Reconstitution reveals how myosin-VI self-organises to generate a dynamic mechanism of membrane sculpting.

One enigma in biology is the generation, sensing and maintenance of membrane curvature. Curvature-mediating proteins have been shown to induce specific membrane shapes by direct insertion and nanoscopic scaffolding, while the cytoskeletal motors exert forces indirectly through microtubule and actin networks. It remains unclear, whether the manifold direct motorprotein-lipid interactions themselves constitute another fundamental route to remodel the membrane shape.

Trans-membrane Fluorescence Enhancement by Carbon Dots: Ionic Interactions and Energy Transfer.

We report on trans-membrane interactions between blue-emitting carbon dots (CDs) and fluorescein. Hydrophobic CDs with a positive surface charge are embedded as-synthesized in the lipophilic sheet of the bilayer membrane of large synthetic phospholipid vesicles. The vesicles are prepared by mixing DOPC phospholipids and lipid molecules that contain anionic fluorescein attached to their hydrophilic head.

Optical and Thermophoretic Control of Janus Nanopen Injection into Living Cells.

Devising strategies for the controlled injection of functional nanoparticles and reagents into living cells paves the way for novel applications in nanosurgery, sensing, and drug delivery. Here, we demonstrate the light-controlled guiding and injection of plasmonic Janus nanopens into living cells. The pens are made of a gold nanoparticle attached to a dielectric alumina shaft.

Optical Nanoparticle Sorting Elucidates Synthesis of Plasmonic Nanotriangles.

We investigate the optical and morphological properties of gold nanoparticles grown by reducing a gold salt with Na2S. Lasers are tuned to the observed plasmon resonances, and the optical forces exerted on the nanoparticles are used to selectively print individual nanoparticles onto a substrate. This enables us to combine dark-field spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to compare the optical properties of single nanoparticles with their morphology.

Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II contributes to intracellular pH recovery from acidosis via Na(+)/H(+) exchanger activation.

The Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE-1) plays a key role in pH(i) recovery from acidosis and is regulated by pH(i) and the ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation pathway. Since acidosis increases the activity of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in cardiac muscle, we examined whether CaMKII activates the exchanger by using pharmacological tools and highly specific genetic approaches. Adult rat cardiomyocytes, loaded with the pH(i) indicator SNARF-1/AM were subjected to different protocols of intracellular acidosis.