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Annual Review of Biophysics May 2023Mitochondria are involved in multiple cellular tasks, such as ATP synthesis, metabolism, metabolite and ion transport, regulation of apoptosis, inflammation, signaling,... (Review)
Review
Mitochondria are involved in multiple cellular tasks, such as ATP synthesis, metabolism, metabolite and ion transport, regulation of apoptosis, inflammation, signaling, and inheritance of mitochondrial DNA. The majority of the correct functioning of mitochondria is based on the large electrochemical proton gradient, whose component, the inner mitochondrial membrane potential, is strictly controlled by ion transport through mitochondrial membranes. Consequently, mitochondrial function is critically dependent on ion homeostasis, the disturbance of which leads to abnormal cell functions. Therefore, the discovery of mitochondrial ion channels influencing ion permeability through the membrane has defined a new dimension of the function of ion channels in different cell types, mainly linked to the important tasks that mitochondrial ion channels perform in cell life and death. This review summarizes studies on animal mitochondrial ion channels with special focus on their biophysical properties, molecular identity, and regulation. Additionally, the potential of mitochondrial ion channels as therapeutic targets for several diseases is briefly discussed.
Topics: Animals; Mitochondria; Ion Channels; Signal Transduction; Biophysics
PubMed: 37159294
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biophys-092622-094853 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta.... Feb 2022
Topics: Biophysics; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; Humans
PubMed: 34856128
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2021.183827 -
Biophysical Journal Oct 2022
Topics: Biophysical Phenomena; Biophysics; Humans; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36152633
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.09.017 -
Biophysical Journal Dec 2019It is now rare to find biological, or genetic investigations that do not rely on the tools, data, and thinking drawn from the genomic sciences. Much of this revolution... (Review)
Review
It is now rare to find biological, or genetic investigations that do not rely on the tools, data, and thinking drawn from the genomic sciences. Much of this revolution is powered by contemporary sequencing approaches that readily deliver large, genome-wide data sets that not only provide genetic insights but also uniquely report molecular outcomes from experiments that biophysicists are increasingly using for potentiating structural and mechanistic investigations. In this perspective, I describe a path of how biophysical thinking greatly contributed to this revolution in ways that parallel advancements in computer science through discussion of several key inventions, described as "foundational devices." These discussions also point at the future of how biophysics and the genomic sciences may become more finely integrated for empowering new measurement paradigms for biological investigations.
Topics: Biophysics; Genomics; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
PubMed: 31409480
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.07.038 -
The FEBS Journal Aug 2021In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal and future...
In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal and future directions in their field and beyond. Angela M. Gronenborn is the UPMC Rosalind Franklin Professor and Chair of the Department of Structural Biology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine and Professor of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, Pittsburgh, USA. She has served as an editorial board member of The FEBS Journal since 2009.
Topics: Biochemistry; Biophysics; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; United States
PubMed: 34342147
DOI: 10.1111/febs.15889 -
Chemical Reviews Mar 2017Membrane proteins play a most important part in metabolism, signaling, cell motility, transport, development, and many other biochemical and biophysical processes which... (Review)
Review
Membrane proteins play a most important part in metabolism, signaling, cell motility, transport, development, and many other biochemical and biophysical processes which constitute fundamentals of life on the molecular level. Detailed understanding of these processes is necessary for the progress of life sciences and biomedical applications. Nanodiscs provide a new and powerful tool for a broad spectrum of biochemical and biophysical studies of membrane proteins and are commonly acknowledged as an optimal membrane mimetic system that provides control over size, composition, and specific functional modifications on the nanometer scale. In this review we attempted to combine a comprehensive list of various applications of nanodisc technology with systematic analysis of the most attractive features of this system and advantages provided by nanodiscs for structural and mechanistic studies of membrane proteins.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Biophysics; Membrane Proteins; Molecular Structure; Nanostructures
PubMed: 28177242
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.6b00690 -
Biophysical Journal Apr 2023
Topics: Biophysics; Biophysical Phenomena
PubMed: 36990087
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.03.025 -
Biophysical Journal Mar 2023The formation of biomolecular condensates has emerged as a new biophysical principle for subcellular compartmentalization within cells to facilitate the spatiotemporal...
The formation of biomolecular condensates has emerged as a new biophysical principle for subcellular compartmentalization within cells to facilitate the spatiotemporal regulation of a multitude of complex biomolecular reactions. In this Research Highlight, we summarize the findings that were published in Biophysical Journal during the past two years (2021 and 2022). These papers provided biophysical insights into the formation of biomolecular condensates via phase separation of proteins with or without nucleic acids.
Topics: Biomolecular Condensates; Biophysics; Nucleic Acids
PubMed: 36791720
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.002 -
Special section guest editorial: Photonics and nanotechnology in biophysics and biomedical research.Journal of Biomedical Optics May 2011
Topics: Biomedical Research; Biophysics; Biosensing Techniques; Nanotechnology; Optics and Photonics
PubMed: 21639561
DOI: 10.1117/1.3592918 -
Physiological Reviews Oct 2018Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) contains a voltage sensor domain (VSD) similar to that in voltage-gated ion channels, and a phosphoinositide phosphatase region similar... (Review)
Review
Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) contains a voltage sensor domain (VSD) similar to that in voltage-gated ion channels, and a phosphoinositide phosphatase region similar to phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN). The VSP gene is conserved from unicellular organisms to higher vertebrates. Membrane depolarization induces electrical driven conformational rearrangement in the VSD, which is translated into catalytic enzyme activity. Biophysical and structural characterization has revealed details of the mechanisms underlying the molecular functions of VSP. Coupling between the VSD and the enzyme is tight, such that enzyme activity is tuned in a graded fashion to the membrane voltage. Upon VSP activation, multiple species of phosphoinositides are simultaneously altered, and the profile of enzyme activity depends on the history of the membrane potential. VSPs have been the obvious candidate link between membrane potential and phosphoinositide regulation. However, patterns of voltage change regulating VSP in native cells remain largely unknown. This review addresses the current understanding of the biophysical biochemical properties of VSP and provides new insight into the proposed functions of VSP.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Biophysics; Humans; Ion Channels; Membrane Potentials; Phosphatidylinositols; Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases
PubMed: 30067160
DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00056.2017