TY  - JOUR
AU  - Nachmias, Dikla
AU  - Frohn, Béla P.
AU  - Sachse, Carsten
AU  - Mizrahi, Itzhak
AU  - Elia, Natalie
TI  - ESCRTs – a multi-purpose membrane remodeling device encoded in all life forms
JO  - Trends in microbiology
VL  - 1
IS  - 2 2025
SN  - 0966-842X
CY  - Amsterdam [u.a.]
PB  - Elsevier Science
M1  - FZJ-2025-01836
SP  - S0966842X25000083
PY  - 2025
AB  - The ESCRT (endosomal sorting complexes required for transport) membrane remodeling complex, found across all life forms, exhibits a versatility that transcends evolutionary boundaries. From orchestrating the constriction of micron-wide tubes in cell division to facilitating the budding of 50 nm vesicles in receptor degradation, ESCRTs perform diverse functions in animal cells. However, the basis of this functional diversity remains enigmatic. While extensively studied in eukaryotes, the role of ESCRTs in prokaryotes is only beginning to emerge. This review synthesizes data on ESCRT systems across the tree of life, focusing on microorganisms and drawing parallels to their functions in human cells. This comparative approach highlights the remarkable plasticity of the ESCRT system across functional, structural, and genomic levels in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. This integrated knowledge supports a model in which the ESCRT system evolved as a multipurpose membrane remodeling tool, adaptable to specific functions within and across organisms. Our review not only underscores the significance of ESCRTs in microorganisms but also paves the way for exciting avenues of research into the intricacies of cellular membrane dynamics, offering valuable insights into the evolution of cellular complexity across diverse organisms and ecosystems.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
DO  - DOI:10.1016/j.tim.2025.01.009
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/1040322
ER  -