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Full-Text Articles in Physics

Vimentin Takes A Hike – Emerging Roles Of Extracellular Vimentin In Cancer And Wound Healing, Sepideh Parvanian, Leila S. Coelho-Rato, Alison E. Patteson, John E. Eriksson Sep 2023

Vimentin Takes A Hike – Emerging Roles Of Extracellular Vimentin In Cancer And Wound Healing, Sepideh Parvanian, Leila S. Coelho-Rato, Alison E. Patteson, John E. Eriksson

Physics - All Scholarship

Vimentin is a cytoskeletal protein important for many cellular processes, including proliferation, migration, invasion, stress resistance, signaling, and many more. The vimentin-deficient mouse has revealed many of these functions as it has numerous severe phenotypes, many of which are found only following a suitable challenge or stress. While these functions are usually related to vimentin as a major intracellular protein, vimentin is also emerging as an extracellular protein, exposed at the cell surface in an oligomeric form or secreted to the extracellular environment in soluble and vesicle-bound forms. Thus, this review explores the roles of the extracellular pool of vimentin …


The Molecular Biophysics Of Extracellular Vimentin And Its Role In Pathogen–Host Interactions, Sepideh Parvanian, Leila S. Coelho-Rato, John E. Eriksson, Alison E. Patteson Sep 2023

The Molecular Biophysics Of Extracellular Vimentin And Its Role In Pathogen–Host Interactions, Sepideh Parvanian, Leila S. Coelho-Rato, John E. Eriksson, Alison E. Patteson

Physics - All Scholarship

Vimentin, an intermediate filament protein typically located in the cytoplasm of mesenchymal cells, can also be secreted as an extracellular protein. The organization of extracellular vimentin strongly determines its functions in physiological and pathological conditions, making it a promising target for future therapeutic interventions. The extracellular form of vimentin has been found to play a role in the interaction between host cells and pathogens. In this review, we first discuss the molecular biophysics of extracellular vimentin, including its structure, secretion, and adhesion properties. We then provide a general overview of the role of extracellular vimentin in mediating pathogen-host interactions, with …


Antibacterial And Cytocompatible Ph-Responsive Peptide Hydrogel, Dona I. Edirisinghe, Areetha D'Souza, Maryam Ramezani, Robert J. Carroll, Quenten Chicón, Cheyene L. Muenzel, Jonathan Soule, Mary B. Monroe, Alison E. Patteson, Olga V. Makhlynets May 2023

Antibacterial And Cytocompatible Ph-Responsive Peptide Hydrogel, Dona I. Edirisinghe, Areetha D'Souza, Maryam Ramezani, Robert J. Carroll, Quenten Chicón, Cheyene L. Muenzel, Jonathan Soule, Mary B. Monroe, Alison E. Patteson, Olga V. Makhlynets

Physics - All Scholarship

A short peptide, FHHF-11, was designed to change stiffness as a function of pH due to changing degree of protonation of histidines. As pH changes in the physiologically relevant range, G′ was measured at 0 Pa (pH 6) and 50,000 Pa (pH 8). This peptide-based hydrogel is antimicrobial and cytocompatible with skin cells (fibroblasts). It was demonstrated that the incorporation of unnatural AzAla tryptophan analog residue improves the antimicrobial properties of the hydrogel. The material developed can have a practical application and be a paradigm shift in the approach to wound treatment, and it will improve healing outcomes for millions …


Mechanobiology As A Tool For Addressing The Genotype-To- Phenotype Problem In Microbiology, Merrill E. Asp, Minh-Tri Ho Thanh, Subarna Dutta, Jessica A. Comstock, Roy D. Welch, Alison E. Patteson May 2023

Mechanobiology As A Tool For Addressing The Genotype-To- Phenotype Problem In Microbiology, Merrill E. Asp, Minh-Tri Ho Thanh, Subarna Dutta, Jessica A. Comstock, Roy D. Welch, Alison E. Patteson

Physics - All Scholarship

The central hypothesis of the genotype–phenotype relationship is that the phenotype of a developing organism (i.e., its set of observable attributes) depends on its genome and the environment. However, as we learn more about the genetics and biochemistry of living systems, our understanding does not fully extend to the complex multiscale nature of how cells move, interact, and organize; this gap in understanding is referred to as the genotype-to-phenotype problem. The physics of soft matter sets the background on which living organisms evolved, and the cell environment is a strong determinant of cell phenotype. This inevitably leads to challenges as …