All Structural Biology articles
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NewsNew approaches against fungal infections discovered
Researchers have used state-of-the-art cryo-electron microscopy to decode the structure of a key fungal transporter - the UapA transporter of the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans.
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NewsBiologists uncover a molecular mechanism that helps bacteria spread antibiotic resistance genes
A new study reveals the molecular mechanism behind one of the most powerful mechanical actions in all of biology, the reeling in of tiny surface fibers called type IV pili.
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NewsScientists solve decades-old mystery of how malaria parasites invade human cells
Researchers have caught the malaria parasite’s moving junction in the act, obtainingg the first high-resolution view of its three-dimensional structure. It turns out to be a molecular machine that actively remodels the host cell’s membrane to help the parasite force its way inside.
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NewsScientists probe how proteins are inserted into cell membranes
Researchers looking at the cell membrane investigate how the proteins manufactured by the ribosomes in the cell interior reach their position within the membrane in the correct form and when the processes became established over the course of evolution.
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NewsCryo-EM helps identify the mechanisms of dental plaque formation
Researchers used cryo-electron microscopy to provide new insights into how Porphyromonas gingivalis causes plaque formation, revealing the 3D structure of Mfa pili, an arm-like filament which enables the bacteria to stick to host tissues and other microbes.
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NewsExtreme adaptation helps Dead Sea single-celled organisms to swim
Researchers have described in detail a structural adaptation supporting one of the Dead Sea’s few hardy inhabitants — a single-celled archaea called Haloarcula marismortui (H. marismortui). They characterized the proteins that form the archaeal filament, a long tail-like structure essential for movement.
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NewsRecent study reveals how bacteria capture a rare type of sugar molecule
Researchers have identified a novel transport protein that binds cyclic β-1,2-glucans, revealing unexpected diversity in bacterial sugar uptake mechanisms.
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NewsScientists determine how mysterious acids give bacteria their shape
Researchers have discovered how acids on the surface of bacteria give these microscopic organisms their characteristic “rod” shape—by keeping an enzyme at bay that would otherwise turn the cylindrical cells into shape-shifting blobs.
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NewsMolecular net boosts the power of natural biopesticides
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism that helps a widely used biological pesticide become more effective. The study reveals how bacteria produce ultra-strong protein fibers that form a molecular net, trapping infectious spores and toxins into a sticky film that enhances their ability to kill insect pests.
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NewsAI and supercomputer simulations reveal how a bacterial energy-converting enzyme pumps sodium ions
The Na+-NQR enzyme is vital for energy production in pathogenic bacteria, making it a highly promising target for new antibiotics. Researchers combined modified artificial intelligence techniques with extensive supercomputer simulations to visualize the hidden, dynamic movements of this enzyme during sodium transport.
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NewsHow soil bacteria help plants defend themselves against disease
A study reveals the mechanism by which surfactin, a molecule produced by beneficial soil bacteria, activates plants’ immune defences. This mechanism, distinct from the classical paradigm of immune recognition, relies on direct interaction with the plant cell membrane.
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NewsScientists discover how gut bacteria toxin invades colon cells to trigger cancer
A common gut bacterium, Bacteroides fragilis, drives colon tumor formation, potentially leading to colorectal cancer, by secreting a toxin that damages the lining of the colon. Researchers have now shown that the B. fragilis toxin BFT must first bind host receptor claudin-4 before it can cause damage.
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News‘Atomic snapshots’ of proofreading enzyme could lead to better COVID-19 drugs
A research team used images generated by a cryogenic electron microscope (cryo-EM) to observe the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 proofreading enzyme exoribonuclease (ExoN) and RNA incorporated with antivirals such as remdesivir, sofosbuvir and bemnifosbuvir.
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NewsStudy uncovers new kind of cold sensor
Investigators studying a bacterial protein have identified a new mechanism of sensing cold temperatures. The finding points to the possibility that this same type of mechanism exists in other organisms, including humans, and may have relevance for disorders involving faulty temperature regulation.
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NewsResearchers identify potential new route for antimalarial drug design
Researchers have uncovered a promising new potential target for drug discovery. The team focused on an enzyme called aminopeptidase P (PfAPP) from Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most severe form of malaria in humans.
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NewsResearchers uncover three families of ‘sponge’ proteins deployed by phages
Using an innovative research approach that combines artificial intelligence with experimental biology, researchers have uncovered new families of sponge proteins in phage genomes that disrupt immune communication in bacteria.
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NewsScientists uncover how pathogens switch on their virulence
A research team has uncovered how a key protein switches on the machinery that enables Leptospira pathogens to survive and cause disease. The findings provide new insights into how pathogens regulate their virulence and may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions.
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NewsDetailed map of life-threatening Vibrio bacteria reveals new target for treatment
Scientists have mapped in unprecedented detail the structure of Vibrio bacteria, which can cause life-threatening infections linked to antibiotic resistance. The team behind the study say the finding could provide new targets for life-saving treatment.
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NewsTiny switch controls rare rotary machine in bacteria - and can even reverse direction of spin
Researchers have discovered a tiny molecular switch that can control and reverse the direction of a rare rotary machine linked to motility, surface colonization and protein secretion in bacteria.
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NewsNew insights into how bacteria manage DNA
New analytical methods have enabled researchers to uncover how the sequence, physical shape and flexibility of bacterial DNA guide the activity of an enzyme called DNA gyrase, which previously got all the credit for managing DNA.