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Cover Image
Cover Image
Cover picture: Confocal image of Z disks (i.e., α-actinin, stained with Alexa Fluor 488) in a cultured rat neonatal cardiomyocyte (see Methods and Approaches article by Tsukamoto et al., 341–355)
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The Ca2+-activated Cl− channel TMEM16B regulates action potential firing and axonal targeting in olfactory sensory neurons
TMEM16B is expressed in olfactory sensory neurons, but previous attempts to establish a physiological role in olfaction have been unsuccessful. Pietra et al. find that genetic ablation of TMEM16B results in defects in the olfactory behavior of mice and the cellular physiology of olfactory sensory neurons.
Structure of anthrax lethal toxin prepore complex suggests a pathway for efficient cell entry
Anthrax toxin is a tripartite complex in which the protective antigen moiety forms a pore through which lethal factor and edema factor are translocated. Fabre et al. reveal a mechanism for efficient translocation in their structure of the heptameric protective antigen prepore bound to three lethal factors.
Soluble adenylyl cyclase is essential for proper lysosomal acidification
Lysosomes are the main degradative compartment in cells and require an acidic luminal environment for correct function. Rahman et al. show that soluble adenylyl cyclase is required for localization of the V-ATPase proton pump to lysosomes and therefore lysosomal acidification and function.
Methods and Approaches
Simultaneous imaging of local calcium and single sarcomere length in rat neonatal cardiomyocytes using yellow Cameleon-Nano140
Excitation–contraction coupling results in the shortening of many individual sarcomeres along the length of a muscle fiber. Tsukamoto and colleagues develop a technique to quantitatively analyze the dynamics of intracellular calcium transients and length changes at the single sarcomere level.
