CaMKIIβ deregulation contributes to neuromuscular junction destabilization in Myotonic Dystrophy type I.

Background: Myotonic Dystrophy type I (DM1) is the most common muscular dystrophy in adults. Previous reports have highlighted that neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) deteriorate in skeletal muscle from DM1 patients and mouse models thereof. However, the underlying pathomechanisms and their contribution to muscle dysfunction remain unknown.

Structural mechanisms of Tad pilus assembly and its interaction with an RNA virus.

Tad (tight adherence) pili, part of the type IV pili family, are crucial for mechanosensing, surface adherence, bacteriophage (phage) adsorption, and cell-cycle regulation. Unlike other type IV pilins, Tad pilins lack the typical globular β sheet domain responsible for pilus assembly and phage binding. The mechanisms of Tad pilus assembly and its interaction with phage ΦCb5 have been elusive.

Removal of type IV pili by a small RNA virus.

The retractile type IV pilus (T4P) is important for virulence of the opportunistic human pathogen . The single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) phage PP7 binds to T4P and is brought to the cell surface through pilus retraction. Using fluorescence microscopy, we discovered that PP7 detaches T4P, which impairs cell motility and restricts the pathogen's virulence.

Rethinking the consultation paradigm: Validity evidence for a new framework, a multimethods study.

Background: In-hospital consultation is essential for patient care. We previously proposed a framework of seven specific consultation types to classify consult requests to improve communication, workflow, and provider satisfaction.

Methods: This multimethods study's aim was to evaluate the applicability of the consult classification framework to real internal medicine (IM) consults.

Spatial and temporal control of lysis by the lambda holin.

The infection cycle of phage λ terminates in lysis mediated by three types of lysis proteins, each disrupting a layer in the bacterial envelope: the S105 holin, the R endolysin, and the Rz/Rz1 spanin complex targeting the inner membrane, cell wall or peptidoglycan, and the outer membrane, respectively. Video microscopy has shown that in most infections, lysis occurs as a sudden, explosive event at a cell pole, such that the initial product is a less refractile ghost that retains rod-shaped morphology. Here, we investigate the molecular basis of polar lysis using time-lapse fluorescence microscopy.