Biophysics

Enhanced Processivity and Collective Force Production of Kinesin-1 at Low Radial Forces

1. Andrew M Hensley
2. Ahmet Yildiz

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The current work uses DNA-tethered motor trapping to reduce vertical forces and improve datasets for kinesin-1 motility under load. The evidence is compelling and the significance is important to the kinesin field. Kinesin-1 is more robust and less prone to premature detachment than previously indicated. This represents a significant advancement in the field and is generally applicable to work with optical tweezers.

Reviewed by eLife

Conformational Variability of HIV-1 Env Trimer and Viral Vulnerability

1. Yiwei Cao
2. Wonpil Im

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  In this useful study, the authors conducted an impressive amount of atomistic simulations with a realistic asymmetric lipid bilayer to probe how the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) transmembrane domain, cytoplasmic tail, and membrane environment influence ectodomain orientation and antibody epitope exposure. The simulations convincingly show that ectodomain motion is dominated by tilting relative to the membrane and explicitly demonstrate the role of membrane asymmetry in modulating the protein conformation and orientation. However, due to the qualitative nature of the conducted analyses, the evidence for the coupling between membrane-proximal regions and the antigenic surface is considered incomplete. With stronger integration of prior experimental and computational literature, this work has the potential to serve as a reference for how Env behaves in a realistic, glycosylated, membrane-embedded context.

Reviewed by eLife

Interplay Between Pulmonary Membrane Properties and Lung Disease: A Study of Seven Bottlenose Dolphins

1. Marilyn Porras-Gómez
2. Bengu Sueda Sengul
3. Nurila Kambar
4. Sari Gluck
5. Kristen Flatt
6. Celeste Parry
7. Carolina Ruiz Le-Bert
8. Diego Hernández-Saavedra
9. Cecília Leal

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  The study presents data on the possible connection of respiratory pathologies like pneumonia in a cohort of dolphins with altered composition and concomitant perturbed biophysical properties of pulmonary surfactant complexes. Overall, it is a valuable contribution that could be of interest to scientists in the field. However, the study as it is appears somewhat incomplete and additional clarification and discussions are required in order to explain a few methodological questions that may limit the impact of the work considerably.

Reviewed by eLife

SMC complex unidirectionally translocates DNA by coupling segment capture with an asymmetric kleisin path

1. Masataka Yamauchi
2. Giovanni Bruno Brandani
3. Tsuyoshi Terakawa
4. Shoji Takada

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study presents a well-constructed multiscale simulation framework to investigate ATP-driven DNA translocation by prokaryotic SMC complexes, supporting a segment-capture mechanism. The strength of evidence is convincing, highlighting the necessity of a precise balance between electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, as well as the critical role of kleisin asymmetry in ensuring unidirectional movement.

Reviewed by eLife

A high-resolution, easy-to-build light-sheet microscope for subcellular imaging

1. John Haug
2. Seweryn Gałecki
3. Hsin-Yu Lin
4. Xiaoding Wang
5. Kevin M Dean

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This valuable study presents Altair-LSFM, a well-documented implementation of a light-sheet fluorescence microscope (LSFM) designed for accessibility and reduced cost. The approach provides compelling evidence of its strengths, including the use of custom-machined baseplates, detailed assembly instructions, and demonstrated live-cell imaging capabilities. This manuscript will be of interest to microscopists and potentially biologists seeking accessible LSFM tools.

Reviewed by eLife

Open Raman Microscopy (ORM): A Modular Hardware and Software Framework for Accessible Raman Imaging

1. Kevin T. Uning
2. Henry Brisebois
3. Conor C. Horgan
4. Magnus Jensen
5. Yue Yuan
6. Shiyue Liu
7. Elzbieta Stepula
8. Steven Vanuytsel
9. Vishal Kumar
10. Stephen Goldrick
11. Robert D. Knight
12. Martin A. B. Hedegaard
13. Michael B. Albro
14. Mads S. Bergholt
15. Michael R. Thomas

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

Structural Basis of Cold and Menthol Sensing by TRPM8

1. Hyuk-Joon Lee
2. Cheon-Gyu Park
3. Justin Gerald Fedor
4. Wyatt A. Peele
5. Mario J. Borgnia
6. Seok-Yong Lee

Reviewed by PREreview

Functionally coupled ion channels begin co-assembling at the start of their synthesis

1. Roya Pournejati
2. Jessica M Huang
3. Michael Ma
4. Claudia M Moreno
5. Oscar Vivas

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This fundamental manuscript provides compelling evidence that BK and CaV1.3 channels can co-localize as ensembles early in the biosynthetic pathway, including within the ER and Golgi. The findings, supported by a range of imaging and proximity assays, offer insights into channel organization in both heterologous and endogenous systems. The data substantiate the central claims, while highlighting intriguing mechanistic questions for future studies: the determinants of mRNA co-localization, the temporal dynamics of ensemble trafficking, and the physiological implications of pre-assembly for channel function at the plasma membrane.

Reviewed by eLife

Evolution of a fuzzy ribonucleoprotein complex in viral assembly

1. Huaying Zhao
2. Tiansheng Li
3. Sergio A Hassan
4. Ai Nguyen
5. Siddhartha AK Datta
6. Guofeng Zhang
7. Camden Trent
8. Agata M Czaja
9. Di Wu
10. Maria A Aronova
11. Kin Kui Lai
12. Grzegorz Piszczek
13. Richard Leapman
14. Jonathan W Yewdell
15. Peter Schuck

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This is a valuable study that combines biophysical and evolutionary approaches to understand why particular mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 protein N arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. The evidence is solid and supports the conclusions.

Reviewed by eLife

Theory of non-dilute binding and surface phase separation applied to membrane-binding proteins

1. Xueping Zhao
2. Daxiao Sun
3. Giacomo Bartolucci
4. Anthony A Hyman
5. Alf Honigmann
6. Christoph A Weber

• Curated by eLife

  eLife Assessment

  This important study presents a compelling theoretical framework for understanding condensation or phase separation of membrane-bound proteins, with a focus on the organization of tight junction components. By incorporating non-dilute binding effects into thermodynamic models and validating the model's predictions with in vitro experiments on the tight junction protein ZO-1, the authors provide a quantitative tool that combines theory and experiments and will help researchers in the field quantitatively interpret their findings. Given that phase separation of membrane bound molecules is becoming key in signaling, spanning from immune signaling to cell-cell adhesion, this work will be of broad interest for cell biologists and biophysicists.

Reviewed by eLife