A huntingtin-HAP1-PCM1 pathway in ciliogenesis

Glucocorticoid receptor signaling in the brain and its involvement in cognitive function

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis regulates the secretion of glucocorticoids in response to environmental challenges. In the brain, a nuclear receptor transcription factor, the glucocorticoid receptor, is an important component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis's negative feedback loop and plays a key role in regulating cognitive equilibrium and neuroplasticity. The glucocorticoid receptor influences cognitive processes, including glutamate neurotransmission, calcium signaling, and the activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-mediated pathways, through a combination of genomic and non-genomic mechanisms. Protein interactions within the central nervous system can alter the expression and activity of the glucocorticoid receptor, thereby affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and stress-related cognitive functions. An appropriate level of glucocorticoid receptor expression can improve cognitive function, while excessive glucocorticoid receptors or long-term exposure to glucocorticoids may lead to cognitive impairment. Patients with cognitive impairment-associated diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, aging, depression, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, stroke, and addiction, often present with dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and glucocorticoid receptor expression. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the functions of the glucocorticoid receptor in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and cognitive activities. It emphasizes that appropriate glucocorticoid receptor signaling facilitates learning and memory, while its dysregulation can lead to cognitive impairment. This provides clues about how glucocorticoid receptor signaling can be targeted to overcome cognitive disability-related disorders.

Centrosome-phagy: implications for human diseases

Autophagy is a prominent mechanism to preserve homeostasis and the response to intracellular or extracellular stress. Autophagic degradation can be selectively targeted to dysfunctional subcellular compartments. Centrosome homeostasis is pivotal for healthy proliferating cells, but centrosome aberration is a hallmark of diverse human disorders. Recently, a process called centrosome-phagy has been identified. The process involves a panel of centrosomal proteins and centrosome-related pathways that mediate the specific degradation of centrosomal components via the autophagic machinery. Although autophagy normally mediates centrosome homeostasis, autophagy defects facilitate ageing and multiple human diseases, such as ciliopathies and cancer, which benefit from centrosome aberration. Here, we discuss the molecular systems that trigger centrosome-phagy and its role in human disorders.