Adaptation of cell spreading to varying fibronectin densities and topographies is facilitated by β1 integrins.

Cells mechanical behaviour in physiological environments is mediated by interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM). In particular, cells can adapt their shape according to the availability of ECM proteins, e.g.

Integrin αβ as a negative regulator of the laminin receptors αβ and αβ.

Integrin αβ is a widely expressed collagen I receptor which also mediates laminin-111 binding in some cell types, but the functional relevance of collagen versus laminin binding for different cell types is poorly understood. Here we use AFM-based singe-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) to compare αβ-mediated adhesion strength to collagen and laminin in different cell types. Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells stably expressing integrin αβ (CHO-A2) displayed enhanced adhesion to collagen, but weak adhesion to laminin, consistent with a role of αβ as a receptor only for collagen in these cells.

Controlling Fibronectin Fibrillogenesis Using Visible Light.

We previously developed a surface-assisted assay to image early steps of cell-induced plasma fibronectin (FN) fibrillogenesis by timelapse atomic force microscopy (AFM). Unexpectedly, complementary attempts to visualize FN fibrillogenesis using fluorescently labeled FN (Alexa Fluor 488 or 568) and live-cell light microscopy initially failed consistently. Further analysis revealed that fibrillar remodeling was inhibited efficiently in the focal area illuminated during fluorescence imaging, but progressed normally elsewhere on the substrate, suggesting photo sensitivity of the FN fibrillogenesis process.

Hetero-Diels-Alder Cycloaddition with RAFT Polymers as Bioconjugation Platform.

We introduce the bioconjugation of polymers synthesized by RAFT polymerization, bearing no specific functional end group, by means of hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition through their inherent terminal thiocarbonylthio moiety with a diene-modified model protein. Quantitative conjugation occurs over the course of a few hours, at ambient temperature and neutral pH, and in the absence of any catalyst. Our technology platform affords thermoresponsive bioconjugates, whose aggregation is solely controlled by the polymer chains.

Highly synergistic antimicrobial activity of magainin 2 and PGLa peptides is rooted in the formation of supramolecular complexes with lipids.

Magainin 2 and PGLa are cationic, amphipathic antimicrobial peptides which when added as equimolar mixture exhibit a pronounced synergism in both their antibacterial and pore-forming activities. Here we show for the first time that the peptides assemble into defined supramolecular structures along the membrane interface. The resulting mesophases are quantitatively described by state-of-the art fluorescence self-quenching and correlation spectroscopies.

Induction of ligand promiscuity of αVβ3 integrin by mechanical force.

αVβ3 integrin can bind to multiple extracellular matrix proteins, including vitronectin (Vn) and fibronectin (Fn), which are often presented to cells in culture as homogenous substrates. However, in tissues, cells experience highly complex and changing environments. To better understand integrin ligand selection in such complex environments, we employed binary-choice substrates of Fn and Vn to dissect αVβ3 integrin-mediated binding to different ligands on the subcellular scale.

Tspan8 is expressed in breast cancer and regulates E-cadherin/catenin signalling and metastasis accompanied by increased circulating extracellular vesicles.

Tspan8 exhibits a functional role in many cancer types including pancreatic, colorectal, oesophagus carcinoma, and melanoma. We present a first study on the expression and function of Tspan8 in breast cancer. Tspan8 protein was present in the majority of human primary breast cancer lesions and metastases in the brain, bone, lung, and liver.

Graphene-enabled and directed nanomaterial placement from solution for large-scale device integration.

Directed placement of solution-based nanomaterials at predefined locations with nanoscale precision limits bottom-up integration in semiconductor process technology. We report a method for electric-field-assisted placement of nanomaterials from solution by means of large-scale graphene layers featuring nanoscale deposition sites. The structured graphene layers are prepared via either transfer or synthesis on standard substrates, and then are removed once nanomaterial deposition is completed, yielding material assemblies with nanoscale resolution that cover surface areas >1 mm.

Correlative Multiscale 3D Imaging of a Hierarchical Nanoporous Gold Catalyst by Electron, Ion and X-ray Nanotomography.

Tomographic imaging of catalysts allows non-invasive investigation of structural features and chemical properties by combining large fields of view, high spatial resolution, and the ability to probe multiple length scales. Three complementary nanotomography techniques, (i) electron tomography, (ii) focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy, and (iii) synchrotron ptychographic X-ray computed tomography, were applied to render the 3D structure of monolithic nanoporous gold doped with ceria, a catalytically active material with hierarchical porosity on the nm and μm scale. The resulting tomograms were used to directly measure volume fraction, surface area and pore size distribution, together with 3D pore network mapping.

Andreev bound states at spin-active interfaces.

Andreev bound states are ubiquitous in superconducting hybrid structures. They are formed near impurities, in Josephson junctions, in vortex cores and at interfaces. At spin-active superconductor-ferromagnet interfaces, Andreev bound states are formed due to spin-dependent scattering phases.

Temperature Variation-Induced Performance Decline of Perovskite Solar Cells.

This paper reports on the impact of outdoor temperature variations on the performance of organo metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs). It shows that the open-circuit voltage ( V) of a PSC decreases linearly with increasing temperature. Interestingly, in contrast to these expected trends, the current density ( J) of PSCs is found to decline strongly below 20% of the initial value upon cycling the temperatures from 10 to 60 °C and back.

A Molecular Dynamics-Quantum Mechanics Theoretical Study of DNA-Mediated Charge Transport in Hydrated Ionic Liquids.

Charge transport (CT) through biomolecules is of high significance in the research fields of biology, nanotechnology, and molecular devices. Inspired by our previous work that showed the binding of ionic liquid (IL) facilitated charge transport in duplex DNA, in silico simulation is a useful means to understand the microscopic mechanism of the facilitation phenomenon. Here molecular dynamics simulations (MD) of duplex DNA in water and hydrated ionic liquids were employed to explore the helical parameters.

Orthogonal F-Labeling for Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy Reveals the Conformation and Orientation of Short Peptaibols in Membranes.

Peptaibols are promising drug candidates in view of their interference with cellular membranes. Knowledge of their lipid interactions and membrane-bound structure is needed to understand their activity and should be, in principle, accessible by solid-state NMR spectroscopy. However, their unusual amino acid composition and noncanonical conformations make it very challenging to find suitable labels for NMR spectroscopy.

Cadherin-11 promotes neural crest cell spreading by reducing intracellular tension-Mapping adhesion and mechanics in neural crest explants by atomic force microscopy.

During development cranial neural crest cells (NCCs) display a striking transition from collective to single-cell migration, but the mechanisms enabling individual NCCs to separate from the neural crest tissue are still incompletely understood. In this study we have employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) to investigate potential adhesive and mechanical changes associated with the dissociation of individual cells from cohesive Xenopus NCC explants at early stages of migration. AFM-based single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS) revealed a uniform distribution of cell-cell adhesion forces within NCC explants, including semi-detached leader cells in the process of delaminating from the explant edge.

Cation solvation with quantum chemical effects modeled by a size-consistent multi-partitioning quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics method.

In the condensed phase, quantum chemical properties such as many-body effects and intermolecular charge fluctuations are critical determinants of the solvation structure and dynamics. Thus, a quantum mechanical (QM) molecular description is required for both solute and solvent to incorporate these properties. However, it is challenging to conduct molecular dynamics (MD) simulations for condensed systems of sufficient scale when adapting QM potentials.

Structural Behavior of the Peptaibol Harzianin HK VI in a DMPC Bilayer: Insights from MD Simulations.

Microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of harzianin HK VI (HZ) interacting with a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayer were performed at the condition of low peptide-to-lipid ratio. Two orientations of HZ molecule in the bilayer were found and characterized. In the orientation perpendicular to the bilayer surface, HZ induces a local thinning of the bilayer.

Template-controlled piezoactivity of ZnO thin films grown via a bioinspired approach.

Biomaterials are used as model systems for the deposition of functional inorganic materials under mild reaction conditions where organic templates direct the deposition process. In this study, this principle was adapted for the formation of piezoelectric ZnO thin films. The influence of two different organic templates (namely, a carboxylate-terminated self-assembled monolayer and a sulfonate-terminated polyelectrolyte multilayer) on the deposition and therefore on the piezoelectric performance was investigated.

Reaction Path Averaging: Characterizing the Structural Response of the DNA Double Helix to Electron Transfer.

A polarizable environment, prominently the solvent, responds to electronic changes in biomolecules rapidly. The knowledge of conformational relaxation of the biomolecule itself, however, may be scarce or missing. In this work, we describe in detail the structural changes in DNA undergoing electron transfer between two adjacent nucleobases.

Polaron Effects on Charge Transport through Molecular Wires: A Multiscale Approach.

Modeling charge transport along molecular wires immersed in polarizable environments poses a grand challenge due to the high dimensionality of the problem and the various time scales involved. A previous multiscale nonequilibrium Green's function simulation scheme (Popescu, B.; Woiczikowski, P.

Epidermal-specific deletion of CD44 reveals a function in keratinocytes in response to mechanical stress.

CD44, a large family of transmembrane glycoproteins, plays decisive roles in physiological and pathological conditions. CD44 isoforms are involved in several signaling pathways essential for life such as growth factor-induced signaling by EGF, HGF or VEGF. CD44 is also the main hyaluronan (HA) receptor and as such is involved in HA-dependent processes.

Cavity-Enhanced and Ultrafast Superconducting Single-Photon Detectors.

Ultrafast single-photon detectors with high efficiency are of utmost importance for many applications in the context of integrated quantum photonic circuits. Detectors based on superconductor nanowires attached to optical waveguides are particularly appealing for this purpose. However, their speed is limited because the required high absorption efficiency necessitates long nanowires deposited on top of the waveguide.

A switchable self-assembling and disassembling chiral system based on a porphyrin-substituted phenylalanine-phenylalanine motif.

Artificial light-harvesting systems have until now not been able to self-assemble into structures with a large photon capture cross-section that upon a stimulus reversibly can switch into an inactive state. Here we describe a simple and robust FLFL-dipeptide construct to which a meso-tetraphenylporphyrin has been appended and which self-assembles to fibrils, platelets or nanospheres depending on the solvent composition. The fibrils, functioning as quenched antennas, give intense excitonic couplets in the electronic circular dichroism spectra which are mirror imaged if the unnatural FDFD-analogue is used.

Novel roles for well-known players: from tobacco mosaic virus pests to enzymatically active assemblies.

The rod-shaped nanoparticles of the widespread plant pathogen tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) have been a matter of intense debates and cutting-edge research for more than a hundred years. During the late 19th century, their behavior in filtration tests applied to the agent causing the 'plant mosaic disease' eventually led to the discrimination of viruses from bacteria. Thereafter, they promoted the development of biophysical cornerstone techniques such as electron microscopy and ultracentrifugation.

A Hexakis Terpyridine-Fullerene Ligand in Six-Fold Ruthenium, Iridium, and Iron Complexes: Synthesis and Electrochemical Properties.

An unprecedented straightforward route to six-fold terpyridine ligands around C60 , the latter being regioselectively functionalized in pseudo-octahedral positions using a six-fold Bingel reaction, is reported. Ruthenium, iridium, and iron complexes have been synthesized, and unambiguously characterized by NMR, MS, and cyclic voltammetry.