recycling Endosomes and Transcytosis

The recycling endosome, also known as the endosomal recycling compartment (ERC), is a part of the slow-recycling process of the endocytic pathway. Molecules internalized through receptor-mediated endocytosis are either degraded in the lysosomes or are recycled to the plasma membrane through the fast- or slow-recycling route.
The recycling endosome is not a single organelle but an extensively tubulated network of recycling pathways. It functions in storing molecules or transporting them across...
Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal01:12

Role Of Notch Signalling In Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Notch signaling was first discovered in Drosophila melanogaster, where it is involved in cell lineage differentiation. Notch signaling regulates the maintenance and differentiation of intestinal stem cells or ISCs by controlling the expression of atonal homolog 1 or Atoh1. Atoh1 directs cells to differentiate into secretory cells.
Direct cell-to-cell contact is needed for the activation of Notch signaling. The signal is initiated when a notch ligand binds to a receptor on an adjacent cell, also...
Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy01:22

Cellular Injury V: Apoptosis and Autophagy

Cells respond to damage and stress through highly coordinated processes that decide whether they survive or undergo controlled self-destruction. Two major pathways involved in this regulation are apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, and autophagy, a survival mechanism that helps cells adapt to adverse conditions.ApoptosisApoptosis removes aged or injured cells to maintain tissue balance. During this process, the cell shrinks, chromatin condenses and fragments, and membrane-bound...