Biophysical Journal

Biophysical Journal

@biophysj.bsky.social

The premier journal of quantitative biology and leading journal for molecular, cellular, and systems biophysics research. Editor-in-Chief: Vasanthi Jayaraman.

2.8K followers5 following741 posts

Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Red blood cells are like commuters at a busy intersection! Their shape, travel history & the vascular road map determine whether they linger or take a different route. buff.ly/RldDpIv

buff.lyRed blood cell positional history, sphericity, and network architecture influence lingering and partitioningThe transport and distribution of red blood cells (RBCs) through microvascular networks is central to diverse applications in drug delivery, tissue engineering, and the study of pathological…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Endogenous and exogenous actin modifications alter F-actin network architecture and mechanics by charge redistribution. Peter Nietmann, Susanne Stenz, Kevin Kaub, Andrejus Suchenko, Mohan K. Balasubramanian, and Andreas Janshoff. buff.ly/n9HkaNl

buff.lyEndogenous and exogenous actin modifications alter F-actin network architecture and mechanics by charge redistributionMammalian actin comprises six highly conserved isoforms that, despite their near-identical amino acid sequences, form filament networks with remarkably diverse structural and viscoelastic properties.…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: A new framework, which also accounts for condensate motion, to correctly determine if a molecule is inside the condensate or in the surroundings. Test your system now! buff.ly/G42Mn6x

buff.lyA single-particle tracking framework for quantifying intracellular partition free energiesBiomolecular condensates are membrane-less organelles that locally enrich specific molecules at spatial sites. A central challenge is determining the physical parameters of individual condensates, as…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

New study combines agent-based simulations with coarse-grained thermodynamic analysis to reveal how, under tensile forces, molecular motor activity drives active asters to reorganize into bundle-like structures, illustrating how mesoscopic architecture shapes mechanical response. buff.ly/HPzHQJH

buff.lyContractile to extensile transitions and mechanical adaptability enabled by activity in cytoskeletal structuresCytoskeletal network architecture is crucial for determining emergent morphology and dynamics, particularly in processes such as stress fiber nucleation, where cells respond to mechanical cues.…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Hypoxia-responsive HIF-1α-dependent RhoA signaling promotes motility and aerotaxis in polyaneuploid PC3 cancer cells with increased nuclear rounding. Noreen Hosny, Shengkai Li et al. buff.ly/SXVS3jN

buff.lyHypoxia-responsive HIF-1α-dependent RhoA signaling promotes motility and aerotaxis in polyaneuploid PC3 cancer cells with increased nuclear roundingMost cancer deaths result from metastasis, yet only a subset of tumor cells can complete this process. Polyaneuploid cancer cells (PACCs), which arise via endoreplication under stressors such as…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Beta cells don’t solo—they play as an orchestra. Barać et al. explore how cellular oscillations synchronize across scales to coordinate hormone secretion. From tiny cellular rhythms to a whole-body signal: biology knows how to keep the beat. buff.ly/ZvmNEp8

buff.lyMultiscale synchronization in beta cell networks: Connecting cellular oscillations to hormone secretionWithin the islets of Langerhans, pancreatic beta cells coordinate pulsatile insulin release that is essential for metabolic homeostasis. This coordination emerges from complex intercellular coupling…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Whole-cell spatiotemporal model and multimodal data illuminate the multiscale light responses in a photosynthetic bacterium. Connah G.M. Johnson, Aaron Chan et al. buff.ly/kDBPKlF

buff.lyWhole-cell spatiotemporal model and multimodal data illuminate the multiscale light responses in a photosynthetic bacteriumPhotosynthetic microorganisms rely on multiple central carbon metabolism pathways to adapt to fluctuating light and energy availability across diel cycles. Mechanistic insight into the regulatory…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Flexible proteins are molecular yoga masters—twisting through ensembles of conformations rather than holding one pose. Rodriguez et al. ask the big question: how well can our models predict this molecular flexibility? buff.ly/vJV3VRC

buff.lyConformational ensembles of flexible multidomain proteins: How close are we to accurate and reliable predictions?Multidomain proteins connected by flexible linkers populate conformational ensembles that are challenging to characterize using conventional structural biology methods. In domain-linker-domain…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

How much force does it take to pull an integrin apart? New study reveals a high mechanical threshold required to separate α5β1 integrin transmembrane domains, uncovering a “ratchet-like” role underlying inside-out signaling. buff.ly/wOELmlg

buff.lySingle-molecule force spectroscopy reveals a high-force requirement for dissociation of integrin transmembrane domainsIntegrins are bidirectional mechanochemical receptors that transmit signals upon ligand binding to the cytoskeleton (outside-in) and cytoskeletal forces back across the membrane (inside-out) to the…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Snapshots of internal protein crystal architecture at the nanoscale. Shervin S. Nia, Ambarneil Saha, Jung Cho, Z. Hong Zhou, Peter Ercius, and Matthew Mecklenburg. buff.ly/radC1JS

buff.lySnapshots of internal protein crystal architecture at the nanoscaleMacromolecular crystallography has historically inferred models of internal crystal architecture from reciprocal-space measurements of Bragg reflections. Nevertheless, direct real-space visualization…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: An alteration in the binding-unbinding interaction mechanism in a protein-specific condensate system impacts the exchange dynamics, aging, and size distribution of condensates—revealed by simulations. buff.ly/mD1Owam

buff.lyMulti-step binding-unbinding pathways govern properties of biomolecular condensatesThe interactions among condensate-forming biomolecules dictate both the specificity and properties of these condensates, including their fluid-like nature and material exchange dynamics among…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: An energy-based mathematical model of actin-driven protrusions in eukaryotic chemotaxis. Samuel W.S. Johnson, Maddy Parsons, Ruth E. Baker, and Philip K. Maini. buff.ly/7orPKNr

buff.lyAn energy-based mathematical model of actin-driven protrusions in eukaryotic chemotaxisIn eukaryotic cell chemotaxis, many cells extend and retract transient actin-driven protrusions at their membrane that facilitate both the detection of external chemical gradients and directional…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Tumor cells have a memory—and hypoxia leaves receipts. Sadhu et al. show that how long cells experience low oxygen can shape their future invasive behavior. The past may literally steer the next move. buff.ly/uCgDBVg

buff.lyPhenotypic memory of hypoxic exposure duration drives tumor invasion dynamicsCancer cells in hypoxic environments often proliferate less but exhibit enhanced migration relative to their normoxic counterparts. Recent in vitro and in silico studies have characterized the role…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

In the New and Notable "Lamin A-regulated chromatin organization regulates transcription factor binding," Yuxuan Huang and Alişya A. Anlaş highlight the paper "Lamin A depletion and RSG influence PPARγ DNA binding and chromatin organization in murine adult fibroblast cells." buff.ly/QzdKqCD

buff.lyLamin A-regulated chromatin organization regulates transcription factor bindingMechanical cues from the extracellular microenvironment are integrated at the nucleus, where changes in nuclear architecture and chromatin organization contribute to the regulation of gene…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Stark and colleagues develop a continuum model to describe the dynamics of furrow invagination during development, revealing how dynamic membrane reservoirs and viscoelastic properties of the membrane-cortex shape the kinetics of the observed cell-shape changes. buff.ly/vhdXaFs

buff.lyDrosophila embryo cellularization is tuned by the viscoelastic properties of membrane-cortex linkersThe generation of an epithelial sheet transforms fruit fly embryos from a single syncytial cell directly into a tissue. During this process, the apical microvillus membrane is pulled between…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Displacement gradients in the lateral region of the organ of Corti dissipate power in the cochlea. Lauren A. Chiriboga, C. Elliott Strimbu, and Elizabeth S. Olson. buff.ly/ZS0GlPt

buff.lyDisplacement gradients in the lateral region of the organ of Corti dissipate power in the cochleaMeasurements and models of cochlear mechanics are built upon understanding the fluid mechanics within the cochlear scalae and the fluid interactions within the organ of Corti, basilar membrane (BM),…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

What if your coverslip could do more than just sit there? Klimovsky et al. turn it into a tiny optical detective, sensing interfacial changes via label-free microrefractometry. Sometimes the smartest part of the microscope is the glass! buff.ly/kRehqzN

buff.lyLabel-free microrefractometry of interfacial processes using fluorescent smart coverslipsMolecular dipoles near interfaces emit highly directional radiation due to near-field interactions, making surface-bound fluorophores sensitive probes of local physicochemical changes. We introduce…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

A new understanding of amyloid polymorphism, morphology-to-molecular-structure relations, and brain-derived vs. in vitro fibrils achieved by the cryo-EM structures of rapidly twisting Aβ40 fibrils. buff.ly/1f30O02

buff.lyPolymorphic structures of rapidly twisting 40-residue amyloid-β fibrilsFibrils formed by 40- and 42-residue amyloid-β peptides (Aβ40 and Aβ42) are polymorphic, containing molecular structures that vary with growth conditions in ways that are not fully understood. Here,…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: How does lamin A shape gene regulation? New study by Sen et al. combines FCS, FRAP, and confocal microscopy to reveal the impact of Lamin A depletion on chromatin organization and transcription factor dynamics. buff.ly/gxO2Qs8

buff.lyLamin A depletion and RSG influence PPARγ DNA binding and chromatin organization in murine adult fibroblast cellsLamin A/C proteins, integral to the nuclear lamina and present throughout the nucleoplasm, contribute to the mechanical stability of the nucleus and influence transcription as seen in laminopathies…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Congratulations to Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel, and Karl Deisseroth on their Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in optogenetics, a biophysics technique! The journal congratulates these researchers on their Nobel Prize! We are proud that they all have published in our journal!

Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Viral nucleosome-like particles show increased dynamic behavior and altered thermodynamic stability. Melanie E. Melo and Jeff Wereszczynski. buff.ly/D9tyKU6

cell.comViral nucleosome-like particles show increased dynamic behavior and altered thermodynamic stabilityDNA packaging imposes fundamental physical constraints on genomes across the tree of life. However, most of our mechanistic understanding of these processes comes from the eukaryotic nucleosome,…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Thermophoresis induced by photothermal shock alters reversal potential and capacitance in neurons. Meisam Habibi Matin, Shulan Xiao, and Krishna Jayant. buff.ly/cvUmify

cell.comThermophoresis induced by photothermal shock alters reversal potential and capacitance in neuronsLaser-induced thermal shock is widely encountered in neuroscience and biology, yet its effects on cellular thermodynamics remain poorly understood. Using whole-cell patch-clamp recordings paired with…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: G12 mutations rewire allosteric communication at the Ras–RalGDS interface. Emir Demirbas, Hyunbum Jang, Kayra Kosoglu, Ruth Nussinov, Attila Gursoy, and Ozlem Keskin. buff.ly/6Ik9AvD

cell.comG12 mutations rewire allosteric communication at the Ras–RalGDS interfaceThe Ras subfamily is the most extensively studied branch of the Ras superfamily, with 20% of all human tumors having activating mutations in one of the RAS genes. Recent studies have shown that the…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Role of Hsp70 chaperone in client-protein folding elucidated by Markov state modeling and NMR restraint-assisted molecular dynamics simulations. Michael S. O’Connor, Kirill A. Konovalov, Josephine L. Duvall, Jinoh Jang, Yichong Lao, Silvia Cavagnero, and Xuhui Huang. buff.ly/wsDE2dj

cell.comRole of Hsp70 chaperone in client-protein folding elucidated by Markov state modeling and NMR restraint-assisted molecular dynamics simulationsHeat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is a molecular chaperone that plays a key role in cellular processes by assisting protein folding and preventing aggregation. During client-protein folding, Hsp70…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

Fibrinogen hits the molecular gym! Ibrahim et al. put this key blood protein through repeated high-strain “workouts” to reveal how it stretches, adapts & responds to cyclic loading. Tiny protein, serious mechanics! buff.ly/hRhae7k

cell.comInsights into fibrinogen mechanics under cyclic high-strain loadingFibrinogen plays a central role in the physiological processes of blood coagulation and, unfortunately, ischemic stroke, where it is routinely exposed to mechanical forces. In this study, we employed…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Cross-linking mass spectrometry: Workflow enhancements for mapping large-scale interactomes. Shenbaga Moorthy Balakrishnan, Taoufik Nedjadi, Rawiah Alsiary, and Hifzur Rahman Ansari. buff.ly/zqekyMa

cell.comCross-linking mass spectrometry: Workflow enhancements for mapping large-scale interactomesIn vivo chemical cross-linking combined with mass spectrometry analysis (XL-MS) enables the direct capture of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) within their native cellular environment. This…
Biophysical Journal
@biophysj.bsky.social

#OPENACCESS: Different actions of RyR2 open and closed channel block explained by a multiscale Ca2+ release model. Derek R. Laver, James Welsh, Morris Vysma, and Bjorn C. Knollmann. buff.ly/ChjbT3u

cell.comDifferent actions of RyR2 open and closed channel block explained by a multiscale Ca2+ release modelRyR2 channels regulate Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), the Ca storage organelle in cardiac muscle. Altered RyR2 activity is a key factor promoting atrial and ventricular…