Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zihao Wan, Yalu Chen, Senhua Hu, Qiaolian Chen, Yuxin Li, Xiuhua Chen, Wenfeng Tan, Yongjun Lin, Kenneth J. Shea, Mingming Liu
Summary: Monitoring transgenic crops is essential, but conventional antibody detection faces challenges with multiple protein variants engineered into important crops. A peptide epitope with high sequence similarity to certain proteins is identified, but lacks the necessary properties for practical applications. Conjugation of the peptide to a synthetic polymer creates a hybrid material that can be used for extraction and detection of transgenic protein variants from water and soil samples.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanieh Mazloom-Farsibaf, Farzin Farzam, Mohamadreza Fazel, Michael J. Wester, Marjolein B. M. Meddens, Keith A. Lidke
Summary: In super-resolution microscopy studies, using the actin binding peptide 'lifeact' as a substitute for the traditional phalloidin provides comparable resolution in reconstructed images, as well as advantages in terms of cost, diversity of imaging regions of interest, simplicity of sequential super-resolution imaging, and continuous labeling of thin filaments on coverslips.
Article
Cell Biology
Manuel Schmitz-Elbers, Grazvydas Lukinavicius, Theodoor H. Smit
Summary: Morphogenesis is a complex continuous process of pattern formation that requires in vivo monitoring for better understanding. Dynamic intracellular F-actin networks determine cell shape and motility, influence differentiation and cytokinesis, and mediate mechanical signaling. A safe and effective concentration of 50 nM SiR-actin in the culture medium provides high labeling density without inducing morphological malformations during live fluorescence imaging of whole chick embryos.
Review
Cell Biology
Congbin Pan, Siqi Wang, Chao Liu, Zhanhong Ren
Summary: The heart reacts to pathological stimuli by undergoing cardiac hypertrophy, which can eventually lead to heart failure. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiac hypertrophy are not well understood. Actin, together with actin-binding proteins (ABPs), plays a crucial role in the formation of myofibrils and is involved in the contractile function and morphological changes in cardiomyocytes. Previous studies have shown that abnormal function of ABPs is implicated in cardiac hypertrophy. In this review, we discuss the role of various actin-binding proteins in the development of cardiac hypertrophy, which may have implications for the prevention and treatment of cardiomyopathy.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Peter Nietmann, Kevin Kaub, Andrejus Suchenko, Susanne Stenz, Claas Warnecke, Mohan K. Balasubramanian, Andreas Janshoff
Summary: This study investigates the implications of different actins expressed in epithelial cells for network mechanics and dynamics. The authors find that gamma-actin forms stiffer networks compared to beta-actin, attributed to selective interactions with Mg2+-ions. They also observe that beta-actin networks show more small contraction foci, while gamma-actin networks have fewer but larger foci, indicative of a stronger interaction with myosin motors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonas Bucevicius, Ruta Gerasimaite, Kamila A. A. Kiszka, Shalini Pradhan, Georgij Kostiuk, Tanja Koenen, Grazvydas Lukinavicius
Summary: The authors present a convenient protecting-group-free synthesis method for generating a wide range of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 4-carboxyrhodamines that cover the entire visible spectrum. This approach significantly reduces the number of synthesis steps, expands the structural diversity, and allows for gram-scale synthesis of the dyes. The availability of suitable fluorescent probes is crucial for the development of live-cell fluorescence nanoscopy.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Optics
Genki Ishigane, Keiichiro Toda, Miu Tamamitsu, Hiroyuki Shimada, Venkata Ramaiah Badarla, Takuro Ideguchi
Summary: Advancement in mid-infrared (MIR) technology has led to promising biomedical applications, but MIR microscopy is limited for live biological samples due to the lack of spatial resolution and water absorption. However, the development of a wide-field MIP quantitative phase microscope with improved signal-to-noise ratio allows for live-cell imaging beyond video rate. This high-speed and high-spatial-resolution MIR microscope has great potential for live-cell analysis and can become a new tool in life science.
LIGHT-SCIENCE & APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Andrew M. M. Cobb, Shanelle A. A. De Silva, Robert Hayward, Karolina Sek, Svenja Ulferts, Robert Grosse, Catherine M. M. Shanahan
Summary: Nuclear actin plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity and repairing DNA damage, while abnormal accumulation of lamin A precursor affects the function of nuclear actin and impairs DNA damage repair.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Alfredo Franco, Veronica Vidal, Marcos Gomez, Olga Gutierrez, Maria Martino, Francisco Gonzalez, Fernando Moreno, Jose L. Fernandez-Luna
Summary: The study introduces a system using a gold nanohole array biosensor and microscope optical design to discriminate between live cancer cells and normal cells. Differences in spectral behavior between tumor and non-tumor cells are influenced by the actin cortex within the short penetration depth of the surface plasmon electromagnetic field. The system shows high discrimination capacity between normal and colorectal cancer cells, with sensitivity and specificity values ranging between 80-100% and 87-100%, respectively.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yiran Huang, Ling Meng, Qigui Nie, Yu Zhou, Langdong Chen, Shilian Yang, Yi Man Eva Fung, Xiaomeng Li, Cen Huang, Yan Cao, Yizhou Li, Xiaoyu Li
Summary: A method has been developed to label membrane proteins with a DNA tag, allowing for the selection of DNA-encoded chemical libraries against endogenous membrane proteins on live cells. Screening of a 30-million-compound DEL against folate receptor, carbonic anhydrase 12, and epidermal growth factor receptor on live cells demonstrated the versatility and efficacy of this method.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher Tsiros, Emily Punch, Emily Schaffter, Sabrina Apel, Matthew J. Gage
Summary: Titin, the largest muscle protein, plays a crucial role in muscle tension, sarcomeric integrity, and cell signaling. This study demonstrates that the N2A region of Titin binds to F-actin through specific domains, and this binding is length-dependent and calcium-dependent.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Izabela K. Piechocka, Sarah Keary, Alberto Sosa-Costa, Lukas Lau, Nitin Mohan, Jelena Stanisavljevic, Kyra J. E. Borgman, Melike Lakadamyali, Carlo Manzo, Maria F. Garcia-Parajo
Summary: This study demonstrates that shear forces induce global translocation of ICAM-1 on ECs and promote ICAM-1 nanoclustering, enhancing ICAM-1/LFA-1 bonds and cell adhesion for faster migration. It highlights the importance of mechanical forces in regulating membrane receptor organization and cell adhesion.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ankita Umapathy, Gil Torten, Antonio E. Paniagua, Julie Chung, Madeline Tomlinson, Caleb Lim, David S. Williams
Summary: Research has found that the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) plays a crucial role in regulating the health of photoreceptor cells by ingesting and degrading their outer segments (OS). The study also showed that actin dynamics and specific BAR proteins (FBP17 and AMPH1-BAR) are involved in shaping the RPE membrane and surrounding the OS tip. Furthermore, actin dynamics are required for regulating the size and time course of the ingestion process. This discovery is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying retinal degeneration and blindness.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Zhiyuan Han, Rohit M. Vaidya, Opeyemi H. Arogundade, Liang Ma, Mohammad U. Zahid, Suresh Sarkar, Chia-Wei Kuo, Paul R. Selvin, Andrew M. Smith
Summary: Quantum dots (QDs) are widely used semiconductor nanocrystals in life science studies. A focus of research is to reduce the size of QDs to enhance their accessibility to biological targets. By coating QDs with multidentate polymer coatings, the researchers were able to achieve compact and stable QDs with smaller hydrodynamic sizes. The study also found that the structural characteristics of the polymers play a crucial role in determining the hydrodynamic size, colloidal stability, and biomolecular interactions of the coated QDs. The findings provide insights for the design of next-generation QDs with sizes approaching fluorescent protein labels.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Marie Pochitaloff, Martin Miranda, Mathieu Richard, Atitheb Chaiyasitdhi, Yasuharu Takagi, Wenxiang Cao, Enrique M. De la Cruz, James R. Sellers, Jean-Francois Joanny, Frank Juelicher, Laurent Blanchoin, Pascal Martin
Summary: The authors demonstrate that the wave-like motion of cilia can be reconstituted in vitro by self-assembling polymerizing actin filaments and myosin motors. The binding of myosin to actin depends on the shape of the actin bundle, providing a feedback mechanism for the coordination between motor activity and filament deformations.
Meeting Abstract
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michelle Peckham, Francine Parker, Glenn Carrington, Marta Giralt-Pujol, David Casas-Mao, Charlotte Scarff
Correction
Genetics & Heredity
Sara Cuvertino, Verity Hartill, Alice Colyer, Terence Garner, Nisha Nair, Lihadh Al-Gazali, Natalie Canham, Victor Faundes, Frances Flinter, Jozef Hertecant, Muriel Holder-Espinasse, Brian Jackson, Sally Ann Lynch, Fatima Nadat, Vagheesh M. Narasimhan, Michelle Peckham, Robert Sellers, Marco Seri, Francesca Montanari, Laura Southgate, Gabriella Maria Squeo, Richard Trembath, David van Heel, Santina Venuto, Daniel Weisberg, Karen Stals, Sian Ellard, Anne Barton, Susan J. Kimber, Eamonn Sheridan, Giuseppe Merla, Adam Stevens, Colin A. Johnson, Siddharth Banka
GENETICS IN MEDICINE
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francine Parker, Thomas G. Baboolal, Michelle Peckham
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Beatriz Alvarez-Rodriguez, Christian Tiede, Alexis C. R. Hoste, Rebecca A. Surtees, Chi Trinh, Gillian S. Slack, John Chamberlain, Roger Hewson, Alba Fresco, Patricia Sastre, Darren C. Tomlinson, Paul A. Millner, Thomas A. Edwards, John N. Barr
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alistair P. Curd, Joanna Leng, Ruth E. Hughes, Alexa J. Cleasby, Brendan Rogers, Chi H. Trinh, Michelle A. Baird, Yasuharu Takagi, Christian Tiede, Christian Sieben, Suliana Manley, Thomas Schlichthaerle, Ralf Jungmann, Jonas Ries, Hari Shroff, Michelle Peckham
Summary: This study presents a method to extract high-resolution ordered features from SMLM data, suitable for large and heterogeneous samples, as well as 2D and 3D data sets, with only a small fraction of targets being localized with high precision.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Charlotte A. Scarff, Glenn Carrington, David Casas-Mao, Joseph M. Chalovich, Peter J. Knight, Neil A. Ranson, Michelle Peckham
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Molly S. C. Gravett, Ryan C. Cocking, Alistair P. Curd, Oliver Harlen, Joanna Leng, Stephen P. Muench, Michelle Peckham, Daniel J. Read, Jarvellis F. Rogers, Robert C. Welch, Sarah A. Harris
Summary: Rapid advances in experimental biophysical techniques are generating a wealth of information about cellular cytoskeleton and its motors, but the need for new computational tools to integrate these data is essential. This article discusses the experimental advances and computational tools, proposing how to successfully combine emerging experimental data on cytoskeletal motors.
WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-COMPUTATIONAL MOLECULAR SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Arindam Pramanik, Zexi Xu, Shazana H. Shamsuddin, Yazan S. Khaled, Nicola Ingram, Thomas Maisey, Darren Tomlinson, P. Louise Coletta, David Jayne, Thomas A. Hughes, Arwen I. I. Tyler, Paul A. Millner
Summary: Scientists have developed a targeted drug delivery system based on lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles and demonstrated its high specificity and therapeutic efficacy for colorectal cancer through preclinical studies.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Louise Richardson, Dapeng Wang, Ruth Hughes, Colin A. Johnson, Michelle Peckham
Summary: Skeletal muscle satellite cells cultured on soft surfaces show improved differentiation compared to those cultured on stiff surfaces. The study found that proliferating cells on soft surfaces express Pax3 instead of Pax7, but still undergo normal differentiation into myotubes. Additionally, cells on soft surfaces showed higher expression levels of myogenic regulatory factors, sarcomeric genes, enhanced fusion, and improved myofibrillogenesis. This comprehensive RNA-Seq dataset provides valuable insights into Pax3 expressing cells and their differentiation process.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Hope Adamson, Modupe O. Ajayi, Kate E. Gilroy, Michael J. McPherson, Darren C. Tomlinson, Lars J. C. Jeuken
Summary: C. difficile infection is a serious healthcare-associated disease and the development of a reliable point-of-care test is urgently needed. This study combines binding proteins and NanoBiT technology to develop a highly sensitive assay for the rapid diagnosis of true CDI.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Paul Cordell, Glenn Carrington, Alistair Curd, Francine Parker, Darren Tomlinson, Michelle Peckham
Summary: Antibodies, nanobodies, and Affimers are tools used for labeling molecules in cells. Nanobodies and Affimers have advantages over traditional antibodies due to their small size, high binding affinity, and ability to penetrate dense cellular regions. They are expected to become the preferred tools for super-resolution imaging.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Barnaby W. R. Roper, Christian Tiede, Izma Abdul-Zani, Gary A. Cuthbert, Dhananjay Jade, Ahmed Al-Aufi, William R. Critchley, Queen Saikia, Shervanthi Homer-Vanniasinkam, Tatsuya Sawamura, Michael J. Mcpherson, Michael A. Harrison, Darren C. Tomlinson, Sreenivasan Ponnambalam
Summary: In multicellular organisms, lipid-protein particles regulate the flow of lipids and fatty acids between cells. Oxidation of these particles triggers pathological responses mediated by scavenger receptors. This study identified synthetic proteins, termed Affimers, that specifically bind to oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and inhibit its binding and uptake by cells expressing LOX-1. The findings provide insights into vascular diseases and can contribute to further understanding of related pathologies.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Microscopy
Alistair Curd, Alexa Cleasby, Michelle Baird, Michelle Peckham
Summary: Single-molecule localisation microscopy has the potential to reveal the organisation and conformation of specific molecules within supramolecular complexes, but it has limitations in detecting fluorescent molecules in cells and segmenting individual complexes. To overcome these problems, a software package called PERPL has been developed to assess the likelihood of underlying patterns in incomplete SMLM data based on the relative positions of localisations.
JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Biophysics
Gregory I. Mashanov, Tatiana A. Nenasheva, Francine Parker, Laura Knipe, Michelle Peckham, Justin E. Molloy
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2020)
