The MAL family of integral membrane proteins includes seven highly hydrophobic members. A characteristic of these proteins is their presence in condensed membrane subdomains or rafts associated with specialized membrane traffic and cell signaling pathways. Specifically, we found three MAL family members (MAL, MAL2, and MYADM) playing vital roles in these processes. Analyzing large-scale genomic datasets, we’ve identified strong correlations between the expression levels of MAL-family members and prognosis in diverse types of cancer, including those affecting the breast, kidney, lung, pancreas, and endometrium.

The primary cilium, which is a non-motile appendage of the plasma membrane, orchestrates crucial signaling pathways related to cell proliferation, differentiation, survival, and migration. Dysfunctions in the primary cilium are linked to various human developmental and degenerative disorders, which are collectively known as ciliopathies. Our group has discovered the role of the midbody remnant (MBR) in promoting primary cilium biogenesis. This role involves a physical connection between the midbody remnant and the plasma membrane, which allow the transfer of specialized membranes from the MBR to be used by the centrosome for the assembly of the ciliary membrane. Our work establishes a tripartite link between the three major microtubule-based organelles —the centrosome, the MBR and the primary cilium. This novel insight enhances our understanding of the process of primary ciliogenesis and, hopefully, will contribute to explaining the ciliary defects in some ciliopathies.