MP
Uridine as a potentiator of aminoglycosides through activation of carbohydrate transporters.
Lang M, Renard S, El-Meouche I, Amoura A, Denamur E, Hardy L, Bos J, Brosschot T, Ingersoll MA, Bacqué E, Mazel D, Baharoglu Z.
Sci Adv. 2025 Sep 5;11(36):eadw7630.
doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adw7630. Epub 2025 Sep 5.
PMID: 40911672.
Uridine strongly potentiates the activity of aminoglycosides: activation of carbohydrate transporters => increases aminoglycoside uptake into bacterial cells.
in vitro and in vivo experiments => enhanced bacterial killing when uridine was co-administered with aminoglycosides.
Metabolite-based strategy to overcome antibiotic resistance ?
A scaffold for quinone channeling between membrane and soluble bacterial oxidoreductases.
Broc M, Cherrier MV, Uzel A, Arias-Cartin R, Arnoux P, Brasseur G, Seduk F, Guigliarelli B, Legrand P, Pierrel F, Schoehn G, Maté MJ, Martin L, Grimaldi S, Nicolet Y, Magalon A, Walburger A.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025 Aug 25.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01607-4. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40855134.
Identification of a protein scaffold that mediates quinone channeling between membrane-bound and soluble oxidoreductases.
Structure and bioch => scaffold prevents diffusion losses and enhances energy conservation in the respiratory chain. quinones are transferred efficiently, ensuring rapid electron flow in bacterial respiration.
Cryo-EM structure of a cell-free synthesized full-length human β1-adrenergic receptor in complex with Gs.
Merino F, Köck Z, Ermel U, Dahlhaus P, Grimm A, Seybert A, Kubicek J, Frangakis AS, Dötsch V, Hilger D, Bernhard F.
Structure. 2025 Aug 21:S0969-2126(25)00268-0.
doi: 10.1016/j.str.2025.07.020. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40858117.
cryo-EM structure of FL human β1-adrenergic receptor in complex with Gs protein, synthesized in a cell-free system (=> bypass of expression bottlenecks).
Receptor in active conformation, showing detailed interactions with Gs.
Potentiation of GPCR signaling by ATP and sugar monophosphates.
Hoare SRJ.
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2025 Aug 15:S0165-6147(25)00174-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2025.08.002. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40818902.
Extracellular ATP and sugar monophosphates potentiate GPCR signaling.
=> allosteric modulators influencing receptor responsiveness and downstream signaling cascades across diverse physiological contexts.
Structural basis for lipid transport at membrane contact sites by the IST2-OSH6 complex.
Arndt M, Schweri A, Dutzler R.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025 Aug 27.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01660-z. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40866577.
Cryo-EM structures of the IST2-OSH6 complex => mechanism of lipid transfer at ER–plasma MCS.
The complex forms a bridge that accommodates lipid headgroups during transfer.
A unique gating mechanism revealed by the cryo-EM structure of monomeric ATP9A flippase.
Abe K, Marimuthu P, Qian Y, Gopalasingam CC, Gerle C, Shigematsu H, Tanaka K, Khandelia H.
J Biol Chem. 2025 Aug 26:110631.
doi: 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110631. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40876594.
Cryo-EM structure of monomeric ATP9A flippase => unique gating mechanism + substrate selectivity and transport cycle.
ATP9A operates as a monomer with specialized conformational transitions controlling lipid translocation.
Revisiting flippase specificity: Drs2-Cdc50 transports multiple anionic lipid substrates.
Amalie Benfeldt Purup, Pauline Funke, Cedric Montigny, Aurelie Di Cicco, Thibaud Dieudonne, Merethe M Frosig, Yugo Iwasaki, Daniel levy, Thomas Guenther Pomorski, Rosa Laura Lopez Marques, Joseph A Lyons, and Guillaume Lenoir.
bioRxiv posted 27 August 2025.
doi:10.1101/2025.08.22.671827.
Preprint revisiting substrate specificity of the yeast flippase Drs2-Cdc50.
Biochemical and structure: Drs2 transports multiple anionic PLs beyond PS => expands the functional repertoire of P4-ATPases (implications for lipid homeostasis and membrane asymmetry).
Activation of kainate receptor GluK2-Neto2 complex.
Gangwar SP, Yelshanskaya MV, Yen LY, Newton TP, Sobolevsky AI.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025 Aug 22.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01656-9. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40846810.
Cryo-EM analysis of the kainate receptor GluK2 in complex with auxiliary subunit Neto2.
Neto2 stabilizes receptor architecture and modulates gating.
The structure clarifies how agonist binding triggers conformational rearrangements and channel opening.
The ABCs of psychedelics: a preclinical roadmap for drug discovery.
Kwan AC, Mantsch JR, McCorvy JD.
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2025 Aug 27:S0165-6147(25)00160-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2025.07.017. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40877079/
Review on preclinical research on psychedelics and their interaction with neurotransmitter systems.
ABC principles: Assess, Build, and Compare psychedelic-inspired compounds.
Molecular machines for transmembrane ion transport.
Liu S, Liu H, Jiang J, Liu G, Liu J.
Chem Commun (Camb). 2025 Sep 1.
doi: 10.1039/d5cc03010b. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40888156.
Reviews on artificial molecular machines designed for transmembrane ion transport. Different architectures (channels, carriers, and pumps), are described with their mechanistic principles.
Conduction pathway for potassium through the E. coli pump KdpFABC.
Adel Hussein, Xihui Zhang, Bjørn P. Pedersen, and David L Stokes.
bioRxiv posted 22 August 2025.
doi:10.1101/2025.05.05.652293.
Structural insights into potassium conduction through the bacterial KdpFABC pump (unusual pump that combines channel-like and transporter-like features).
Cryo-EM and functional assays reveal a defined ion pathway connecting the selectivity filter to the cytoplasm.
Evolutionary analysis reveals the origin of sodium coupling in glutamate transporters.
Reddy KD, Rasool B, Akher FB, Kutlešić N, Pant S, Boudker O.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025 Aug 25.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01652-z. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40855135.
Evolutionary analysis of glutamate transporters reveals how sodium coupling originated.
Structural comparisons across different lineages suggest that Na⁺ binding sites were acquired through specific amino acid substitutions.
=> enabled coupling of substrate transport to sodium gradients.
A structural window into the evolution of secondary transport mechanisms.
Berry SP, Gaudet R.
Nat Struct Mol Biol. 2025 Aug 25.
doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01625-2. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40855133.
Structural overview of how secondary transport mechanisms evolved.
Comparison of different transporter families => common architectural elements that diversified into distinct transport modes.
Membranes
MreB Filaments in the Elongasome Modulate E. coli Membrane Curvature.
Baileeves BWA, Hoang ADQ, Bugg TDH, Stansfeld PJ.
Biophys J. 2025 Sep 2:S0006-3495(25)00564-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2025.08.036. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40898628.
MreB filaments, a bacterial actin homolog, modulate E. coli membrane curvature within the elongasome.
MD and mutational data => how MreB-filament organization shapes the cell envelope.
Changes in filament arrangement directly affect PG synthesis and cell morphology.
Classification: Biological Sciences – Biophysics and Computational Biology Membrane Morphologies Arising from Multi-Conformational Protein States.
Kadosh A, Shemesh T.
Biophys J. 2025 Sep 1:S0006-3495(25)00563-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2025.08.035. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40898624.
Membrane morphologies emerging from proteins adopting multiple conformations.
Simulations: conformational heterogeneity drives curvature and budding.
=> explains how dynamic proteins remodel membranes without external scaffolds.
Cation-controlled assembly, activity, and organisation of biomimetic DNA receptors in synthetic cell membranes.
Elita Peters, Diana A. Tanase, Lorenzo Di Michele, and Roger Rubio-Sánchez.
bioRxiv posted 22 August 2025.
doi:10.1101/2025.04.27.650532.
Biomimetic DNA receptors embedded in synthetic membranes: assembly, organization, and activity are strongly dependent on cation concentrations.
=> controllable receptor clustering and signal transduction in artificial cells.
Atomistic modelling of lysophospholipids from the Campylobacter jejuni lipidome.
Newman KE, Brandner AF, Essex JW, Khalid S.
Biophys J. 2025 Aug 28:S0006-3495(25)00552-1.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2025.08.024. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40878133.
Atomistic simulations to characterize lysophospholipids from the lipidome of Campylobacter jejuni.
=> unique packing and dynamic properties of these lipids in bilayers and suggests that lysophospholipids contribute to the pathogen’s distinctive membrane architecture.
Deep Structural Characterization of Protein-Bound Lipids via Native MS and Ultraviolet Photodissociation.
Kirschbaum C, Bennett JL, Robinson CV.
Anal Chem. 2025 Aug 28.
doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5c03691. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40874351.
native MS + UV photodissociation to characterize protein-bound lipids.
=> high-resolution structural details on lipid binding sites.
=> detects heterogeneity and specific interactions within native protein-lipid assemblies.
Molecules
DeFrND: detergent-free reconstitution into native nanodiscs with designer membrane scaffold peptides.
Ren Q, Wang J, Idikuda V, Zhang S, Shin J, Ludlam WG, Real Hernandez LM, Zdancewicz S, Kreutzberger AJB, Chang H, Kiessling V, Tamm LK, Jomaa A, Levental I, Martemyanov K, Chanda B, Bao H.
Nat Commun. 2025 Aug 26;16(1):7973.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63275-8.
PMID: 40858559.
DeFrND = detergent-free method for reconstituting MPs into native NDs.
Designer membrane scaffold peptides stabilize bilayers while preserving protein activity.
Capturing G protein-coupled receptors into native lipid-bilayer nanodiscs using new diisobutylene/maleic acid (DIBMA) copolymers.
Chu C, Vargas C, Barbosa MC, Sommerhage S, Rechberger GN, Pahovnik D, Žagar E, Schröder GF, Keller S, Etzkorn M.
Methods. 2025 Sep 4:S1046-2023(25)00190-2.
doi: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2025.08.013. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40914317.
New DIBMA copolymers to capture GPCRs into native lipid NDs.
=> maintains receptor functionality and native-like lipid environments.
Tailoring butane-1,2,3,4-tetraol-based maltosides (BTMs) via group-swapping and unsymmetry: New detergent design strategies for membrane protein studies.
Pil Seok Chae, Taeyeol Youn, Muhammad Ehsan, Parameswaran Hariharan, Xianglan Li, Youngsun Moon, Waqar Ahmed, Bernadette Byrne, Xiangyu Liu and Lan Guan.
DOI https://doi.org/10.1039/D5TB01342A.
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2025, Accepted Manuscript.
Novel butane-tetraol-based maltosides (BTMs) as detergents for membrane protein studies.
Group-swapping and asymmetric designs => fine-tuning of detergent properties.
These BTMs improved solubilization efficiency and protein stability compared to conventional detergents.
Methods
mCNN-GenEfflux: enhanced predicting Efflux protein and their super families by using generative proteins combined with multiple windows convolution neural networks.
Hussain M, Ou YY, Ho QT.
Comput Biol Chem. 2025 Dec;119:108595.
doi: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2025.108595. Epub 2025 Jul 17.
PMID: 40690811.
mCNN-GenEfflux = a computational model combining generative proteins with convolutional neural networks.
=> improves prediction of efflux proteins and their superfamilies.
Integrated Membrane Yeast Two-Hybrid System for the Analysis of Membrane Protein Complexes.
Greenwood BL, Oshima K, Stuart DT.
Bio Protoc. 2025 Aug 20;15(16):e5418.
doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.5418. eCollection 2025 Aug 20.
PMID: 40873472.
Integrated membrane yeast two-hybrid system for analyzing MP complexes.
Microbio
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,3-dimethyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole derivatives as AcrB inhibitors with potent antibiofilm effect for reversing bacterial multidrug resistance.
Guo T, Dong J, Ma Y, Chen W, Xue J, Kong Y, Dong E, Wang Y, Ma S.
Bioorg Chem. 2025 Sep 2;165:108954.
doi: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2025.108954. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40913958.
Novel carbazole derivatives as inhibitors of AcrB.
Strong antibiofilm activity and reversal of bacterial multidrug resistance.
SAR => chemical features critical for inhibition.
Promising leads against resistant bacteria.
The AcrAB efflux pump contributes to the virulence of Enteroaggregative E. coli by influencing the aggregative behavior.
Laudazzi M, Schifano E, Sivori F, Altieri L, Uccelletti D, Di Domenico EG, Colonna B, Pasqua M, Prosseda G.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2025 Aug 7;15:1633585.
doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1633585. eCollection 2025.
PMID: 40851800.
AcrAB efflux pump contributes to virulence in enteroaggregative E. coli.
The pump influences bacterial aggregation behavior, a key factor in colonization.
Genetic disruption reduced virulence-associated phenotypes in vitro.
Miscellaneous
The entities enabling scientific fraud at scale are large, resilient, and growing rapidly.
Richardson RAK, Hong SS, Byrne JA, Stoeger T, Amaral LAN.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Aug 12;122(32):e2420092122.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2420092122. Epub 2025 Aug 4.
PMID: 40758886.
Large-scale entities enabling scientific fraud are growing rapidly. These organizations supply fabricated papers, peer reviews, and editorial services.
Highlights systemic vulnerabilities in scientific publishing. Stronger collective action is urged to protect research integrity.
Selection at the GSDMC locus in horses and its implications for human mobility.
Liu X, Jia Y, Pan J, Zhang Y, Gong Y, Wang X, Ma Y, Alvarez N, Jiang L, Orlando L.
Science. 2025 Aug 28;389(6763):925-930.
doi: 10.1126/science.adp4581. Epub 2025 Aug 28.
PMID: 40875841.
Genomic analysis identified selection in horses linked to gait and locomotion traits. The study connects these findings to human mobility genes with shared evolutionary roots.
=> convergent selection on movement-related pathways.
Beer lovers fall into two flavour camps – which one are you in?
Ahart J.
Nature. 2025 Aug 28.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-025-02709-1. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 40877461.
Beer drinkers fall into two distinct categories: those who prefer strong flavour chemicals, such as the one associated with strawberries, and those who prefer mellow ones, such as that linked to pineapple. More than 100 self-proclaimed beer enthusiasts who tasted 18 lagers with a similar bitterness split into two factions with “polar opposite” responses, said food scientist Devin Peterson, who presented the results at the American Chemical Society meeting. The findings open up brewers’ “ability to tailor these products better for these different cohorts”, Peterson told Nature.
Why can we spread butter? Is it easier to spread unsalted butter or salted butter? [in french]
related review analyzing thermodynamic and kinetic principles of fat crystallization:
Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of fat crystallization.
Himawan C, Starov VM, Stapley AG.
Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2006 Sep 25;122(1-3):3-33.
doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2006.06.016. Epub 2006 Aug 14.
PMID: 16904622.
Explains why butter can be spread, with variations between salted and unsalted forms. Crystallization behavior determines texture, spreadability, and stability of fats.