Biological membranes are essential in providing the stability of membrane proteins in a functional state. Functionally stable homogeneous sample is required for biophysical electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of membrane proteins for obtaining pertinent structural dynamics of the protein. Significant progresses have been made for the optimization of the suitable membrane environments required for biophysical EPR measurements. However, no universal membrane mimetic system is available that can solubilize all membrane proteins suitable for biophysical EPR studies while maintaining the functional integrity. Great efforts are needed to optimize the sample condition to obtain better EPR data quality of membrane proteins that can provide meaningful information on structural dynamics. In this mini-review, we will discuss important aspects of membrane mimetics for biophysical EPR measurements and current progress with some of the recent examples.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2023.184138 | DOI Listing |
J Dermatol Sci
December 2024
Department of Dermatology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan.
Background: In the diagnosis of linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD), detection of IgA at the epidermal basement membrane zone and circulating IgA autoantibodies are essential. The disease has two subtypes, lamina lucida-type and sublamina densa-type, with 120 kDa LAD-1 and 97 kDa LABD97 as major autoantigens for lamina lucida-type. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and HaCaT cells are widely used for immunoblotting (IB) in the diagnosis process, but they do not provide high sensitivity and semiquantitative analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFParasitol Int
December 2024
Divisions of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan. Electronic address:
Dense granules (DG) are understudied apical organelles in merozoites, the malaria parasite stage that invades erythrocytes. Only six proteins have been identified which localize to DGs, despite that DG proteins play crucial roles in multiple steps of intraerythrocytic parasite development. To develop a tool for investigating DG structure and function, this study applied ultrastructural expansion microscopy (U-ExM) to visualize the ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA) in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReprod Toxicol
December 2024
Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA. Electronic address:
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are linked to preeclampsia (PE), a condition involving abnormal angiogenesis. Prior research on this association has been inconclusive. We investigated the relationship between maternal PFAS exposure and PE risk in Wisconsin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDev Biol
December 2024
Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri 64110, USA. Electronic address:
The cell nuclei of Ophisthokonts, the eukaryotic supergroup defined by fungi and metazoans, is remarkable in the constancy of their double-membraned structure in both somatic and germ cells. Such remarkable structural conservation underscores common and ancient evolutionary origins. Yet, the dynamics of disassembly and reassembly displayed by Ophisthokont nuclei vary extensively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Biol Chem
December 2024
Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, Michigan 48128, USA. Electronic address:
Endocytosis is a prominent mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells. Upon internalization into early endosomes (EEs), the virus is transported to late endosomes (LEs), where acidic conditions facilitate spike protein processing and viral genome release. Dynein and kinesin motors drive EE transport along microtubules; dynein moves EEs to the perinuclear region, while kinesins direct them towards the plasma membrane, creating a tug-of-war over the direction of transport.
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