Newest Articles
Triple arginines determine pentamerization and conductanceSerotonin type 3A receptors are homopentameric ligand-gated ion channels that are thought to assemble via interactions involving the subunits’ extracellular and transmembrane domains. Pandhare et al. reveal that channel assembly is also determined by three arginine residues in the receptor’s intracellular domain.
Switching off 10S myosin II activityThree-dimensional electron microscopy reveals that myosin II molecules are kept inactive by intramolecular interactions between the heads and the tail that inhibit actin binding, ATPase activity, filament formation, and phosphorylation. This suggests how myosin can be stored in cells with minimal energy consumption.
Stochastic model of ion channel clusteringIon channels are often found in dense clusters within the plasma membranes of excitable cells. Based on experimental measurements of a wide range of channels in various cell types, Sato et al. propose that channel clusters form stochastically and that their size is regulated by a common feedback mechanism.
Dysfunction and troponin I phosphorylationCardiac troponin I Ser44 is a downstream target for protein kinase C. The current studies show heightened phosphorylation develops during contractile dysfunction in failing human myocardium and in rat models of pressure overload and aging with contractile dysfunction.
Regulation of somatostatin secretionThe regulation of somatostatin secretion from islet δ-cells remains obscure. Denwood et al. show that glucose stimulates somatostatin secretion through effects on both δ-cell electrical activity and cAMP-dependent intracellular Ca2+ release.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of calcium in dendritic spinesDendritic spines can have numerous different shapes, but how this affects the function of these neuronal subcompartments is unclear. Bell et al. develop a mathematical model that reveals how the size and shape of both the spine head and spine apparatus impact local calcium dynamics.
Ion-selective microelectrodes in voltage-clamped muscleMany cellular processes depend on the movement of ions across membranes, but current electrophysiological methods can only measure movements that generate an electrical current. Heiny et al. describe a new method to measure dynamic changes of intracellular ion concentration resulting from either electroneutral or electrogenic ion fluxes under voltage or current clamp.
Current Issue
August 5, 2019
Volume 151, No. 8
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Reviews & Opinions
- Paul F. Cranefield Award to Anne E. Carlson
Trudeau recognizes the latest recipient of the Cranefield Award.
- How myosin II achieves total shutdown
JGP study describes 3-D structure of the 10S form of myosin II, identifying key interactions between the head and tail domains that keep the motor protein switched off.
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Tengholm reflects on new work providing insight into the mechanisms of glucose-stimulated somatostatin secretion from δ-cells.