Chromatin-site-specific accessibility: A microtopography-regulated door into the stem cell fate.

Biomaterials that mimic extracellular matrix topography are crucial in tissue engineering. Previous research indicates that certain biomimetic topography can guide stem cells toward multiple specific lineages. However, the mechanisms by which topographic cues direct stem cell differentiation remain unclear.

Robo-Matter towards reconfigurable multifunctional smart materials.

Maximizing materials utilization efficiency via enhancing their reconfigurability and multifunctionality offers a promising avenue in addressing the global challenges in sustainability. To this end, significant efforts have been made in developing reconfigurable multifunctional smart materials, which can exhibit remarkable behaviors such as morphing and self-healing. However, the difficulty in efficiently manipulating and controlling matter at the building block level with manageable cost and complexity, which is crucial to achieving superior responsiveness to environmental clues and stimuli, has significantly hindered the further development of such smart materials.

Folding of N-terminally acetylated α-synuclein upon interaction with lipid membranes.

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is an abundant presynaptic neuronal protein whose aggregation is strongly associated with Parkinson's disease. It has been proposed that lipid membranes significantly affect α-syn's aggregation process. Extensive studies have been conducted to understand the interactions between α-syn and lipid membranes and have demonstrated that the N-terminus plays a critical role.

Deep learning permits imaging of multiple structures with the same fluorophores.

Fluorescence microscopy, which employs fluorescent tags to label and observe cellular structures and their dynamics, is a powerful tool for life sciences. However, due to the spectral overlap between different dyes, a limited number of structures can be separately labeled and imaged for live-cell applications. In addition, the conventional sequential channel imaging procedure is quite time consuming, as it needs to switch either different lasers or filters.

Tensile force field plays a crucial role in local invasion of tumor cells through a mechano-chemical coupling mechanism.

Cancer metastasis starts from early local invasion, during which tumor cells detach from the primary tumor, penetrate the extracellular matrix (ECM), and then invade neighboring tissues. However, the cellular mechanics in the detaching and penetrating processes have not been fully understood, and the underlying mechanisms that influence cell polarization and migration in the 3D matrix during tumor invasion remain largely unknown. In this study, we employed a dual tumor-spheroid model to investigate the cellular mechanisms of the tumor invasion.

Deep learning-enabled fast DNA-PAINT imaging in cells.

DNA-based point accumulation in nanoscale topography (DNA-PAINT) is a well-established technique for single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), enabling resolution of up to a few nanometers. Traditionally, DNA-PAINT involves the utilization of tens of thousands of single-molecule fluorescent images to generate a single super-resolution image. This process can be time-consuming, which makes it unfeasible for many researchers.

An Antidehydration Hydrogel Based on Zwitterionic Oligomers for Bioelectronic Interfacing.

Hydrogels are ideal interfacing materials for on-skin healthcare devices, yet their susceptibility to dehydration hinders their practical use. While incorporating hygroscopic metal salts can prevent dehydration and maintain ionic conductivity, concerns arise regarding metal toxicity due to the passage of small ions through the skin barrier. Herein, an antidehydration hydrogel enabled by the incorporation of zwitterionic oligomers into its network is reported.

Mitochondrial nucleoid condensates drive peripheral fission through high membrane curvature.

Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that undergo fusion and fission events, in which the mitochondrial membrane and DNA (mtDNA) play critical roles. The spatiotemporal organization of mtDNA reflects and impacts mitochondrial dynamics. Herein, to study the detailed dynamics of mitochondrial membrane and mtDNA, we rationally develop a dual-color fluorescent probe, mtGLP, that could be used for simultaneously monitoring mitochondrial membrane and mtDNA dynamics via separate color outputs.

Cell Mechanics Regulates the Dynamic Anisotropic Remodeling of Fibril Matrix at Large Scale.

Living tissues often have anisotropic and heterogeneous organizations, in which developmental processes are coordinated by cells and extracellular matrix modeling. Cells have the capability of modeling matrix in long distance; however, the biophysical mechanism is largely unknown. We investigated the dynamic remodeling of collagen I (COL) fibril matrix by cell contraction with designed patterns of cell clusters.

EVLncRNAs 3.0: an updated comprehensive database for manually curated functional long non-coding RNAs validated by low-throughput experiments.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators across diverse biological processes and diseases. While high-throughput sequencing has enabled lncRNA discovery, functional characterization remains limited. The EVLncRNAs database is the first and exclusive repository for all experimentally validated functional lncRNAs from various species.

Augmented Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations (aSRRF) Pushing the Limits of Structured Illumination Microscopy.

Structured illumination microscopy (SIM) is a versatile super-resolution technique known for its compatibility with a wide range of probes and fast implementation. While 3D SIM is capable of achieving a spatial resolution of ∼120 nm laterally and ∼300 nm axially, attempting to further enhance the resolution through methods such as nonlinear SIM or 4-beam SIM introduces complexities in optical configurations, increased phototoxicity, and reduced temporal resolution. Here, we have developed a novel method that combines SIM with augmented super-resolution radial fluctuations (aSRRF) utilizing a single image through image augmentation.

Actomyosin-dependent cell contractility orchestrates Zika virus infection.

Emerging pathogen infections, such as Zika virus (ZIKV), pose an increasing threat to human health, but the role of mechanobiological attributes of host cells during ZIKV infection is largely unknown. Here, we reveal that ZIKV infection leads to increased contractility of host cells. Importantly, we investigated whether host cell contractility contributes to ZIKV infection efficacy, from both the intracellular and extracellular perspective.

CCDC176 stabilizes microtubule doublets 1 and 9 to ensure proper sperm movement.

The molecular mechanism underlying asymmetric axonemal complexes in sperm flagella is still largely unknown. Here, we showed that the knockout of the coiled-coil domain-containing 176 (CCDC176) in mice led to male infertility due to decreased sperm motility. Ccdc176 knockout specifically destabilized microtubule doublets (MTDs) 1 and 9 during sperm maturation in the corpus epididymis.

The role of mechano-regulated YAP/TAZ in erectile dysfunction.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) constitute the primary therapeutic option for treating erectile dysfunction (ED). Nevertheless, a substantial proportion of patients, approximately 30%, do not respond to PDE5i treatment. Therefore, new treatment methods are needed.

Enhancing Prosthetic Control through High-Fidelity Myoelectric Mapping with Molecular Anchoring Technology.

Myoelectric control utilizes electrical signals generated from the voluntary contraction of remaining muscles in an amputee's stump to operate a prosthesis. Precise and agile control requires low-level myoelectric signals (below 10% of maximum voluntary contraction, MVC) from weak muscle contractions such as phantom finger or wrist movements, but imbalanced calcium concentration in atrophic skin can distort the signals. This is due to poor ionic-electronic coupling between skin and electrode, which often causes excessive muscle contraction, fatigue, and discomfort during delicate tasks.

Double-Transmembrane Domain of SNAREs Decelerates the Fusion by Increasing the Protein-Lipid Mismatch.

SNARE is the essential mediator of membrane fusion that highly relies on the molecular structure of SNAREs. For instance, the protein syntaxin-1 involved in neuronal SNAREs, has a single transmembrane domain (sTMD) leading to fast fusion, while the syntaxin 17 has a V-shape double TMDs (dTMDs), taking part in the autophagosome maturation. However, it is not clear how the TMD structure influences the fusion process.

Cellular mechanisms of wound closure under cyclic stretching.

Wound closure is a fundamental process in many physiological and pathological processes, but the regulating effects of external force on the closure process are still unclear. Here, we systematically studied the closure process of wounds of different shape under cyclic stretching. We found that the stretching amplitude and direction had significant effect on the healing speed and healing mode.

Mechanomemory in protein diffusivity of chromatin and nucleoplasm after force cessation.

It is known that external mechanical forces can regulate structures and functions of living cells and tissues in physiology and diseases. However, after cessation of the force, how structures are altered in response to the dynamics of the chromatin and molecules in the nucleoplasm remains elusive. Here, using single-molecule imaging approaches, we show that exogenous local forces via integrins applied for 2 to 10 min decondensed the chromatin and increased chromatin and nucleoplasm protein mobility inside the nucleus, leading to elevated diffusivity of single protein molecules in the nucleoplasm, tens of minutes after the cessation of force.

2D MoS and BN Nanosheets Damage Mitochondria through Membrane Penetration.

With the progression of nanotechnology, a growing number of nanomaterials have been created and incorporated into organisms and ecosystems, which raises significant concern about potential hazards of these materials on human health, wildlife, and the environment. Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials are one type of nanomaterials with thicknesses ranging from that of a single atom or of several atoms and have been proposed for a variety of biomedical applications such as drug delivery and gene therapy, but the toxicity thereof on subcellular organelles remains to be studied. In this work, we studied the impact of two typical 2D nanomaterials, MoS and BN nanosheets, on mitochondria, which are a type of membranous subcellular organelle that provides energy to cells.

Biomimetic Convex Implant for Corneal Regeneration Through 3D Printing.

Blindness caused by corneal damage affects millions of people worldwide, and this number continues to rise. However, rapid epithelization and a stable epithelium process are the two biggest challenges for traditional corneal materials. These processes are related to corneal curvature, which is an important factor in determination of the corneal healing process and epithelial behavior during corneal damage.

Self-Reporting Joule Heating Modulated Stiffness of Polymeric Nanocomposites for Shape Reconfiguration.

Shape reconfigurable devices, e.g., foldable phones, have emerged with the development of flexible electronics.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is effective for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has played crucial roles in treating COVID-19 in China. But its effectiveness has not yet been widely realized/recognized over the world. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the clinical efficacy of TCM medicine in the treatment for COVID-19.

Cell migration orchestrates migrasome formation by shaping retraction fibers.

Migrasomes are recently discovered vesicle-like structures on retraction fibers of migrating cells that have been linked with transfer of cellular contents, shedding of unwanted materials, and information integration. However, whether and how the cell migration paradigm regulates migrasome formation is not clear. Here, we report that there are significantly fewer migrasomes in turning cells compared with straight persistently migrating cells.