Articles tagged with Organelles
Researchers at Stowers Institute for Medical Research have developed a precise model for the stinging organelle of the starlet sea anemone, revealing its complex architecture and firing mechanism. The findings could lead to beneficial applications in medicine, including microscopic therapeutic delivery devices.
Researchers have discovered a common thread between multiple neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. A protein called TMEM106B forms fibrils in diseased brain tissue, potentially hobbling cells.
Researchers discovered that yeast cells can actively regulate temperature-dependent phase separation in their membranes. This process is crucial for membrane function and cell division. By adjusting the temperature, yeast cells can maintain a consistent state of phase separation, which may be essential for optimal cellular performance.
Researchers at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology develop a novel strategy to quickly separate intact lysosomes with high purity using magnetic-plasmonic hybrid nanoparticles. The technique allows for rapid extraction of lysosomes from cells, reducing the time required compared to existing methods.
Researchers at the University at Buffalo have created model protein-RNA droplets with properties similar to those of viscoelastic Maxwell fluid and Silly Putty. These droplets exhibit dual behavior, acting like both elastic solids and viscous liquids, depending on the timescale.
A new machine learning algorithm has enabled researchers to automatically identify and map the inner structures of cells, including organelles, with unprecedented precision. By processing tens of thousands of high-resolution images, scientists have gained insights into how these structures interact and are arranged within the cell.
A study in Nature Communications outlines the physical rules regulating the architecture of membraneless organelles (MLOs), also known as biomolecular condensates. The research found that RNA amount and protein amino acid sequence impact MLO surface stickiness, enabling predictive control over their arrangement.
Researchers discovered that MpSYP12B redirects the secretory pathway to form the liverwort oil body, providing strong empirical support for the organelle paralogy hypothesis. The oil body accumulates compounds with bioactivities, including antibacterial and anticancer properties.
A new microscopy technique, SPOT, allows for the simultaneous observation of multiple organelles and their complex lipid dynamics. This breakthrough enables researchers to study organelle interactions, diagnose diseases, and monitor progression with unprecedented precision.
Researchers have figured out a key step in how molecular Ferris wheels work in yeast proton pumps, providing insight into a fundamental process that could be harnessed to thwart disease. The study uses high-resolution images and computer simulations to confirm the role of water molecules in conveying protons through the membrane.
Researchers have developed a novel amphiphilic AIE-active sensor that can overcome the traditional bioimaging bottleneck by achieving high targeting ability and selectivity. The sensor utilizes an amphiphilic characteristic to prevent aggregation in aqueous environments and ensure accurate fluorescence signal mapping.
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have created artificial membrane-less organelles within human cells by controlling the phase separation of emerging class of proteins. This advance enables precise tuning of a single property to modulate existing cell functions or create new behaviors.
The review paper reveals the intricacies of bacterial organelles, which support functions essential for survival and growth. Organelles enable bacteria to perform extraordinary tasks, such as photosynthesis and orientation relative to magnetic fields.
Cyanobacteria construct organelles to convert CO2 into sugar through a complex process involving Rubisco enzymes and chaperone proteins. A recent study reveals the crucial role of Raf1 protein in assembling Rubisco complexes, improving carboxysome function.
A team of Clemson University researchers identified the function of a specific protein in three related parasites that cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and Leishmaniasis. The discovery provides insights into how these parasites differ from humans, shedding light on potential drug targets.
Researchers identified a molecular mechanism for communication between microtubule and actin networks, enabling color change in amphibians and fish. A theoretical model supports the findings, highlighting the regulatory efficiency of cytoskeletal interactions.
Scientists have identified a molecular mechanism that enables amphibians and fish to change their color by communicating between the actin and microtubule networks. The discovery reveals potential evolutionary paths and highlights the importance of motor proteins adapting to different cytoskeleton systems.
A novel 3D microscopy technique allows researchers to quantify previously unseen or unexplained cell behavior. The technique has been applied to study the dynamics of organelles and fat droplets within living cells, revealing new aspects of their behavior such as synchronization of swelling among droplets.
Researchers at Hokkaido University found that nuclear stress bodies help cells recover from stress by regulating intron retention, a process essential for gene expression. The discovery sheds light on the mysterious organelles' role in stress response and has implications for understanding various biological functions.
Researchers successfully simulated every atom of a light-harvesting structure in a photosynthetic bacterium, revealing how it converts sunlight into chemical energy. The study confirms physics drives biology at the atomic scale, informing future studies of complex energy-generating organelles.
Scientists discovered a new organelle that prevents cancer by ensuring correct genetic material sorting. The organelle's discovery offers a way for doctors to personalize cancer treatments, sparing up to 40% of patients with breast cancer.
Researchers found that certain types of RNA and proteins create gelatinous droplets that don't fuse easily with other droplets, explaining why liquid organelles stay apart in cells. The study may provide insight into neurodegenerative diseases like ALS.
Membrane-less organelles (MLOs) are liquid droplets made from proteins and RNA that facilitate storage and biochemical activity within cells. The study found that MLOs are highly sensitive to the level of divalent cations, with fluctuations in these ions profoundly tuning their liquid properties.
Researchers at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia have identified a new mechanism for assembling influenza A virus genomes within infected cells. The study reveals that viral-induced compartments called 'viral inclusions' use liquid-liquid phase separation to segregate and assemble the eight distinct parts of the genetic material.
Researchers discovered that most tunneling nanotubes are composed of multiple smaller tubes and have thin wires connecting them, allowing for organelle transport. This discovery challenges the dogma of cells as individual units, showing they can exchange materials without a membrane barrier.
Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered a connection between the process that causes oil and vinegar to separate in salad dressing and solid tumors like prostate and breast cancer. The study found mutations in the tumor suppressor gene SPOP contribute to cancer by disrupting liquid-liquid phase separation, l...
A team of scientists from the University of Kent has developed a new technique to manipulate bacterial cellular structures, enabling them to convert sugar into fuel. The breakthrough could lead to the production of biofuels and vaccines using synthetic biology.
Researchers develop ultrafast scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to observe membraneless organelles. The technique reveals low-density, permeable structures, contrary to expected dense packing.
Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Michigan State University have imaged the protein shell of a bacterial microcompartment at atomic resolution. The study provides the first picture of an intact bacterial organelle membrane, which could help in fighting pathogens or engineering beneficial organisms.
Scientists have visualized bacterial microcompartment shells at atomic level resolution, revealing their structure and function. This breakthrough opens the door to identifying vulnerable targets for combating pathogenic bacteria and developing new kinds of designer nanoreactors.
Researchers created a detailed analysis of human proteins in cultivated cell lines, mapping them to cellular compartments and substructures with single-cell resolution. The study found that about half of the proteins are found in more than one compartment, shedding new light on cellular complexity.
Chemists from the University of Basel have successfully simulated molecular crowding in artificial vesicles, offering insights into the development of nanoreactors and artificial organelles. The study reveals that the crowding effect influences enzymatic kinetics, enabling specific control over chemical reactions.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a new tool called optoDroplet that allows them to manipulate and understand the chemistry of membraneless organelles in living cells. The study reveals how proteins assemble into different liquid and gel-like solid states, which is crucial for understanding various cellular operations.
A team of Michigan State University researchers identified a crucial connection between the actin cytoskeleton and the endoplasmic reticulum's movement in plant cells. The discovery of SYP73 reveals how this protein keeps cellular cargo on track, enabling plants to maintain vital functions.
Researchers construct networks of organelle functional modules in Arabidopsis using a soft thresholding approach. The algorithm identifies strongly co-expressed genes and links them to infer the function of unknown genes.
Researchers have found that random distribution of organelles in cells is an energy-dependent activity, utilizing ATP to transport organelles along cytoskeleton fibers. This study has implications for understanding human disorders, such as Zellweger syndrome, and highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research.
Researchers at Penn State University have developed a system to replicate the formation and dissolution of liquid organelles in a lab setting. By controlling the electrostatic charge of molecules, they were able to create synthetic liquid organelles that can assemble and disassemble in a biologically-reasonable way.
Researchers identify a new autophagy receptor, FAM134B, which ensures proper breakdown and disposal of dysfunctional endoplasmic reticulum. Mutations in FAM134B cause rare hereditary disease HSAN II, highlighting the importance of autophagy in cellular quality control.
Researchers successfully imaged carboxysome particles, a key component in photosynthetic bacteria's carbon fixation process, using an X-ray laser method. The technique enables single-particle imaging of objects with varying size and shape, shedding light on the structure and dynamics of life's smallest units.
The cytoplasm of mammalian cells is actually an elastic gel that creates random waves due to energetic processes in the cell. This new understanding provides a snapshot of the metabolic state of the cell and raises questions about cellular dynamics.
Researchers identified a gene in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans that restricts the flow of cellular organelles from the cell body to the axon, potentially leading to neurodegenerative disorders. This discovery provides new insights into a previously unrecognized trafficking system that protects axons.
The discovery of a previously unknown root extension in hair cells suggests the brain regulates sound sensitivity and head position. This finding challenges current understanding of how hair cells work, with the striated organelle connecting the rootlets to the cell membrane enabling feedback from the cell to the detectors.
Researchers found that the polyphosphate storage site represents the first known universal organelle, present in bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. This discovery challenges traditional definitions of bacterial organisms, suggesting LUCA was more complex than previously thought.
Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered new shapes of microcompartment shells, including dodecahedra and octahedra, which can be used to create containers or microreactors with specific functions. These designed shells could efficiently deliver therapeutic materials to cells at targeted locations.
The study reveals that chloride ion accumulation in lysosomes is crucial for protein degradation, rather than just acidification. This finding has significant implications for understanding kidney stone disease and neurodegeneration.
Researchers at Rockefeller University Press have uncovered a mechanism that limits centriole duplication, allowing cells to fashion extra centrioles only once per cell cycle. This discovery could lead to the development of new cancer treatments by restricting tumor cells' ability to replicate centrioles.
Researchers found taurine to significantly decrease organelle injury scores and improve hepatocyte recovery in experimental liver fibrosis. Taurine's ultrastructural changes were also correlated with light microscopy findings, suggesting its potential as an antioxidant drug.
A University of Washington scientist has developed a new method using nanoscale test tubes to conduct chemical analysis and experimentation. The approach captures single cells or small subcellular structures within tiny water droplets, allowing for the study of chemical processes and biochemical information at unprecedented scales.
Researchers at Lehigh University have used optical tweezers to study the interior of endothelial cells in a non-invasive way, discovering a rhythmic pattern in the rigidity of the cytoskeleton. This pattern appears to change by a factor of four every 20-30 seconds, raising questions about its triggers and significance.
Researchers have discovered an organelle in a prokaryotic bacterium that is identical to the acidocalcisome found in eukaryotes. The finding suggests a targeted approach to killing disease-causing organisms and challenges the origin of eukaryotic organelles.
A study by University of Illinois researchers has identified a mechanism that determines whether pigment moves within cells. The discovery reveals that the motor protein is disengaged as a result of phosphorylation during cell division. If confirmed, this finding could lead to new cancer treatments targeting specific mechanisms.
The study demonstrates a fundamental role of caveolin-1 and caveolae in organizing multiple signalling pathways in the cell. The absence of caveolae impaired nitric oxide and calcium signaling, leading to severe physical limitations in caveolin-1-disrupted mice.