Cell spheroid viscoelasticity is deformation-dependent.

Tissue surface tension influences cell sorting and tissue fusion. Earlier mechanical studies suggest that multicellular spheroids actively reinforce their surface tension with applied force. Here we study this open question through high-throughput microfluidic micropipette aspiration measurements on cell spheroids to identify the role of force duration and spheroid deformability.

Alternative splicing controls teneurin-3 compact dimer formation for neuronal recognition.

Neuronal network formation is facilitated by recognition between synaptic cell adhesion molecules at the cell surface. Alternative splicing of cell adhesion molecules provides additional specificity in forming neuronal connections. For the teneurin family of cell adhesion molecules, alternative splicing of the EGF-repeats and NHL domain controls synaptic protein-protein interactions.

MukBEF-dependent chromosomal organization in widened .

The bacterial chromosome is spatially organized through protein-mediated compaction, supercoiling, and cell-boundary confinement. Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are a major class of chromosome-organizing proteins present throughout all domains of life. Here, we study the role of the SMC complex MukBEF in chromosome architecture and segregation.

Structural insights into the contactin 1 - neurofascin 155 adhesion complex.

Cell-surface expressed contactin 1 and neurofascin 155 control wiring of the nervous system and interact across cells to form and maintain paranodal myelin-axon junctions. The molecular mechanism of contactin 1 - neurofascin 155 adhesion complex formation is unresolved. Crystallographic structures of complexed and individual contactin 1 and neurofascin 155 binding regions presented here, provide a rich picture of how competing and complementary interfaces, post-translational glycosylation, splice differences and structural plasticity enable formation of diverse adhesion sites.

Putting on molecular weight: Enabling cryo-EM structure determination of sub-100-kDa proteins.

Significant advances in the past decade have enabled high-resolution structure determination of a vast variety of proteins by cryogenic electron microscopy single particle analysis. Despite improved sample preparation, next-generation imaging hardware, and advanced single particle analysis algorithms, small proteins remain elusive for reconstruction due to low signal-to-noise and lack of distinctive structural features. Multiple efforts have therefore been directed at the development of size-increase techniques for small proteins.

Mechanisms for Chromosome Segregation in Bacteria.

The process of DNA segregation, the redistribution of newly replicated genomic material to daughter cells, is a crucial step in the life cycle of all living systems. Here, we review DNA segregation in bacteria which evolved a variety of mechanisms for partitioning newly replicated DNA. Bacterial species such as and contain pushing and pulling mechanisms that exert forces and directionality to mediate the moving of newly synthesized chromosomes to the bacterial poles.

Direct observation of independently moving replisomes in Escherichia coli.

The replication and transfer of genomic material from a cell to its progeny are vital processes in all living systems. Here we visualize the process of chromosome replication in widened E. coli cells.