Article
Biology
Ashwin Nandagiri, Avinash Satish Gaikwad, David L. Potter, Reza Nosrati, Julio Soria, Moira K. O'Bryan, Sameer Jadhav, Ranganathan Prabhakar
Summary: The study investigated the energetics of flagella or cilia in mouse sperm. It found that a large portion of the mechanical power exerted by the dynein motors is dissipated internally, rather than in the aqueous medium outside. Additionally, the net power input from the dynein motors in sperm from Crisp2-knockout mice is significantly smaller than in wildtype samples.
Article
Biology
Yumi Inoue, Miki Kinoshita, Mamoru Kida, Norihiro Takekawa, Keiichi Namba, Katsumi Imada, Tohru Minamino
Summary: Inoue and Kinoshita et al. report on the essential role of the flexible linker of FlhA (FlhA(L)) in regulating the switch from secretion of hook-type to filament-type components in the flagellar protein export apparatus. This study enhances our understanding of the intricate process of bacterial flagellar assembly.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashley L. Nord, Anais Biquet-Bisquert, Manouk Abkarian, Theo Pigaglio, Farida Seduk, Axel Magalon, Francesco Pedaci
Summary: Bacterial motility relies on the mechanics of the hook, which stiffens when twisted by the rotation of the flagellum. This study reveals the double functionality of the hook - it is flexible when needed but rigid enough to withstand high hydrodynamical forces, enabling high-speed motility.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Matthias Poege, Julia Mahamid, Sanae S. Imanishi, Juergen M. Plitzko, Krzysztof Palczewski, Wolfgang Baumeister
Summary: Studies have identified two molecular connectors/spacers in the membrane structure of rod outer segment (ROS) that likely contribute to the precise stacking of ROS disks. Additionally, a continuous supramolecular assembly composed of peripherin-2 (PRPH2) and rod outer segment membrane protein 1 (ROM1) oligomers enforces the extreme radius of curvature at the disk rims. Together, these molecular assemblies constitute the structural basis of the highly specialized ROS functional architecture.
Article
Electrochemistry
Laura Ferrer Pascual, Ishan Pande, Ayesha Kousar, Samuel Rantataro, Tomi Laurila
Summary: The use of carbon nanofiber (CNF) electrodes allows for effective control of length and surface density. The formation of a thin liquid layer and the increased apparent surface area of the electrodes contribute to a decrease in peak potential difference and an increase in apparent heterogeneous electron transfer constant.
ELECTROCHEMISTRY COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Thomas G. Fai, Youngmin Park
Summary: Organelle size control is an important question in biology, and theoretical models describing cellular dynamics can help elucidate the principles of size control. In this study, a detailed investigation is conducted on an active disassembly model, which is then extended to different cellular scenarios to explore the implications of this universal mechanism of size control.
JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hundeep Kaur, Roman P. Jakob, Jan K. Marzinek, Robert Green, Yu Imai, Jani Reddy Bolla, Elia Agustoni, Carol Robinson, Peter J. Bond, Kim Lewis, Timm Maier, Sebastian Hiller
Summary: Developing new antibiotics that target Gram-negative bacteria is crucial for addressing the antimicrobial resistance crisis. Through studying the mode of action of darobactin at the atomic level, it was revealed that darobactin can bind to the lateral gate of BamA with superior ability, highlighting the lateral gate as a functional hotspot in BamA.
Article
Cell Biology
Karina Perlaza, Ivan Zamora, Wallace F. Marshall
Summary: Two models based on a transcriptional repressor, one produced in the flagellum and one produced in the cell body and sequestered in the growing flagellum, can control flagellar length and reproduce the dynamics of gene expression. Quantitative measurements of gene expression show that mutations of the heterotrimeric kinesin-2, which drives intraflagellar transport (IFT), greatly reduce gene expression during flagellar regeneration, supporting the model in which a repressor is sequestered in the flagellum by IFT. Inhibiting axonemal assembly has a smaller effect on gene expression. The repressor sequestration model allows precursor production to occur when flagella are growing rapidly, representing a form of derivative control.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizaveta Krol, Lisa Stuckenschneider, Joana M. Kastle Silva, Peter L. Graumann, Anke Becker
Summary: In Rhizobiales bacteria, such as Sinorhizobium meliloti, cell elongation specifically occurs at new cell poles generated by cell division. The FtsN-like protein RgsS and peptidoglycan amidase AmiC play crucial roles in reliable selection of the new cell pole as the cell elongation zone. Absence of these components can lead to inverted growth polarity and incomplete chromosome segregation.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Maulik K. Nariya, Abhishek Mallela, Jack J. Shi, Eric J. Deeds
Summary: The study focuses on a mathematical model of length control based on the ruler mechanism in bacterial cells, showing that the predictions of this model are consistent with experimental data. Compared to the substrate switching mechanism, the ruler mechanism allows for needles with larger average lengths without a concomitant increase in variance.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Derek Bourabah, Eleonora M. Botta
Summary: This paper investigates the retrieval process of tethered satellite systems and proposes a heuristic control algorithm to address the instability issue. An analytical method for determining effective retraction/extension speeds is derived and validated through comparison with optimized profiles. The study finds that the speed of retraction and extension significantly contribute to the system's motion and proper speed selection is crucial, especially when the system is near equilibrium.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joseph M. McCourt, Sumit Kewalramani, Changrui Gao, Eric W. Roth, Steven J. Weigand, Monica Olvera de la Cruz, Michael J. Bedzyk
Summary: The study investigates the self-assembly of a series of amphiphiles, C-n-K, and reveals that under different ionic conditions, these molecules can form different structures, including cochleates, helices, and planar crystalline bilayers. Experimental and simulation analyses demonstrate the significant roles of electrostatic effects and intermolecular interactions in chiral assemblies.
ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Orre, Adrien Joly, Zeynep Karatas, Birgit Kastberger, Clement Cabriel, Ralph T. Bottcher, Sandrine Leveque-Fort, Jean-Baptiste Sibarita, Reinhard Fassler, Bernhard Wehrle-Haller, Olivier Rossier, Gregory Giannone
Summary: Focal adhesions (FAs) play a key role in initiating chemical and mechanical signals for cell polarity, migration, proliferation, and differentiation. The study integrates single protein tracking, super-resolution microscopy, and functional assays to correlate the molecular behavior and 3D nanoscale localization of kindlin with its function in integrin activation inside FAs. This research provides insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of kindlin with integrins in focal adhesions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Uwe Schulte, Fabian den Brave, Alexander Haupt, Arushi Gupta, Jiyao Song, Catrin S. S. Mueller, Jeannine Engelke, Swadha Mishra, Christoph Martensson, Lars Ellenrieder, Chantal Priesnitz, Sebastian P. P. Straub, Kim Nguyen Doan, Bogusz Kulawiak, Wolfgang Bildl, Heike Rampelt, Nils Wiedemann, Nikolaus Pfanner, Bernd Fakler, Thomas Becker
Summary: This study presents a quantitative mapping of mitochondrial protein assemblies using high-resolution complexome profiling. The results reveal the complex organization of mitochondrial protein assemblies involved in various cellular processes. It also identifies quality-control factors and elucidates a constitutive pathway for preprotein removal.
Article
Biology
Layla Drwesh, Benjamin Heim, Max Graf, Linda Kehr, Lea Hansen-Palmus, Mirita Franz-Wachtel, Boris Macek, Hubert Kalbacher, Johannes Buchner, Doron Rapaport
Summary: This study reconstituted the early cytosolic steps of signal-anchored (SA) protein biogenesis and identified molecular (co)chaperones, including Hsp70, Hsp90, and Hsp40 family co-chaperones, that interact with newly synthesized SA proteins. These interactions are mediated by the hydrophobic transmembrane segments of the SA proteins. The study also demonstrated the inhibitory effect of interfering with these interactions on SA protein biogenesis and successfully reconstituted the transfer of peptides from Hsp70 chaperone to the mitochondrial Tom70 receptor in vitro.
Article
Microbiology
Louie D. Henderson, Teige R. S. Matthews-Palmer, Connor J. Gulbronson, Deborah A. Ribardo, Morgan Beeby, David R. Hendrixson
Article
Microbiology
Chi-Lin Tsai, Patrick Tripp, Shamphavi Sivabalasarma, Changyi Zhang, Marta Rodriguez-Franco, Rebecca L. Wipfler, Paushali Chaudhury, Ankan Banerjee, Morgan Beeby, Rachel J. Whitaker, John A. Tainer, Sonja-Verena Albers
NATURE MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Review
Microbiology
Morgan Beeby, Josie L. Ferreira, Patrick Tripp, Sonja-Verena Albers, David R. Mitchell
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Florian M. Rossmann, Isabelle Hug, Matteo Sangermani, Urs Jenal, Morgan Beeby
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammed Kaplan, Michael J. Sweredoski, Joao P. G. L. M. Rodrigues, Elitza I. Tocheva, Yi-Wei Chang, Davi R. Ortega, Morgan Beeby, Grant J. Jensen
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Morgan Beeby
TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Trishant R. Umrekar, Eli Cohen, Tina Drobnic, Nayim Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Morgan Beeby
Summary: CryoEM has matured, offering valuable structural insights into molecular biology. This technique, through single particle analysis and electron cryotomography and subtomogram averaging, provides microbiologists with the ability to study bacterial secretion systems, particularly focusing on the type III secretion system.
MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Josie Liane Ferreira, Dorothee Heincke, Jan Stephan Wichers, Benjamin Liffner, Danny W. Wilson, Tim-Wolf Gilberger
Summary: The Edo period in Japan was a unique historical period during which the Japanese people developed distinctive cultural and social characteristics.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Shamphavi Sivabalasarma, Hanna Wetzel, Phillip Nussbaum, Chris van der Does, Morgan Beeby, Sonja-Verena Albers
Summary: Through electron cryo-tomography and fluorescence microscopy, it has been observed that halophilic archaea form cell-cell bridges during mating, which can facilitate exchange of cellular components.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Josie L. Ferreira, Izaak Coleman, Max L. Addison, Tobias Zachs, Bonnie L. Quigley, Kristin Wuichet, Morgan Beeby
Summary: Gamma-proteobacteria is a group of diverse bacteria, including pathogenic species, with most having polar flagella for swimming in liquids and lateral flagella for swarming on surfaces; however, enteric Enterobacteriaceae flagella were horizontally acquired from ancestral beta-proteobacteria; the acquisition may have played a role in developing the enteric lifestyle by providing a general-purpose motor suitable for diverse conditions.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
James C. Gumbart, Josie L. Ferreira, Hyea Hwang, Anthony J. Hazel, Connor J. Cooper, Jerry M. Parks, Jeremy C. Smith, Helen Zgurskaya, Morgan Beeby
Summary: This study used molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction mechanism between Gram-negative bacteria multidrug efflux pumps and the cell wall, revealing the localization of PG at the junction of AcrA and ToIC and the crucial role of Lpp in anchoring PG to the outer membrane. The research also suggests a conserved role for interactions with PG in the assembly and stabilization of efflux pumps, with potential implications for other trans-envelope complexes.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Jan Stephan Wichers, Carolina van Gelder, Gwendolin Fuchs, Julia Mareike Ruge, Emma Pietsch, Josie L. Ferreira, Soraya Safavi, Heidrun von Thien, Paul-Christian Burda, Paolo Mesen-Ramirez, Tobias Spielmann, Jan Strauss, Tim-Wolf Gilberger, Anna Bachmann
Summary: Malaria parasites replicate within red blood cells and rely on the active uptake of nutrients, such as amino acids, from the host cell and surrounding environment through different membranes. A family of amino acid transporters called ApiATs in Plasmodium falciparum show partial redundancy during asexual parasite proliferation and full redundancy during gametocytogenesis.
Article
Cell Biology
Xinrui Huang, Iratxe Torre, Michele Chiappi, Zhan Yin, Anupama Vydyanath, Shuangyi Cao, Oliver Raschdorf, Morgan Beeby, Bonnie Quigley, Pieter P. de Tombe, Jun Liu, Edward P. Morris, Pradeep K. Luther
Summary: Myosin binding protein C (MyBP-C) is a rod-shaped protein composed of 10 or 11 immunoglobulin- or fibronectin-like domains that binds to the thick filament in vertebrate cardiac muscle. It regulates contraction in a phosphorylation-dependent manner and its 3D organization in the sarcomere may provide insights into its function. Cryo-electron tomography revealed the fine structure of MyBP-C in relaxed rat cardiac muscle, showing its connection to actin and suggesting potential interactions with myosin heads. The finding of a distinct structure at Stripe 4 may have broader implications in cardiac and skeletal muscles.
JOURNAL OF MUSCLE RESEARCH AND CELL MOTILITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Josie L. Ferreira, Vojtech Prazak, Daven Vasishtan, Marc Siggel, Franziska Hentzschel, Annika M. Binder, Emma Pietsch, Jan Kosinski, Friedrich Frischknecht, Tim W. Gilberger, Kay Gruenewald
Summary: Microtubules in Plasmodium falciparum exhibit diverse structures coordinated by unique organizing centers at different stages of its life cycle. This unusual microtubule cytoskeleton has not been observed in any other organism to date, highlighting its importance in understanding the pathogenicity of the malaria parasite.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
