title: Nucleoli and stress granules: connecting distant relatives.
abstract: Nucleoli and cytoplasmic stress granules (SGs) are subcellular compartments that modulate the response to endogenous and environmental signals to control cell survival. In our opinion, nucleoli and SGs are functionally linked; they are distant relatives that combine forces when cellular homeostasis is threatened. Several lines of evidence support this idea; nucleoli and SGs share molecular building blocks, are regulated by common signaling pathways and communicate when vital cellular functions become compromised. Together, nucleoli and SGs orchestrate physiological responses that are directly relevant to stress and human health. As both compartments have established roles in neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and virus infections, we propose that these conditions will benefit from therapeutic interventions that target simultaneously nucleoli and SGs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, McGill University, 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler, Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6, Canada.
authors.forename: Hicham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mahboubi
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stochaj
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D021381:Protein Transport; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D022161:Transport Vesicles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: cancer; mRNA metabolism; macromolecular trafficking; neurodegenerative disorders; nucleoli; signaling; stress granules; virus infection