Biophysics

Predicting the sequence-dependent backbone dynamics of intrinsically disordered proteins

1. Sanbo Qin
2. Huan-Xiang Zhou

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this useful study, a solid machine learning approach based on a broad set of systems to predict the R2 relaxation rates of residues in intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) is described. The ability to predict the patterns of R2 will be helpful to guide experimental studies of IDPs. A potential weakness is that the predicted R2 values may include both fast and slow motions, thus the predictions provide only limited new physical insights into the nature of the underlying protein dynamics, such as the most relevant timescale.

Reviewed by eLife

PUFA stabilizes a conductive state of the selectivity filter in IKs channels

1. Alessia Golluscio
2. Jodene Eldstrom
3. Jessica J Jowais
4. Marta Elena Perez
5. Kevin Peter Cunningham
6. Alicia De La Cruz
7. Xiaoan Wu
8. Valentina Corradi
9. D Peter Tieleman
10. David Fedida
11. H Peter Larsson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This manuscript reveals an important mechanism of KCNQ1/IKs channel gating and PUFA modulation of this mechanism. This mechanism is supported by convincing single channel recordings, macroscopic current recordings and mutational analyses. These findings are of importance to the ion channel field and possibly future therapeutic applications.

Reviewed by eLife

N-acetylation of α-synuclein enhances synaptic vesicle clustering mediated by α-synuclein and lysophosphatidylcholine

1. Chuchu Wang
2. Chunyu Zhao
3. Hu Xiao
4. Jiali Qiang
5. Zhenying Liu
6. Jinge Gu
7. Shengnan Zhang
8. Dan Li
9. Yaoyang Zhang
10. Jacqueline Burré
11. Jiajia Diao
12. Cong Liu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this useful study, the authors show that N-acetylation of synuclein increases clustering of synaptic vesicles in vitro and that this effect is mediated by enhanced interaction with lysophosphatidylcholine. While the evidence for enhanced clustering is largely solid, the biological significance remains unclear.

Reviewed by eLife

Point set registration for combining fluorescence microscopy methods

1. Ivo Severins
2. Chirlmin Joo
3. John van Noort

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

CryoEM structures of Kv1.2 potassium channels, conducting and non-conducting

1. Yangyu Wu
2. Yangyang Yan
3. Youshan Yang
4. Shumin Bian
5. Alberto Rivetta
6. Ken Allen
7. Fred J Sigworth

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important manuscript presents several structures of the Kv1.2 voltage-gated potassium channel, based on state-of-the-art cryoEM techniques and algorithms. The authors present solid evidence for structures of an inactivating mutant of Kv1.2, DTX-bound Kv1.2 and of Kv1.2 in potassium-free solution (with presumably sodium ions bound within the selectivity filter). These structures advance our knowledge of the molecular basis of the slow inactivation process of potassium channels.

Reviewed by eLife

Hypersensitivity of the vimentin cytoskeleton to net-charge states and Coulomb repulsion

1. Bret A Unger
2. Chun Ying Wu
3. Alexander A Choi
4. Changdong He
5. Ke Xu

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable study provides new insight into the disassembly of vimentin filaments and the dependence of this mechanism on net charge, albeit with incomplete evidence. In particular, the experimental replicates are limited (in most cases n=1), there is a lack of quantitative analysis to substantiate claims, inconsistency of the proposed mechanisms with previously published work, and lack of biochemical evidence supporting the observations in cells. Addressing these concerns would strengthen the manuscript and help support the proposed hypothesis on vimentin disassembly.

Reviewed by eLife

Unveiling Cas8 Dynamics and Regulation within a transposon-encoded Cascade-TniQ Complex

1. Amun C. Patel
2. Souvik Sinha
3. Pablo R. Arantes
4. Giulia Palermo

Reviewed by PREreview

Dynamics and activation of membrane-bound B cell receptor assembly

1. Hung N. Do
2. Mingfei Zhao
3. S. Munir Alam
4. S. Gnanakaran

Reviewed by PREreview

Dynamic basis of lipopolysaccharide export by LptB2FGC

1. Marina Dajka
2. Tobias Rath
3. Nina Morgner
4. Benesh Joseph

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This study provides an important advance in the molecular understanding of the lipopolysaccharide export mechanism and machinery in bacteria. By using advanced spectroscopy approaches, the experiments provide convincing biophysical support for the dynamic behavior of the multisubunit Lpt transport system. This work has implications for understanding bacterial cell envelope biogenesis and developing drugs that target Gram negative pathogens.

Reviewed by eLife

Single turnover transient state kinetics reveals processive protein unfolding catalyzed by Escherichia coli ClpB

1. Jaskamaljot Kaur Banwait
2. Liana Islam
3. Aaron L Lucius

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable study presents the development of a single turnover stopped-flow fluorescence experiment to study the kinetics of substrate unfolding and translocation by the bacterial ClpB disaggregase. Using non-physiological nucleotides to bypass the physiological regulation mechanism of ClpB, the authors convincingly show that the ClpB disaggregase is a processive motor with a slow unfolding step preceding rapid translocation. The results of this analysis are of value for future mechanistic studies on energy-dependent unfolding, degradation, and disaggregation molecular machines.

Reviewed by eLife