Protein Homeostasis in Growth, Development and Disease

  • 7,597

    Total downloads

  • 29k

    Total views and downloads

Download PDFDownload EPUB

Submit your idea

You will be redirected to our submission process.

Submit your manuscript summarySubmit your manuscript

About this Research Topic

Submission closed

Background

Maintaining a balanced and functional proteome homeostasis, or proteostasis, is critical for viability and development of all cells and organisms. Proteome requirements are constantly changing depending on differentiation and development stages and because of insurgency of acute or chronic stress, as in case of alteration of temperature, redox status, pH, nutrients availability, viral infection, mutations, cancer and aging. Proteostasis unbalance can cause overwhelming protein misfolding and aggregation eventually leading to cell death. Cells are equipped with a complex signaling network of pathways involved in biogenesis, folding, trafficking and degradation of proteins, that ensure that proteomic equilibrium is preserved in each cell compartment in physiological states by utilizing a plethora of signaling factors, as well as transcriptional and translational programs. Accumulation of misfolded proteins triggers a series of stress responses, specific for each cellular compartment in which it occurs: responses to unfolded proteins are activated in the cytosol (heat shock response, HSR), in the ER (unfolded protein response, UPR) and in mitochondria (UPRmt) and these are in addition deeply connected to the oxidative stress response, the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy.

Proteome homeostasis is associated with stem cell identity in mammalian pluripotent stem cells: whereas immortal multipotent stem cells exhibit a great capacity to maintain proteostasis, aging somatic stem cells lose it. Proteostasis variations and the ensuing responses play a main role in many physiological processes like differentiation and aging and in different pathologies, as diverse as neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury, cystic fibrosis and cancer. For example, abnormal accumulation of aggregated proteins is associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. The elevated capacity of adapting to changes in proteome requirements favors survival and proliferation of cancer cells, challenged with redox unbalance and expression of mutant proteins, and protects from the effects of chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, a deep knowledge of the proteostasis network it is of utmost importance to find specific molecular targets to increase or decrease cell viability, for example to hinder neurodegenerative processes or to increase the efficacy of cancer treatments.

The aim of the current Research Topic is to welcome studies reporting the latest findings on the pathways involved in the proteostasis network. Articles relative to the cellular, molecular, biochemical, structural, and physiological mechanisms underlying proteome homeostasis involving the cytosolic, ER and mitochondria compartments, as well as those regarding therapeutic strategies targeting such mechanisms are welcome. The research can concern physiological and pathological conditions including development and differentiation, cancer, neurodegeneration, inflammation, and aging.

Areas to be covered in the current Research Topic may include, but are not limited to:
- Stress responses of cytosol, ER and mitochondria preserving proteome homeostasis;
- Roles of protein degradation systems (lysosomal system, UPS and autophagy), in maintaining proteostasis;
- Role of redox homeostasis and of the oxidative stress response in regulating proteome homeostasis;
- Therapeutic strategies targeting the proteostasis network;
- Methods to investigate the proteostasis network.

Keywords: protein homeostasis, proteostasis

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

     

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

     

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

     

Impact

  • 29kTopic views
  • 20kArticle views
  • 7,597Article downloads
View impact