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  1. Macromolecular condensation is unlikely to buffer intracellular osmolality

    This article has 2 authors:
    1. Alan R. Kay
    2. Zahra Aminzare
    This article has been curated by 1 group:
    • Curated by Biophysics Colab

      Evaluation Statement (30 January 2025)

      Kay and Aminzare discuss a claim made in a prior publication that macromolecular condensation acts as a water buffering mechanism in cells to compensate for the effects of osmotic shock. The authors argue that, although such a buffer could temporarily maintain a transmembrane osmolality differential, this differential would drive water across the membrane to reach a steady-state in which osmolality within the cell equals osmolality outside the cell. Using the well-established pump-leak model for osmotic water transport, they further show that the timescale at which a water buffer could maintain a modest 10% osmolality differential across the membrane is at most one minute for a typical animal cell.

      Biophysics Colab recommends this study to researchers working on membrane transport, intracellular water buffering, and condensate biology.

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

      • Rigorous methodology
      • Transparent reporting
      • Appropriate interpretation

    Reviewed by Biophysics Colab

    This article has 4 evaluationsAppears in 3 listsLatest version Latest activity
  2. The cytoplasm of living cells can sustain transient and steady intracellular pressure gradients

    This article has 6 authors:
    1. Majid Malboubi
    2. Mohammad Hadi Esteki
    3. Lulu IT Korsak
    4. Ryan J Petrie
    5. Emad Moeendarbary
    6. Guillaume Charras
    This article has been curated by 1 group:
    • Curated by eLife

      eLife Assessment

      This important study combines imaginative experiments to demonstrate the relevance of poroelasticity in the mechanical properties of cells across physiologically relevant time and length scales. Through innovative experiments and a finite element model, the authors present solid evidence that cytosolic flows and pressure gradients can persist in cells with permeable membranes, generating spatially segregated influx and outflux zones. These findings will be of interest to the cell biology and biophysics communities. Nevertheless, a more in depth discussion of why other possible explanations for the long time scales associated to mechanical propagation are less effective could further strengthen their message.

    Reviewed by eLife

    This article has 5 evaluationsAppears in 2 listsLatest version Latest activity