Annexins-a family of proteins with distinctive tastes for cell signaling and membrane dynamics

Volker Gerke; Felicity N E Gavins; Michael Geisow; Thomas Grewal; Jyoti K Jaiswal; Jesper Nylandsted; Ursula Rescher

doi:10.1038/s41467-024-45954-0

Annexins-a family of proteins with distinctive tastes for cell signaling and membrane dynamics

Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 21;15(1):1574. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45954-0.

Authors

Volker Gerke¹, Felicity N E Gavins², Michael Geisow^{3

4}, Thomas Grewal⁵, Jyoti K Jaiswal^{6

7}, Jesper Nylandsted^{8

9}, Ursula Rescher¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation (ZMBE), University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Strasse 56, Münster, Germany. [email protected].
² Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Inflammation Research and Translational Medicine (CIRTM), Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
³ The National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London, UK.
⁴ Delta Biotechnology Ltd, Nottingham, UK.
⁵ School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Research Institute, Children's National Research and Innovation Campus, Washington, DC, USA.
⁷ Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA.
⁸ Danish Cancer Institute, Strandboulevarden 49, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁹ Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 21-25, Odense, Denmark.
¹⁰ Research Group Cellular Biochemistry, Institute of Molecular Virology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation (ZMBE), University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Strasse 56, Münster, Germany. [email protected].

Abstract

Annexins are cytosolic proteins with conserved three-dimensional structures that bind acidic phospholipids in cellular membranes at elevated Ca²⁺ levels. Through this they act as Ca²⁺-regulated membrane binding modules that organize membrane lipids, facilitating cellular membrane transport but also displaying extracellular activities. Recent discoveries highlight annexins as sensors and regulators of cellular and organismal stress, controlling inflammatory reactions in mammals, environmental stress in plants, and cellular responses to plasma membrane rupture. Here, we describe the role of annexins as Ca²⁺-regulated membrane binding modules that sense and respond to cellular stress and share our view on future research directions in the field.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Annexins* / chemistry
Biological Transport
Calcium / metabolism
Cell Membrane / metabolism
Mammals / metabolism
Signal Transduction
Taste*

Substances

Annexins
Calcium

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding