Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Schepers, Charlotta Lorenz, Peter Nietmann, Andreas Janshoff, Stefan Klumpp, Sarah Koster
Summary: The mechanical properties of cells are largely determined by the cytoskeleton, with the intermediate filament network being the most extensible and stress-resilient. A multiscale approach is used to analyze the contributions of single-filament mechanics, filament length, and interactions between filaments to vimentin IF network mechanics. Hydrophobic contributions primarily affect filament elongation kinetics, while electrostatics influence filament-filament interactions.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Elvira Infante, Sandrine Etienne-Manneville
Summary: Cell migration is a dynamic process crucial for the development of multicellular organisms and immune system responses. The cytoskeletal component known as intermediate filaments plays a key role in cell migration by integrating mechanical properties and signaling functions.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiu-Tao Hang, Guang-Kui Xu, Huajian Gao
Summary: Living cells exhibit diverse mechanical behaviors at different time scales. A self-similar hierarchical model is used in this study to capture the power-law rheological characteristics of cells in different frequency scales. The transition between low- and high-frequency scales is defined by a transition frequency based on cell's mechanical parameters. The differences in cytoskeletal properties of different cell types or states can be characterized by changes in mechanical parameters in the model.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiu-Tao Hang, Yu Kang, Guang-Kui Xu, Huajian Gao
Summary: The mechanical responses of cells are primarily dependent on their generic architectural mechanism, rather than specific molecular properties. The power-law exponent of cell rheology can be quantitatively tuned by varying the stiffness or architecture of the cytoskeleton. The proposed self-similar hierarchical cellular model can naturally reproduce the universal power-law characteristics of cell rheology.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Liwei Wang, Catherine E. Hall, Emiko Uchikawa, Dailu Chen, Eunhee Choi, Xuewu Zhang, Xiao-chen Bai
Summary: The researchers characterized insulin fibrils using cryo-EM and solved the structure of one fibril form. They designed several insulin mutants that can reduce fibrillation while maintaining the activity of insulin signaling, which may lead to more effective therapeutics for type 1 diabetes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fukai Chu, Shuilai Qiu, Shenghe Zhang, Zhoumei Xu, Yifan Zhou, Xiaoyu Luo, Xin Jiang, Lei Song, Weizhao Hu, Yuan Hu
Summary: The lack of research on structure-activity relationship and interaction mechanism between unsaturated polyester resins (UPR) and flame retardants has posed challenges for developing high-efficiency flame retardants in industry. This study synthesized various polymeric flame retardants and evaluated their thermal stabilities, uncovering the interaction mechanisms and rules for improving flame retardancy of UPR composites. Key findings included the role of gaseous phase flame retardant mechanism and the effectiveness of phosphorus structures and sulfone groups in enhancing flame retardant efficiency.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seokran Go, Dokyung Jeong, Jinkyoung Chung, Geun-Ho Kim, Jaewoo Song, Eunyoung Moon, Yang Hoon Huh, Doory Kim
Summary: This research examines the ultrastructural organization of various organelles in different platelet intermediates using super-resolution microscopy. The study reveals that microtubules control the overall shape of platelet intermediates, while actin and microtubules regulate the distribution of organelles. These findings call for a reassessment of organelle redistribution in platelet intermediates.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan Mount, Grigory Maksaev, Brock T. Summers, James A. J. Fitzpatrick, Peng Yuan
Summary: Mechanosensitive ion channels are crucial for biological force sensation, but their mechanism is not well understood. This study reveals the structural basis of mechanotransduction in an ion channel using cryo-electron microscopy. The MscK channel opens under elevated membrane tension and requires external potassium ions for activation. The key step of channel opening is the flattening and expansion of the transmembrane domain. This finding provides insights into the mechanotransduction mechanism in ion channels.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Soyeon Jeong, Jinsook Ahn, Inseong Jo, So-Mi Kang, Bum-Joon Park, Hyun-Soo Cho, Yong-Hak Kim, Nam-Chul Ha
Summary: This study revealed that phosphorylation by the CDK1 complex promotes disassembly of lamin filaments by directly abolishing a specific interaction. The results provide insights into the cell cycle-dependent regulation of nuclear morphology at the molecular level.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Gaoxiang Xu, Qiang Qing, Yan Yang, Jinghai Gong
Summary: The use of air-supported fabric structures as formwork for concrete shells has gained attention in recent decades. This paper proposes a practical approach to model the biaxial time-dependent material behavior of composite fabrics. The established material model is validated through biaxial tensile and creep tests, and the simulation results agree well with on-site measurements.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Younan Li, Edwin Munro
Summary: In cytokinesis, animal cells remodel the equatorial cortex to build a contractile ring with aligned actin filaments. The rapid turnover of individual filaments makes it impossible for equatorial compression to reorient them, but a mechanism called filament-guided filament assembly (FGFA) enables cells to build highly aligned filament arrays in response to compression.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Glen M. Hocky, Charles Sindelar, Wenxiang Cao, Gregory A. Voth, Enrique M. De La Cruz
Summary: Members of the ADF/cofilin family cooperatively bind actin filaments, induce local conformational changes, and sever filaments. Two distinct classes of boundaries are introduced due to the polarity of actin filaments, with one at the pointed end side and the other at the barbed end side of a cofilin cluster. Simulations reveal that actin subunits at both boundaries adopt intermediate structures, with the slow-severing boundary stabilized by cofilin bridging interactions. Additionally, a cluster of two contiguously bound cofilins is needed to fully stabilize the cofilactin conformation and accelerate filament severing.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuta Sakanaka, Shotaro Hiraide, Iori Sugawara, Hajime Uematsu, Shogo Kawaguchi, Minoru T. Miyahara, Satoshi Watanabe
Summary: This study investigates the kinetics of guest-induced structural transition in flexible metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and reveals that the process is highly dependent on the framework structure. A theoretical model is developed to gain insight into the transition dynamics and understand the atomistic details of the process.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
P. D. P. Nunes, E. A. S. Marques, R. J. C. Carbas, A. Akhavan-Safar, L. F. M. da Silva
Summary: The study of adhesive joints under impact loadings is significant in various industries, and this research proposes a novel method to experimentally obtain custom TSLs and estimate fracture energy. The results obtained using this method are comparable to traditional fracture mechanical tests, and it can accurately predict the behavior of single lap joints.
ENGINEERING FRACTURE MECHANICS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Igor Khmelinskii, Vladimir I. Makarov
Summary: This study tested a possible mechanism of low- and high-contrast image component discrimination by the vertebrate eye-brain system. The experimental results suggest that the eye-brain system may use signal modulation to improve the recognition of high-contrast images.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Wei-Han Hui, Yen-Lin Chen, Shu-Wei Chang
Summary: Crosslinking affects the mechanical behavior and tissue metabolism of collagen-based tissues. Aging and diabetes alter the crosslinking type and density, thus changing tissue properties. High-connectivity enzymatic crosslinking and advanced-glycation end-products result in uniform deformation under daily activity, while low-connectivity enzymatic crosslinking does not. High-connectivity model displays more sliding, while AGEs induce instability in structures near the binding sites.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yao-Bin Ma, Xiao-Qiu Zhou, Wei-Dan Jiang, Pei Wu, Yang Liu, Shu-Wei Li, Ling Tang, Lu Zhang, Hai-Feng Mi, Lin Feng
Summary: Tea polyphenols (TPs) are an inexpensive feed additive that can protect the gill function of fish against Flavobacterium columnare (F. columnare) through various mechanisms, including suppression of oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yan-Jia Guo, Jing-Ru Pang, Yu Zhang, Zhong-Rui Li, Xiao-Lin Zi, Hong-Min Liu, Ning Wang, Li-Juan Zhao, Ya Gao, Bo Wang, Piet Herdewijn, Cheng-Yun Jin, Ying Liu, Yi-Chao Zheng
Summary: This study identifies the conjugation of NEDD8 to LSD1 and its impact on GC cells, revealing the significance of LSD1 neddylation in GC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Geum-Jae Jeong, Fazlurrahman Khan, Nazia Tabassum, Young-Mog Kim
Summary: Vibrio species are motile gram-negative bacteria commonly found in aquatic environments. They can adapt to environmental fluctuations and develop protective mechanisms against host immune systems. Different types of sigma and anti-sigma factors play important roles in regulating gene expression and virulence in Vibrio species.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zahra Mohammadbagheri, Behrooz Movahedi, Shaghayegh Saeedi, Abbas Rahmati
Summary: In this study, a reusable biobased composite hydrogel was successfully synthesized and used for the removal of Tl(I) from aqueous solutions. The hydrogel exhibited high adsorption capacity and thermal stability, and the adsorption process was found to be thermodynamically spontaneous. The results demonstrated that the hydrogel can be reused multiple times without significant loss of its adsorption capacity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iqra Batool, Muhammad Imran, Ayesha Anwar, Farhan Ahmed Khan, Afrah E. Mohammed, Ashwag Shami, Hafiz Iqbal
Summary: Enzyme immobilization on ZnO/SnO2 and ZnO/SnO2/SA nanocomposites was studied, and the catalytic and biochemical characteristics of the immobilized enzyme were investigated. The results showed that ZnO/SnO2 and ZnO/SnO2/SA nanostructures are suitable carriers for enzyme immobilization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elias Mosaffa, Dhruvi Patel, Nasim Amiri Ramsheh, Rishikumar Indravadan Patel, Atanu Banerjee, Hossein Ghafuri
Summary: In this study, a unique 3D bead structure of adsorbent, composed of bacterial cellulose microfilaments reinforced chitosan adorned with melamine 2D plates, was synthesized for anionic dye removal. The adsorbent showed high specific surface area and abundant functional groups, resulting in exceptional adsorption capacity. The characteristics and optimal conditions of the adsorbent were assessed and analyzed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Carolina Gismene, Jorge Enrique Hernandez Gonzalez, Marilia de Freitas Calmon, Andrey Fabricio Ziem Nascimento, Angela Rocio Nino Santisteban, Felipe Antunes Calil, Alana Della Torre da Silva, Paula Rahal, Rejane Maira Goes, Raghuvir Krishnaswamy Arni, Ricardo Barros Mariutti
Summary: Mammaliicoccus sciuri, a bacterium of clinical and veterinary relevance, expresses the virulence factor Exfoliative Toxin C (ExhC), which binds specifically to desmoglein-1 (Dsg1) and plays a role in tissue integrity. This study investigates the necrotic activity of ExhC and identifies a variant lacking necrotic potential but retaining enzymatic activity through mutagenesis experiments and crystal structure determination.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bibhas K. Bhunia, Ashutosh Bandyopadhyay, Souradeep Dey, Biman B. Mandal
Summary: Intervertebral disc degeneration is a major cause of chronic low back pain and disability. Researchers have developed a bioactive silk-based hybrid hydrogel system functionalized with decellularized human Wharton's jelly extracellular matrix as bioactive cues. The hydrogels mimic the rheological and mechanical properties of the native nucleus pulposus tissue and support cell viability, proliferation, and tissue maturation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qun Zhang, Yonggan Yan, Zhao Li, Jing Du, Kai Zhang, Liguo Zhang, Ting Wang, Alberto Bianco, Shaohua Ge, Baojin Ma
Summary: A new crosslinking strategy has been devised to construct injectable sodium alginate hydrogels, which can be regulated for injectability and have great potential in biomedical applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seong Eun Hong, Ji-Soo Lee, Hyeon Gyu Lee
Summary: The potential of multi-layer nanoemulsions for improving the cellular uptake, antioxidant activity, and in vitro bioaccessibility of alpha-tocopherol was examined. The results showed that the multi-layer nanoemulsions significantly enhanced the cellular uptake and antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol compared to free coumarin 6. Furthermore, the use of chitosan and dextran sulfate as wall materials in the multi-layer nanoemulsions led to even higher cellular uptake, in vitro bioaccessibility, and antioxidant activity of alpha-tocopherol.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingjing Yu, Yanhui Zhang, Ruoning Zhang, Yanxiang Gao, Like Mao
Summary: High internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) based on beeswax (BW) oleogels and octenyl succinic acid starch (OSA starch) were prepared by a simple one-step method. The results showed that oleogelation improved the stability and encapsulation capability of the HIPEs, which is significant for the development of novel healthy food.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bi-Feng Yao, Xiu-Ju Luo, Jun Peng
Summary: The balanced and continuous fission and fusion of mitochondria, regulated by OPA1, are important for maintaining mitochondrial dynamics in cardiovascular disorders. Understanding the role of OPA1 in mitochondrial fusion can provide insights into the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gokul Paramasivam, Anandhavelu Sanmugam, Vishnu Vardhan Palem, Murugan Sevanan, Ananda Babu Sairam, Nachiappan Nachiappan, Buhyun Youn, Jung Sub Lee, Muthuchamy Nallal, Kang Hyun Park
Summary: Nanomaterials are being used to deliver therapeutic agents in living systems. Different nanotechnological applications such as immunosensors, immune assays, and drug delivery are being implemented using nanotechnology. Genomics plays a crucial role in selecting appropriate drugs for personalized cancer therapy. It helps in analyzing gene and protein expression, disease classification, and designing disease models. Delivering drugs to specific areas using nanoparticles is a challenging issue.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Li, Wei Wang, Han Wu, Feng Peng, Hui Gao, Ying Guan
Summary: In this study, CMH-based CPF films were prepared and their thermal and barrier properties were successfully regulated. The tensile strength and water vapor barrier property of CPF films were significantly improved, making them promising for food packaging applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2024)