Purification and Application of a Small Actin Probe for Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy.

The cytoskeleton is involved in many cellular processes. Over the last decade, super-resolution microscopy has become widely available to image cytoskeletal structures, such as microtubules and actin, with great detail. For example, Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy (SMLM) achieves resolutions of 5-50 nm through repetitive sparse labeling of samples, followed by Point-Spread-Function analysis of individual fluorophores.

Olfactomedin-1 Has a V-shaped Disulfide-linked Tetrameric Structure.

Olfactomedin-1 (Olfm1; also known as noelin and pancortin) is a member of the olfactomedin domain-containing superfamily and a highly expressed neuronal glycoprotein important for nervous system development. It binds a number of secreted proteins and cell surface-bound receptors to induce cell signaling processes. Using a combined approach of x-ray crystallography, solution scattering, analytical ultracentrifugation, and electron microscopy we determined that full-length Olfm1 forms disulfide-linked tetramers with a distinctive V-shaped architecture.