MOF maintains transcriptional programs regulating cellular stress response.

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• MOF (MYST1, KAT8) is a key H4K16 lysine acetyltransferase essential for development.
• Its role in specific cell lineages, particularly under stress, remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the differential roles of MOF in proliferating versus terminally differentiated cells.
• To determine MOF's function in glomerular podocytes under physiological and stress conditions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of MOF's role in proliferating and differentiated tissues.
• In vivo studies of Mof-deficient podocytes following injury.
• Genome-wide expression analysis in podocytes.

Main Results:

• MOF maintains cell cycle gene expression in proliferating cells.
• MOF is dispensable for resting podocytes but critical for their maintenance upon injury.
• Loss of MOF in injured podocytes leads to structural defects and affects lysosome, endocytosis, and vacuole pathways.

Conclusions:

• MOF plays distinct roles in different cell types and conditions.
• MOF is essential for glomerular podocyte stress response and maintenance.
• MOF regulates key pathways involved in cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation in podocytes.