Membrane mechanics dictate axonal pearls-on-a-string morphology and function.

Axons are ultrathin membrane cables that are specialized for the conduction of action potentials. Although their diameter is variable along their length, how their morphology is determined is unclear. Here, we demonstrate that unmyelinated axons of the mouse central nervous system have nonsynaptic, nanoscopic varicosities ~200 nm in diameter repeatedly along their length interspersed with a thin cable ~60 nm in diameter like pearls-on-a-string.

ActuAtor, a Listeria-inspired molecular tool for physical manipulation of intracellular organizations through de novo actin polymerization.

Form and function are often interdependent throughout biology. Inside cells, mitochondria have particularly attracted attention since both their morphology and functionality are altered under pathophysiological conditions. However, directly assessing their causal relationship has been beyond reach due to the limitations of manipulating mitochondrial morphology in a physiologically relevant manner.

Membrane mechanics dictate axonal morphology and function.

Axons are thought to be ultrathin membrane cables of a relatively uniform diameter, designed to conduct electrical signals, or action potentials. Here, we demonstrate that unmyelinated axons are not simple cylindrical tubes. Rather, axons have nanoscopic boutons repeatedly along their length interspersed with a thin cable with a diameter of ∼60 nm like pearls-on-a-string.

Mem3DG: Modeling membrane mechanochemical dynamics in 3D using discrete differential geometry.

Biomembranes adopt varying morphologies that are vital to cellular functions. Many studies use computational modeling to understand how various mechanochemical factors contribute to membrane shape transformations. Compared with approximation-based methods (e.