Smooth Muscle-Alpha Actin R149C Pathogenic Variant Downregulates Integrin Recruitment at Cell-Matrix Adhesions and Decreases Cellular Contractility.

Thoracic aortic aneurysm is found in patients with pathogenic variants. missense variants are associated with impaired aortic smooth muscle cell (SMC) contraction. This study tested the hypothesis that the variant alters actin isoform expression and decreases integrin recruitment, thus, reducing aortic contractility.

Age-Associated Dysregulation of Integrin Function in Vascular Smooth Muscle.

Arterial aging results in a progressive reduction in elasticity of the vessel wall and an impaired ability of aged blood vessels to control local blood flow and pressure. Recently, a new concept has emerged that the stiffness and decreased contractility of vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells are important contributors to age-induced arterial dysfunction. This study investigated the hypothesis that aging alters integrin function in a matrix stiffness-dependent manner, which contributes to decreased VSM contractility in aged soleus muscle feed arteries (SFA).

NIR-emitting styryl dyes with large Stokes' shifts for imaging application: From cellular plasma membrane, mitochondria to Zebrafish neuromast.

Near-infrared (NIR) emitting probes with very large Stokes' shifts play a crucial role in bioimaging applications, as the optical signals in this region exhibit high signal to background ratio and allow deeper tissue penetration. Herein we illustrate NIR-emitting probe with very large Stokes' shifts (Δλ ≈ 260 - 272 nm) by integrating the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) unit 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzoxazole (HBO) into a pyridinium derived cyanine. The ESIPT not only enhances the Stokes' shifts but also improves the quantum efficiency of the probe (ф = 0.