Biophysics

Ion channel thermodynamics studied with temperature jumps measured at the cell membrane

1. Carlos A.Z. Bassetto
2. Bernardo I. Pinto
3. Ramon Latorre
4. Francisco Bezanilla

• Curated by Biophysics Colab

  Evaluation statement (17 January 2024)

  The study by Bassetto Jr. et al. presents an elegant and pioneering technique to rapidly manipulate membrane temperature by up to 10 ºC in less than 1.5 ms, thereby enabling high temporal resolution of the temperature dependence of ion channel currents. The approach combines the cut-open oocyte voltage clamp technique with laser illumination to heat the sub-membrane melanosome layer. Temperature is quantified from observed changes in membrane capacitance. Recordings of Kir1.1, TRPM8, and TRPV1 channels are used to validate the effectiveness of the technique. A limitation is that, in its current form, the technique can be used only on melanosome-containing Xenopus oocyte membranes.

  Biophysics Colab recommends this study to scientists working on the temperature dependence of ion channels and other membrane proteins.

  Biophysics Colab has evaluated this study as one that meets the following criteria:

  • Rigorous methodology
  • Transparent reporting
  • Appropriate interpretation

  (This evaluation refers to the version of record for this work, which is linked to and has been revised from the original preprint following peer review.)

Reviewed by Biophysics Colab

Modulation of biophysical properties of nucleocapsid protein in the mutant spectrum of SARS-CoV-2

1. Ai Nguyen
2. Huaying Zhao
3. Dulguun Myagmarsuren
4. Sanjana Srinivasan
5. Di Wu
6. Jiji Chen
7. Grzegorz Piszczek
8. Peter Schuck

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important manuscript provides new insights into the biophysics of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid. The evidence, which relies on a convincing combination of genetic and biophysical data, nicely supports the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

Divergent mechanisms of steroid inhibition in the human ρ1 GABA _A receptor

1. Chen Fan
2. John Cowgill
3. Rebecca J. Howard
4. Erik Lindahl

Reviewed by PREreview

High-throughput discovery of inhibitory protein fragments with AlphaFold

1. Andrew Savinov
2. Sebastian Swanson
3. Amy E. Keating
4. Gene-Wei Li

Reviewed by PREreview

Liquid-like condensates that bind actin drive filament polymerization and bundling

1. Caleb Walker
2. Aravind Chandrasekaran
3. Daniel Mansour
4. Kristin Graham
5. Andrea Torres
6. Liping Wang
7. Eileen M. Lafer
8. Padmini Rangamani
9. Jeanne C. Stachowiak

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Microphase separation produces interfacial environment within diblock biomolecular condensates

1. Andrew P Latham
2. Longchen Zhu
3. Dina A Sharon
4. Songtao Ye
5. Adam P Willard
6. Xin Zhang
7. Bin Zhang

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study investigates the structural organization of a series of diblock elastin-like polypeptide condensates. The methodology is highly compelling, as it combines multiscale simulations and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy experiments. The results increase our understanding of model biomolecular condensates.

Reviewed by eLife

Structural features of heteromeric channels composed of CALHM2 and CALHM4 paralogs

1. Katarzyna Drożdżyk
2. Martina Peter
3. Raimund Dutzler

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this interesting study, Drożdżyk and colleagues analyze the ability of placental CALHM orthologs to form stable complexes, identifying that CALHM2 and CALHM4 form heterooligomeric channels. The authors then determine cryo-EM structures of heterooligomeric CALHM2 and CALHM4 that reveal a distinct arrangement in which the two orthologs can interact, but preferentially segregate in the channel. This is an important study; the data provide compelling support for the interpretations and overall, the work is clearly described.

Reviewed by eLife

Allosteric coupling asymmetry mediates paradoxical activation of BRAF by type II inhibitors

1. Damien M Rasmussen
2. Manny M Semonis
3. Joseph T Greene
4. Joseph M Muretta
5. Andrew R Thompson
6. Silvia Toledo Ramos
7. David D Thomas
8. William CK Pomerantz
9. Tanya S Freedman
10. Nicholas M Levinson

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This elegant study presents important findings into how small molecules that were originally developed to inhibit the oncogenic kinase, BRAF, instead trigger activation of this kinase target. Compelling and comprehensive evidence supports a new allosteric model to explain the paradoxical activation. This rigorous work will be of great interest to biochemists, structural biologists, and those working on strategies to inhibit kinases in the context of human disease.

Reviewed by eLife

The delayed kinetics of Myddosome formation explains why amyloid-beta aggregates trigger Toll-like receptor 4 less efficiently than lipopolysaccharide

1. Bing Li
2. Prasanna Suresh
3. Jack Brelstaff
4. Shekhar Kedia
5. Clare E Bryant
6. David Klenerman

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study uses a novel light sheet imaging technique to investigate how different TLR4 agonists regulate Myddosome formation. The data showing that LPS and A-beta can control the kinetics and size of Myddosome assembly are compelling. This paper should be of substantial interest to the innate immunity field.

Reviewed by eLife

Prediction of Ca ²⁺ Binding Site in Proteins With a Fast and Accurate Method Based on Statistical Mechanics and Analysis of Crystal Structures

1. Abdul Basit
2. Devapriya Choudhury
3. Pradipta Bandyopadhyay

Reviewed by PREreview