MP
The inner nuclear membrane protein, Banf1, has an essential role in triple negative breast cancer cell proliferation and survival.
Rose M, Burgess JT, Cheong CM, Richard I, Suraweera A, Adams MN, Duijf PHG, O’Byrne KJ, Richard DJ, Bolderson E.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 15;15(1):25492.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10346-x.
PMID: 40664994.
Banf1 (inner nuclear MP) identified as essential for triple negative breast cancer cell survival.
Silencing Banf1 => impaired cell proliferation, triggered apoptosis, and reduced tumor growth in xenograft models.
Mechanistically, Banf1 appears to regulate chromatin organization and DNA repair pathways critical for TNBC progression.
Banf1 = potential therapeutic target in aggressive breast cancers.
The C-terminus of the multi-drug efflux pump EmrE prevents proton leak by gating transport.
Brousseau M, Teng D, Thomas NE, Voth GA, Henzler-Wildman KA.
Elife. 2025 Jul 7;14:RP105525. doi: 10.7554/eLife.105525.
PMID: 40623026.
Mutagenesis, transport assays, and molecular dynamics simulations => the C-terminus acts as a gate controlling proton flux in EmrE.
Removal of this region increases proton leak, disrupting the coupling between proton movement and drug transport.
Cryo-EM reveals an extrahelical allosteric binding site at the M5 mAChR.
Burger WAC, Mobbs JI, Rana B, Wang J, Joshi K, Gentry PR, Yeasmin M, Venugopal H, Bender AM, Lindsley CW, Miao Y, Christopoulos A, Valant C, Thal DM.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jul 31;16(1):7046.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-62212-z.
PMID: 40745154
Cryo-EM structures of the human M5 muscarinic AchR => extrahelical allosteric binding site that allows small molecules to modulate receptor activity without competing with the orthosteric ligand.
Functional assays confirmed that ligands binding at this site can finely tune receptor signaling.
SLC6 transporters as pharmacological targets in depression: Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.
Wang T, Shi L, Luo Q, Wang Y, Zhao H.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2025 Aug 5:117210.
doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2025.117210. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40774398.
Review of SLC6 family transporters in depression: molecular mechanisms by which serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine transporters regulate neurotransmission and mood.
Current and emerging strategies to target these proteins pharmacologically are discussed.
Conformational Selection Mechanism of Rhomboid-Catalyzed Intramembrane Proteolysis Revealed by Solid-State NMR.
Hu S, Li J, Zhang J, Shi C.
J Am Chem Soc. 2025 Jul 16;147(28):25088-25096.
doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c09134. Epub 2025 Jul 3.
PMID: 40608547.
ss-NMR and MD => how rhomboid proteases substrate selectivity during intramembrane proteolysis.
Conformational selection mechanism in which substrates access the active site only when the protease adopts specific states.
The malate aspartate shuttle supports thermogenic lipid mobilization in brown adipocytes.
Michaela Veliova, Caroline Mendes Ferreira, Katrina Montales, Francisco Villalobos, Alexandra Brownstein, Rebeca Acin-Perez, Gabrielly Ferreira, Linsey Stiles, Marc Liesa, Orian S. Shirihai, and Marcus Oliveira.
bioRxiv posted 6 August 2025.
doi:10.1101/2025.08.04.667739.
Role of the malate–aspartate shuttle in brown adipocyte metabolism.
=> The shuttle supports lipid mobilization during thermogenesis by maintaining NAD+/NADH balance across compartments (disruption of the shuttle => impaired FA release and energy expenditure).
= metabolic adaptation that links mitochondrial redox balance to thermogenic lipid metabolism.
Structural Insights into the Force-Transducing Mechanism of a Motor-Stator Complex Important for Bacterial Outer Membrane Lipid Homeostasis.
Yeow J, Chia CG, Lim NZ, Zhao X, Yan J, Chng SS.
J Am Chem Soc. 2025 Jul 16;147(28):24299-24308.
doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c18050. Epub 2025 Jun 30.
PMID: 40589080.
Cryo-EM of bacterial motor-stator complex involved in maintaining OM lipid homeostasis.
Structures => conformational changes in the stator propagate mechanical force to the motor domain and demonstrates how force transduction enables lipid transport.
OmpA specifically modulates the activity of enzymes that reside in the crowded bacterial outer membrane.
Machin JM, Ranson NA, Radford SE.
J Mol Biol. 2025 Jul 14:169346.
doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169346. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40669592.
Role of OmpA in modulating enzymatic activity in the crowded bacterial envelope.
Bioch and biophysics => OmpA selectively influences the function of certain periplasmic and membrane-associated enzymes.
The apicoplast transportome of the malaria parasite.
Akkerman LJ, Kooij TWA, de Vries LE.
Trends Parasitol. 2025 Aug;41(8):641-656.
doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2025.06.011. Epub 2025 Jul 15.
PMID: 40670274.
Review of the “transportome” of the apicoplast in malaria parasites.
=> families of transport proteins that import metabolites, nucleotides, and lipids into the organelle (evolutionary origins, predicted functions, and therapeutic potential of these transporters).
Key proteins of the plasma membrane of Leishmania spp.
Nunes RV, de Almeida BR, de Andrade HM.
Curr Top Membr. 2025;95:249-265.
doi: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2025.06.008. Epub 2025 Jul 5.
PMID: 40774762.
Review on key plasma MPs of Leishmania species and their roles in parasite survival and host interaction: transporters, channels, and surface glycoproteins that mediate nutrient uptake, drug resistance, and immune evasion.
Trypanosoma cruzi surface components: Why so many? Why so polymorphic?
Albanaz ATS, Bartholomeu DC.
Curr Top Membr. 2025;95:175-214.
doi: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2025.06.007. Epub 2025 Jul 16.
PMID: 40774760.
Review of the diversity of surface molecules in Trypanosoma cruzi.
=> description how polymorphic surface glycoproteins facilitate immune evasion and adaptation to different host environments.
- evolutionary drivers behind this complexity and its impact on parasite persistence.
Trypanosoma cruzi membrane proteins and host cell invasion.
Andrade LO.
Curr Top Membr. 2025;95:159-173.
doi: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2025.06.003. Epub 2025 Jul 5.
PMID: 40774759.
Review how Trypanosoma cruzi MPs contribute to host cell invasion.
=> surface molecules that mediate attachment, immune evasion, and entry
= determinant of infection success.
Membranes
Alterations in Lipid Saturation Trigger Remodeling of the Outer Mitochondrial Membrane.
Wong S, Bertram KR, Balasubramaniam SS, Raghuram N, Knight T, Maschek JA, Cox JE, Hughes AL.
Mol Biol Cell. 2025 Jul 30:mbcE25010033.
doi: 10.1091/mbc.E25-01-0033. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40737288.
Altering lipid saturation in the mitochondrial OM => large-scale remodeling.
Cells adapt to changes in lipid composition by reorganizing membrane structure and protein associations. This remodeling helps maintain mitochondrial integrity under metabolic or environmental stress.
Theranostic extracellular vesicles: Emerging frontiers in neuromuscular disease diagnosis and therapy.
Archana R, Rajendran RL, Gangadaran P, Raja NS.
Gene. 2025 Sep 10;964:149640.
doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2025.149640. Epub 2025 Jun 20.
PMID: 40544970.
Review of the use of EVs as theranostic tools in neuromuscular diseases.
EVs can carry biomarkers for diagnosis and deliver therapeutic molecules to affected tissues.
Molecules
A direct solubilization approach to purify active full-length human neuropathy target esterase.
Liu J, Dou T, Jiang J, He Y, Hufnagel RB.
Protein Expr Purif. 2025 Jul 8:106768.
doi: 10.1016/j.pep.2025.106768. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40639723.
Direct solubilization method to purify full-length human neuropathy target esterase in active form.
Efficient detergent removal using a polydivinylbenzene adsorbent in membrane protein solubilization.
Göç G, Allahyari N, Çalıseki M, Kabasakal BV.
Bioprocess Biosyst Eng. 2025 Aug 1.
doi: 10.1007/s00449-025-03218-1. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 40751032.
Polydivinylbenzene adsorbent to efficiently remove detergents during MP solubilization.
Home is where the lipids are: a comparison of MSP and DDDG nanodiscs for membrane protein research.
Nakao K, Steinhauser A, Durand G, Soulié M, Rechberger GN, Züllig T, Keller S, Tych K.
Soft Matter. 2025 Aug 5.
doi: 10.1039/d5sm00327j. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 40762966.
Comparison of MSP-based and DDDG-based NDs as membrane mimetics for protein research.
Both systems stabilize MPs but, they differ in lipid composition, size, and compatibility with structural techniques.
Advantages of DDDG nanodiscs in certain biophysical assays are discussed.
Evaluation of protein extraction methodologies on bacterial proteomic profiling: a comparative analysis.
Jiang H, Han A, Zhang Y, Li Y, Jiang C, Du Q, Fan R, Yang Y, Han R.
Front Microbiol. 2025 Jul 17;16:1586662.
doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1586662. eCollection 2025.
PMID: 40746316.
Comparison how different protein extraction methods affect bacterial proteomic profiling: chemical, mechanical, and combined approaches, assessing yield, reproducibility, and coverage.
Extraction protocols influence the detection of membrane and low-abundance proteins.
Oversized nanodiscs for combined structural and functional investigation of multicomponent membrane protein systems.
Ivanov BS, Hirst J.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 8;15(1):29070.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-15035-3.
PMID: 40781353.
Development of oversized NDs for the structural and functional investigation of large MP complexes.
The expanded discs accommodate multicomponent systems and maintain native-like lipid environments.
Transporters and receptors => improved stability and functional assays.
Microbio
Peptidoglycan-outer membrane attachment generates periplasmic pressure to prevent lysis in Gram-negative bacteria.
Deghelt M, Cho SH, Sun J, Govers SK, Janssens A, Dachsbeck AV, Remaut HK, Huang KC, Collet JF.
Nat Microbiol. 2025 Aug;10(8):1963-1974.
doi: 10.1038/s41564-025-02058-9. Epub 2025 Jul 29.
PMID: 40730909.
Covalent attachment of PG to the OM => periplasmic pressure in Gram-negative bacteria.
This pressure stabilizes the cell envelope and prevents lysis under osmotic stress.
Genetic and imaging => loss of this linkage compromises bacterial viability.
The TonB-Dependent Transport System Facilitates the Uptake of Inorganic Metal Mediators in Pseudomonas putida KT2440 in a Bioelectrochemical System.
Weimer A, Krömer J, Lai B, Wittmann C.
Microb Biotechnol. 2025 Aug;18(8):e70206.
doi: 10.1111/1751-7915.70206.
PMID: 40754734.
TBDT system of Pseudomonas putida in a bioelectrochemical system => the transporters facilitate the uptake of inorganic metal mediators, which are critical for extracellular electron transfer.
Deletion mutants => reduced current production, linking transport activity to bioelectrochemical performance.
A bacteria-based search for drugs against avian and swine flu yields a potent and resistance-resilient channel blocker.
Lahiri H, Israeli E, Krugliak M, Basu K, Britan-Rosich Y, Ravins Yaish T, Arkin IT.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2025 Aug 5;122(31):e2502240122.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2502240122. Epub 2025 Aug 1.
PMID: 40748960.
Bacteria-based screening platform to identify inhibitors of influenza A virus ion channels.
=> small-molecule channel blocker with strong antiviral potency against both avian and swine flu strains.
Compound resilient to common resistance mutations => promising lead for next-gen flu therapeutics.
Miscellaneous
The brain fires up immune cells when sick people are nearby.
Kavanagh K.
Nature. 2025 Aug;644(8075):17.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-025-02363-7.
PMID: 40730924.
At the mere sight of a sick person, the brain kickstarts an immune response mimicking the body’s response to an actual infection. In a study, volunteers donned virtual reality headsets to view human avatars with rashes, coughs or other symptoms of illness. Researchers found that the sight of a sick person activates the brain’s ‘salience network’: a collection of regions involved in recognizing and responding to threats. This activity triggered a surge in innate lymphoid cells, which are part of the body’s first line of defence against invaders.
You might be ghosting the internet. Can it survive?
Thomas Germain
X @thomasgermain.
Research has shown that, when presented with an artificial intelligence (AI) overview on Google, internet users are less likely to click on a search result, and more likely to end their search altogether. If that trend continues, it could drive swathes of websites that rely on search traffic for their revenue to shut down. Google denies its AI is negatively impacting website hosts. But with ‘AI mode’ on the horizon, which would do away with search results altogether, some experts worry that AI-assisted search will severely damage the internet landscape.
Elevated Toxic Element Emissions from Popular Disposable E-Cigarettes: Sources, Life Cycle, and Health Risks.
Mark R. Salazar, Lalima Saini, Tran B. Nguyen, Kent E. Pinkerton, Amy K. Madl, Austin M. Cole, and Brett A. Poulin.
ACS Central Science Article ASAP.
DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5c00641.
Investigation of the emission of toxic elements from disposable e-cigarettes (”puffs”).
Chemical analysis across the product life cycle => elevated levels of metals such as nickel, chromium, and lead originating from heating coils and other components.
Exposure estimates suggest that users could inhale quantities of these elements at levels posing potential health risks, especially with frequent use.
Urgent need for regulation of disposable e-cigarettes to limit toxic metal emissions and protect public health !
Scientific bedlam at the world’s weirdest and wildest research conference.
Glausiusz J.
Nature. 2025 Jul 30.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-025-02169-7. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 40739012.
For three days in June, biologists gathered in Prague, and a nearby wooded campsite, for a biology conference like no other. At Woodstock Bio2 + Night Science, the aim was “to reimagine science in a non-bureaucratic, non-boring way”, says molecular biologist and conference co-organizer Oded Rechavi. Attendees spoke in five-minute slots — some in rhyme, others supported by spontaneous dance — and were called to the podium in random order. The silliness “sets the tone for a very open conference where we can be very authentic”, says plant biologist and conference co-organizer Natanella Illouz-Eliaz. Reminiscent of the late IBPConfs 😉 ?