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Article
Open AccessHost defence peptide plectasin targets bacterial cell wall precursor lipid II by a calcium-sensitive supramolecular mechanism
Antimicrobial resistance is a leading cause of mortality, calling for the development of new antibiotics. The fungal antibiotic plectasin is a eukaryotic host defence peptide that blocks bacterial cell wall sy...
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Article
CD63 sorts cholesterol into endosomes for storage and distribution via exosomes
Extracellular vesicles such as exosomes are now recognized as key players in intercellular communication. Their role is influenced by the specific repertoires of proteins and lipids, which are enriched when th...
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Protocol
Visualizing Molecular Dynamics by High-Speed Atomic Force Microscopy
Dynamic processes and structural changes of biological molecules are essential to life. While conventional atomic force microscopy (AFM) is able to visualize molecules and supramolecular assemblies at sub-nano...
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Article
Light-driven eco-evolutionary dynamics in a synthetic replicator system
Darwinian evolution involves the inheritance and selection of variations in reproducing entities. Selection can be based on, among others, interactions with the environment. Conversely, the replicating entitie...
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Protocol
Atomic Force Microscopy: An Introduction
Imaging of nano-sized particles and sample features is crucial in a variety of research fields, for instance, in biological sciences, where it is paramount to investigate structures at the single particle leve...
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Article
Open AccessLateral membrane organization as target of an antimicrobial peptidomimetic compound
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the leading concerns in medical care. Here we study the mechanism of action of an antimicrobial cationic tripeptide, AMC-109, by combining high speed-atomic force microscopy,...
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Article
Structural basis of CHMP2A–CHMP3 ESCRT-III polymer assembly and membrane cleavage
The endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) is a highly conserved protein machinery that drives a divers set of physiological and pathological membrane remodeling processes. However, the struc...
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Article
Open AccessTeixobactin kills bacteria by a two-pronged attack on the cell envelope
Antibiotics that use novel mechanisms are needed to combat antimicrobial resistance1–3. Teixobactin4 represents a new class of antibiotics with a unique chemical scaffold and lack of detectable resistance. Teixob...
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Article
Open AccessFreestanding non-covalent thin films of the propeller-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decacyclene
Molecularly thin, nanoporous thin films are of paramount importance in material sciences. Their use in a wide range of applications requires control over their chemical functionalities, which is difficult to a...
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Article
Open AccessThe ESCRT-III isoforms CHMP2A and CHMP2B display different effects on membranes upon polymerization
ESCRT-III proteins are involved in many membrane remodeling processes including multivesicular body biogenesis as first discovered in yeast. In humans, ESCRT-III CHMP2 exists as two isoforms, CHMP2A and CHMP2B...
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Article
Physics of viral dynamics
Viral capsids are often regarded as inert structural units, but in actuality they display fascinating dynamics during different stages of their life cycle. With the advent of single-particle approaches and hig...
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Article
Open AccessAuthor Correction: Human ESCRT-III polymers assemble on positively curved membranes and induce helical membrane tube formation
An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
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Article
Open AccessHuman ESCRT-III polymers assemble on positively curved membranes and induce helical membrane tube formation
Endosomal sorting complexes for transport-III (ESCRT-III) assemble in vivo onto membranes with negative Gaussian curvature. How membrane shape influences ESCRT-III polymerization and how ESCRT-III shapes membr...
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Article
Atomic force microscopy-based mechanobiology
Mechanobiology emerges at the crossroads of medicine, biology, biophysics and engineering and describes how the responses of proteins, cells, tissues and organs to mechanical cues contribute to development, di...
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Protocol
AFM Nanoindentation Experiments on Protein Shells: A Protocol
Proteinaceous assemblies are ubiquitous in nature. One important form of these assemblies are such as viruses; however, a variety of other protein exist. To deepen our knowledge on the structure and functi...
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Article
Open AccessThe fluid membrane determines mechanics of erythrocyte extracellular vesicles and is softened in hereditary spherocytosis
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are widely studied regarding their role in cell-to-cell communication and disease, as well as for applications as biomarkers or drug delivery vehicles. EVs contain membrane and int...
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Article
Open AccessA single point mutation in precursor protein VI doubles the mechanical strength of human adenovirus
Viruses are extensively studied as vectors for vaccine applications and gene therapies. For these applications, understanding the material properties of viruses is crucial for creating optimal functionality. U...
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Protocol
Atomic Force Microscopy: An Introduction
Imaging of nano-sized particles and sample features is crucial in a variety of research fields. For instance in biological sciences, where it is paramount to investigate structures at the single particle level...
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Article
Open AccessProbing the mechanical stability of bridged DNA-H-NS protein complexes by single-molecule AFM pulling
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has proven to be a powerful tool for the study of DNA-protein interactions due to its ability to image single molecules at the nanoscale. However, the use of AFM in force spectros...
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Article
Open AccessControlled tip wear on high roughness surfaces yields gradual broadening and rounding of cantilever tips
Tip size in atomic force microscopy (AFM) has a major impact on the resolution of images and on the results of nanoindentation experiments. Tip wear is therefore a key limitation in the application of AFM. Her...
