MP
The role of chloride ions in serotonin transport.
Huang J, Backer A, Uchendu S, Bekele B, Li C, Chen Q, Orabi EA, Stix R, Shide JD, Zhang YW, Rudnick G, Hellsberg E, Forrest LR.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2026 Sep;123(35):e2605760123.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.2605760123.
PMID: 42636362.
Cryo-EM + functional assays => Cl- stabilize the OF conformation of SERT, enhancing serotonin binding and uptake. => Cl- = allosteric regulator of SERT function.
Serotonin transporter acts as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer.
Pang X, Liu T, Xin J, Li W, Zhou X, Gao Y, Du S, Cai J, Wang Z.
Cell Signal. 2026 Dec;148:112771.
doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2026.112771.
PMID: 42537829
CRISPR-Cas9 + in vivo models => SERT suppresses cervical cancer progression by regulating serotonin-mediated signaling pathways).
=> SERT functions as a tumor suppressor.
Constant-pH molecular dynamics simulations of closed and open states of a proton-gated ion channel.
Jansen A, Bauer P, Howard RJ, Hess B, Lindahl E.
Biophys J. 2026 Aug 24:S0006-3495(26)00584-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2026.08.019.
PMID: 42638311.
Constant-pH MD + free-energy calculations => protonation states of key residues dictate the open/closed equilibrium, with proton binding stabilizing the open state. => molecular basis for acid-sensing ion channel activation.
Following the proton: My journey through bioenergetics.
Heberle J.
Biochim Biophys Acta Bioenerg. 2026 Aug 22:149603.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2026.149603.
PMID: 42632581.
A historical account of proton-coupled transport in bioenergetics, highlighting the role of proton gradients in ATP synthesis and membrane protein function.
Differential Nucleotide Inhibition Profile of Mouse and Human UCP1 Expressed in Liver Mitochondria Is Associated with an F88S Mutation
Irina G. Shabalina, Luise Jacobsen, Glauber Ruda Feitoza Braz, Zhi Wei Zeng, Qimuge Naren, Björn Eriksson, Uzair Ali, Jiaping Li, Annika Ericsson, Barbara Cannon, Himanshu Khandelia, and Jan Nedergaard
bioRxiv posted 20 August 2026
doi:10.64898/2026.08.19.745785
Functional assays + mutagenesis => The F88S mutation in human UCP1 alters nucleotide binding, reducing inhibition by ATP/GTP compared to mouse UCP1, impacting thermogenesis.
=> Species-specific UCP1 regulation: evolutionary adaptations in energy metabolism.
Sugar rush: Structural breakdown of plant sugar transport.
Clowes KA, Andersen CG, Chrenková A, Pedersen BP.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2026 Aug;99:103295.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2026.103295.
PMID: 42229046
Structural biology + transport assays => cryo-EM structures of plant sugar transporters (ex: SWEET, SUT) reveal alternating-access mechanisms and substrate-specific conformational changes.
=> Plant sugar transport is structurally tuned for efficiency, with implications for crop engineering and carbon partitioning.
Glyphosate uptake pathway across the outer membrane of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Golla VK, Benz R, Kleinekathöfer U, Piselli C.
Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj. 2026 Nov;1870(11):130991.
doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2026.130991.
PMID: 42660472.
Electrophysiology + MD simulations => glyphosate crosses the OM via OprD, with uptake driven by electrostatic interactions and solvent accessibility.
Two helices are better than one: TMD-pairs redefine multipass membrane protein biogenesis.
Matsumoto S, Endo T.
Mol Cell. 2026 Aug 6;86(15):2894-2896.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.07.013.
PMID: 42561924
TMD pairs act as modular units during MP insertion, with cooperative folding stabilizing polytopic proteins.
Structural Determinants for the Monomeric and Phospholipid-Transport P4B-ATPase via comprehensive in silico analysis of P4-ATPase structures.
Kadambari Vijay Sai, Danny Farhat, Sai Anvithaa Sundar Rajan, and Jyh-Yeuan Lee
bioRxiv posted 11 August 2026
doi:10.1101/2025.07.01.662597
AF + MD => structural analysis of P4-ATPases identifies conserved motifs in the catalytic and transport domains that enable monomeric phospholipid flipping.
Rational hybrid design and computational characterization of PA-Hyb1: a novel peptide inhibitor targeting the MexB efflux pump in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Abdel-Aziem SH.
J Mol Model. 2026 Sep 12;32(10):359.
doi: 10.1007/s00894-026-06929-8.
PMID: 42730777.
Peptide design + docking + MD => PA-Hyb1 binds the MexB periplasmic domain, disrupting drug efflux and restoring antibiotic susceptibility in P. aeruginosa. =>
Probing the binding stability of organic UV filters to human SLC transporters using AlphaFold and molecular dynamics simulations.
Xing R, Jiang Z, Wei T, Chen J, Zhang L, Hu S, Shen Z, Yuan T.
Sci Rep. 2026 Jun 5;16(1):25773.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-56714-z.
PMID: 42249015
AF2 + MD => Organic UV filters interact with SLC transporters with binding stability influenced by lipid composition and pH.
Mce transport systems in Mycobacterium tuberculosis: architecture, regulation, lipid import, and translational perspectives.
Tan H, Hu Y, Wang Q.
J Bacteriol. 2026 Aug 20;208(8):e0022126.
doi: 10.1128/jb.00221-26.
PMID: 42505103.
Cryo-EM + lipidomics => Mce systems form ABC-like transporters that import host lipids (e.g., cholesterol) for M. tuberculosis survival within macrophages.
A negative regulator of mitochondrial complex I assembly adapts respiration to cellular energy demand.
Li Z, Chen N, Zhou C, Xu L, Wang X, Xu H, Shang W, Liu JP, Wang L, Tong C.
Mol Cell. 2026 Aug 20;86(16):3277-3293.e7.
doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2026.06.018.
PMID: 42361792.
CRISPR screening + proteomics => The mitochondrial protein MITRAC15 inhibits complex I assembly under low-energy conditions, fine-tuning respiration to ATP demand.
Peptide Loading Complex in Cancer: From Peptide Translocation, Editing, and Loading into MHC-I to a Potential Therapeutic Target.
Allela OQB, Shareef A, Sameer HN, Yaseen A, Athab ZH, Adil M.
Curr Med Sci. 2026 Aug;46(4):926-945.
doi: 10.1007/s11596-026-00227-3.
PMID: 42507253.
PLC in the ER orchestrates MHC-I antigen presentation, with dysregulation in cancer enabling immune evasion.
Structure and mechanism of human sphingosine-1-phosphate transporter MFSD2B.
Ahmed S, Huang M, Dai Y, Yang X, Dong J, Yu X, Lee CH, Nguyen LN.
Nat Commun. 2026 Aug 12;17(1):9681.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-76690-2.
PMID: 42717192.
Cryo-EM (here, MFSD2B = first structurally resolved S1P transporter) + lipidomics => MFSD2B adopts an alternating-access mechanism to transport S1P, with a central cavity gated by conserved residues.
Trends in the use of amphipathic environments and future perspectives for determining the structure of membrane proteins by cryo-EM.
Fernandes CAH, Zoonens M.
Curr Opin Struct Biol. 2026 Mar 12;98:103243.
doi: 10.1016/j.sbi.2026.103243. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 41825111.
APols, ND, and SMA copolymers stabilize membrane proteins for cryo-EM, enabling high-resolution structures of challenging targets.
Structural insights into zinc piracy by Neisseria gonorrhoeae to overcome nutritional immunity.
Gheinani PT, Bera A, Stoudenmire-Saylor J, Lien Y, Harrison SA, Criss A, Chazin WJ, Noinaj N, Cornelissen CN.
Structure. 2025 Dec 18:S0969-2126(25)00474-5. doi: 10.1016/j.str.2025.11.014. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 41418777.
Cryo-EM + X-ray crystallography => N. gonorrhoeae uses the TdfH transporter to extract zinc from host proteins (e.g., calprotectin), bypassing nutritional immunity. => Zinc piracy is a key virulence strategy, and TdfH is a potential target for antimicrobial development.
Precise Regulation of Membrane Proteins: From Physical Technology to Biomolecular Strategy.
Zhao X, Zhou Q, Li M, Zou W, Zhang Z, Shi J, Liu J.
Adv Sci (Weinh). 2025 Dec 19:e10367. doi: 10.1002/advs.202510367. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 41417664.
Emerging tools (e.g., optogenetics, chemogenetics, and nanobodies) enable spatiotemporal control of MP function in live cells.
Membrane
De novo synthesis of cardiolipin controls respiratory chain biogenesis in neonatal mouse hearts.
Ren M, Xu Y, Phoon CKL, Erdjument-Bromage H, Neubert TA, Schlame M.
EMBO Rep. 2026 Aug;27(16):4653-4667.
doi: 10.1038/s44319-026-00864-8.
PMID: 42414597.
Lipidomics + CRISPR => CL synthesis in mitochondria is essential for respiratory chain assembly, with defects leading to neonatal lethality in mice.
=> CL is not just a structural lipid but a critical regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis.
Cardiolipin Modulates the Activity of the Intramembrane Protease GlpG Inducing Membrane Restructuring.
Maier B, Engberg O, Döbel V, Leopold J, Scheidt HA, van Beekveld RAM, Weingarth M, Smith AA, Huster D.
J Am Chem Soc. 2026 Sep 9;148(35):38021-38032.
doi: 10.1021/jacs.6c09491.
PMID: 42714538.
NMR + MD => CL binds GlpG, inducing conformational changes that enhance its proteolytic activity and trigger local membrane remodeling : acts as a cofactor for GlpG, linking lipid composition to proteolysis and membrane dynamics.
Direct lipid interactions control SARS-CoV-2 M protein conformational dynamics and virus assembly.
Dutta M, Dolan KA, Amiar S, Bass EJ, Sultana R, Braet SM, Cárdenas-Martínez KJ, Sirohi D, Hicklin IK, Kuhn RJ, Anand GS, Voth GA, Brohawn SG, Stahelin RV.
Nat Commun. 2026 Jul 23;17(1):8968.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-75229-9.
PMID: 42637721.
HDX-MS + MD simulations => The SARS-CoV-2 M protein binds specific lipids (e.g., cholesterol, phosphatidylinositols), which stabilize its dimerization and curvature-inducing conformations.
Differential lipid selectivity of StARD phospholipid transporters revealed by native MS.
Kirschbaum, C., Lawrence, S.A.S., Bennett, J.L. et al.
Nat Commun (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-76988-1
Native MS + lipidomics => StARD proteins exhibit substrate specificity, with StARD7 preferring PI4P and StARD3 favoring cholesterol, reflecting their roles in lipid trafficking.
Mimicking Cellular Membranes With Micropatterned Lipid Bilayers.
Nguyen TA, Xu Z, Schwille P.
Chemphyschem. 2026 Aug 27;27(16):e70534.
doi: 10.1002/cphc.70534.
PMID: 42629628.
Micropatterning + fluorescence microscopy => Supported lipid bilayers with controlled curvature and composition mimic cellular membranes, enabling studies of membrane protein sorting and lipid domain formation.
A periplasmic layer formed by an outer membrane lipoprotein governs the cell-envelope integrity and stiffness of Leptospira interrogans.
Abe K, Koizumi N, Takazaki H, Hirose M, Takabe K, Kato T, Nakamura S.
Commun Biol. 2026 Jun 4;9(1):1175.
doi: 10.1038/s42003-026-10443-1.
PMID: 42243461.
Cryo-EM + AFM => The lipoprotein LipL32 forms a periplasmic layer that reinforces the OM, contributing to Leptospira’s unique spiral shape and pathogenicity.
Multilayered clearance concept: a membrane-resolved flux framework for drug metabolism.
Arakawa H, Dai S, Kato Y.
Biochem Pharmacol. 2026 Sep 6:118439.
doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2026.118439.
PMID: 42702242.
flux-based framework integrating membrane transport, metabolism, and clearance to predict drug pharmacokinetics at the cellular level.
Binding orientation of weakly associating membrane peripheral proteins via membrane paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR.
Soubias O, Heinrich F, Randazzo PA, Byrd RA.
Commun Chem. 2026 Apr 24.
doi: 10.1038/s42004-026-02037-z. Online ahead of print.
PMID: 42026204.
PRE-NMR reveals transient but specific membrane interactions => weakly bound peripheral proteins adopt specific orientations on membranes, with binding modulated by lipid headgroups and ionic strength.
Methods
De novo design of allosterically controlled enzymes
Alexander Shida, Kelly Wang, Hojae Choi, Samuel Pellock, Adam Broerman, Saman Salike, William Grubbe, Emily Joyce, Alex Kang, Asim K. Bera, Xinting Li, Arvind Pillai, and David Baker
bioRxiv posted 10 September 2026
doi:10.64898/2026.09.08.750245
Protein design + deep learning => Computational tools (e.g., RFdiffusion, ProteinMPNN) enable the design of enzymes with allosteric sites, allowing switch-like control of activity by small molecules or light.
Miscellaneous
The existential choice facing UK physics facilities: commercialize or close.
Gibney E.
Nature. 2026 Jul 27.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-026-02171-7.
PMID: 42509381.
UK physics facilities (e.g., Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron Source) face funding cuts, forcing a shift toward commercialization or closure.
Poor foam stability in gluten-free beers is associated with distinct protein composition compared with barley-malt beers
Zesun Lyu, Jacob Humphries, Farhad Masoomi-Aladizgeh, and Thomas H. Roberts
bioRxiv posted 11 September 2026
doi:10.64898/2026.09.04.749538
Gluten-free beers lack foam-stabilizing proteins (e.g., lipid transfer proteins, hordothionins) present in barley-malt beers.
=> Protein composition is the key to improving foam quality in gluten-free brewing.
How scientists are perfecting chocolate.
You may remember from last 20250825_membrane digest describing why chocolate tastes so good ( unique microbial communities influenced the flavour) … Covering integrative biophysical approach (ultrasound waves that alter the treat’s texture, or digging into the crystal structure of fat blooms), here is a more comprehensive review on this utmost important subject.
Sleuth identifies dozens of studies that used the wrong antibody.
Else H.
Nature. 2026 Aug 21.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-026-02352-4.
PMID: 42629480.
The Sleuth tool flags >100 papers for antibody misidentification, including cases where antibodies failed to recognize their intended targets.
Shared principles of human and bacterial antiviral immunity.
Kranzusch PJ.
Nature. 2026 Aug;656(8127):307-319.
doi: 10.1038/s41586-026-10756-5.
PMID: 42587116
Human and bacterial antiviral systems share mechanistic parallels, including cyclic dinucleotide signaling and nucleic acid sensing.
=> Convergent evolution in antiviral immunity suggests ancient and universal principles of pathogen defense.
Coffee linked to slower brain ageing in study of 130,000 people.
Heidt A.
Nature. 2026 Feb 9.
doi: 10.1038/d41586-026-00409-y. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 41667812.
Regular caffeine intake from coffee and tea might slow cognitive decline and reduce a person’s risk of dementia, a huge study suggests (caffeine-drinking habits of more than 130,000 people over four decades).
=> drinking 2–3 cups of coffee or 1–2 cups of tea a day = associated with the greatest reductions in rate of cognitive decline, a result that held true even in people with a genetic variant called APOE4, which is associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
“However, because it uses observational, not experimental, evidence, the findings can only be considered suggestive,” says cardiometabolic medicine specialist Naveed Sattar.
A complete set of canonical nucleobases in the carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu.
Koga, T., Oba, Y., Takano, Y. et al.
Nature Astronomy (2026).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02791-z
Ryugu samples contain all five canonical nucleobases (A, T, C, G, U), supporting the hypothesis that life’s building blocks may have extraterrestrial origins.
=> Extraterrestrial nucleobases strengthen the case for panspermia as a source of prebiotic chemistry.
Ancient DNA reveals 4000 years of grapevine diversity, viticulture and clonal propagation in France.
Noraz R, Chauvey L, Wagner S, Estrada O, Wales N, Bonnaire E, Cabanis M, Derreumaux M, Figueiral I, Hallavant C, Marinval P, Matterne V, Ros J, Rovira N, Tillier M, Bovagne M, Chausserie-Laprée J, Nicolas C, Daveau I, Delassus D, Gailledrat E, Ginouvez O, Houix B, Jung C, Kuchler P, Leroux L, Macario R, Marlière E, Pasqualini M, Piques G, Pomaredes H, Robert J, Roms C, Roth-Zehner M, Scrinzi M, Taras-Thomas M, Torres Costa J, Besnard G, Terral JF, Bacilieri R, Bouby L, Orlando L.
Nat Commun. 2026 Mar 24;17(1):2494. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-70166-z. PMID: 41876516.
Genomic analysis of archaeological grape seeds traces the domestication and clonal propagation of Vitis vinifera in France, revealing lost varieties and early breeding practices.
Mario meets Pareto Step on the Front Line and Beat your Friends at Mario kart 8
https://www.mayerowitz.io/blog/mario-meets-pareto
Choosing your driver, kart’s body, tires, and glider isn’t just about style : it’s as crucial as your racing skills to win a race. Ever wondered how to truly find the best ones?