New evidence of biochemical states and force working in concert

Inside the leading edge of a crawling cell, intricate networks of rod-like actin filaments extend toward the cell membrane at various angles, lengthening protein by protein. Upon impact, the crisscrossing rods glance off ...

'Mystery gene' matures the skeleton of the cell

"I'm a professional pin-in-a-haystack seeker," geneticist Thijn Brummelkamp responds when asked why he excels at tracking down proteins and genes that other people did not find, despite the fact that some have managed to ...

Mechanism of bacterial toxins in deadly attacks

Only one thousandth of a milligram of the bacterial botulinum toxin is necessary to kill a living organism. The toxin unfolds its lethal effect by preventing the release of neurotransmitters at the point where nerve cells ...

New study characterizes behavior of human plastins in cells

A family of proteins that have a role in ensuring many types of cells move and maintain their shape may promote disease when they act like workaholics and disrupt the cellular environment, new research suggests.

Cytoskeletal proteins interact to form intracellular networks

Investigators have discovered that two cytoskeletal proteins which were previously thought to function independently actually interact and form cytoskeletal networks within the cell surface, according to findings published ...

page 4 from 20