@article{20295, abstract = {Scanning Kelvin probe microscopy (SKPM) is a powerful technique for macroscopic imaging of the electrostatic potential above a surface. Though most often used to image work-function variations of conductive surfaces, it can also be used to probe the surface charge on insulating surfaces. In both cases, relating the measured potential to the underlying signal is non-trivial. Here, general relationships are derived between the measured SKPM voltage and the underlying source, revealing either can be cast as a convolution with an appropriately scaled point spread function (PSF). For charge that exists on a thin insulating layer above a conductor, the PSF has the same shape as what would occur from a work-function variation alone, differing by a simple scaling factor. This relationship is confirmed by: (1) backing it out from finite-element simulations of work-function and charge signals, and (2) experimentally comparing the measured PSF from a small work-function target to that from a small charge spot. This scaling factor is further validated by comparing SKPM charge measurements with Faraday cup measurements for highly charged samples from contact-charging experiments. These results highlight a heretofore unappreciated connection between SKPM voltage and charge signals, offering a rigorous recipe to extract either from experimental data.}, author = {Lenton, Isaac C and Pertl, Felix and Shafeek, Lubuna B and Waitukaitis, Scott R}, issn = {2196-7350}, journal = {Advanced Materials Interfaces}, number = {19}, publisher = {Wiley}, title = {{A duality between surface charge and work function in scanning Kelvin probe microscopy}}, doi = {10.1002/admi.202500521}, volume = {12}, year = {2025}, } @article{20321, abstract = {Microsecond-to-millisecond motions are instrumental for many biomolecular functions, including enzymatic activity and ligand binding. Bloch-McConnell Relaxation Dispersion (BMRD) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a key technique for studying these dynamic processes. While BMRD experiments are routinely used to probe protein motions in solution, the experiment is more demanding in the solid state, where dipolar couplings complicate the spin dynamics. It is believed that high deuteration levels are required and sufficient to obtain accurate and quantitative data. Here we show that even under fast magic-angle spinning and high levels of deuteration artifactual “bumps” in 15N R1ρ BMRD profiles are common. The origin of these artifacts is identified as a second-order three-spin Mixed Rotational and Rotary Resonance (MIRROR) recoupling condition. These artifacts are found to be a significant confounding factor for the accurate quantification of microsecond protein dynamics using BMRD in the solid state. We show that the application of low-power continuous wave (CW) decoupling simultaneously with the 15N spin-lock leads to the suppression of these conditions and enables quantitative measurements of microsecond exchange in the solid state. Remarkably, the application of decoupling allows the measurement of accurate BMRD even in fully protonated proteins at 100 kHz MAS, thus extending the scope of μs dynamics measurements in MAS NMR.}, author = {Tatman, Benjamin and Sridharan, Vidhyalakshmi and Uttarkabat, Motilal and Jaroniec, Christopher P. and Ernst, Matthias and Rovo, Petra and Schanda, Paul}, issn = {1520-5126}, journal = {Journal of the American Chemical Society}, number = {32}, pages = {29315--29326}, publisher = {American Chemical Society}, title = {{Bumps on the road: The way to clean relaxation dispersion magic-angle spinning NMR}}, doi = {10.1021/jacs.5c09057}, volume = {147}, year = {2025}, } @article{19076, abstract = {For accurate perception and motor control, an animal must distinguish between sensory experiences elicited by external stimuli and those elicited by its own actions. The diversity of behaviors and their complex influences on the senses make this distinction challenging. Here, we uncover an action–cue hub that coordinates motor commands with visual processing in the brain’s first visual relay. We show that the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN) acts as a corollary discharge center, integrating visual translational optic flow signals with motor copies from saccades, locomotion and pupil dynamics. The vLGN relays these signals to correct action-specific visual distortions and to refine perception, as shown for the superior colliculus and in a depth-estimation task. Simultaneously, brain-wide vLGN projections drive corrective actions necessary for accurate visuomotor control. Our results reveal an extended corollary discharge architecture that refines early visual transformations and coordinates actions via a distributed hub-and-spoke network to enable visual perception during action.}, author = {Vega Zuniga, Tomas A and Sumser, Anton L and Symonova, Olga and Koppensteiner, Peter and Schmidt, Florian and Jösch, Maximilian A}, issn = {1546-1726}, journal = {Nature Neuroscience}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{A thalamic hub-and-spoke network enables visual perception during action by coordinating visuomotor dynamics}}, doi = {10.1038/s41593-025-01874-w}, volume = {28}, year = {2025}, } @article{19404, abstract = {Cell migration is a fundamental process during embryonic development. Most studies in vivo have focused on the migration of cells using the extracellular matrix (ECM) as their substrate for migration. In contrast, much less is known about how cells migrate on other cells, as found in early embryos when the ECM has not yet formed. Here, we show that lateral mesendoderm (LME) cells in the early zebrafish gastrula use the ectoderm as their substrate for migration. We show that the lateral ectoderm is permissive for the animal-pole-directed migration of LME cells, while the ectoderm at the animal pole halts it. These differences in permissiveness depend on the lateral ectoderm being more cohesive than the animal ectoderm, a property controlled by bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling within the ectoderm. Collectively, these findings identify ectoderm tissue cohesion as one critical factor in regulating LME migration during zebrafish gastrulation.}, author = {Tavano, Ste and Brückner, David and Tasciyan, Saren and Tong, Xin and Kardos, Roland and Schauer, Alexandra and Hauschild, Robert and Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp J}, issn = {2211-1247}, journal = {Cell Reports}, number = {3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{BMP-dependent patterning of ectoderm tissue material properties modulates lateral mesendoderm cell migration during early zebrafish gastrulation}}, doi = {10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115387}, volume = {44}, year = {2025}, } @article{19663, abstract = {The centrosome is a microtubule orchestrator, nucleating and anchoring microtubules that grow radially and exert forces on cargos. At the same time, mechanical stresses from the microenvironment and cellular shape changes compress and bend microtubules. Yet, centrosomes are membraneless organelles, raising the question of how centrosomes withstand mechanical forces. Here, we discover that centrosomes can deform and even fracture. We reveal that centrosomes experience deformations during navigational pathfinding within motile cells. Coherence of the centrosome is maintained by Dyrk3 and cNAP1, preventing fracturing by forces. While cells can compensate for the depletion of centriolar-based centrosomes, the fracturing of centrosomes impedes cellular function by generating coexisting microtubule organizing centers that compete during path navigation and thereby cause cellular entanglement in the microenvironment. Our findings show that cells actively maintain the integrity of the centrosome to withstand mechanical forces. These results suggest that centrosome stability preservation is fundamental, given that almost all cells in multicellular organisms experience forces.}, author = {Schmitt, Madeleine T. and Kroll, Janina and Ruiz-Fernandez, Mauricio J.A. and Hauschild, Robert and Ghosh, Shaunak and Kameritsch, Petra and Merrin, Jack and Schmid, Johanna and Stefanowski, Kasia and Thomae, Andreas W. and Cheng, Jingyuan and Öztan, Gamze Naz and Konopka, Peter and Ortega, Germán Camargo and Penz, Thomas and Bach, Luisa and Baumjohann, Dirk and Bock, Christoph and Straub, Tobias and Meissner, Felix and Kiermaier, Eva and Renkawitz, Jörg}, issn = {2375-2548}, journal = {Science Advances}, number = {17}, publisher = {AAAS}, title = {{Protecting centrosomes from fracturing enables efficient cell navigation}}, doi = {10.1126/sciadv.adx4047}, volume = {11}, year = {2025}, } @article{20858, abstract = {Targeted antigen delivery to immune cells, particularly dendritic cells, has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance therapeutic efficacy of vaccines, while minimizing adverse effects associated with conventional immunization. In this study, we use our previously described small glycomimetic molecule that is selectively recognized by the Langerhans cell (LC)-specific surface receptor Langerin and demonstrate specific delivery of protein antigens to these specialized dendritic cells. Our results show that Langerin-mediated antigen delivery significantly enhances the immune response in vivo, resulting in increased expansion and activation of antigen-specific T cells, compared to immunization with unmodified antigen. We demonstrate the feasibility of our LC-targeted platform for immune cell-specific immunization with protein antigen and underscore the potential of LCs as an access point for next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies.}, author = {Rica, Ramona and Klein, Klara and Johnson, Litty and Carta, Gabriele and Sarcevic, Mirza and Langer, Freyja and Rademacher, Christoph and Wawrzinek, Robert and Quattrone, Federica and Sparber, Florian}, issn = {1525-0024}, journal = {Molecular Therapy}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Langerhans cell-targeted protein delivery enhances antigen-specific cellular immune response}}, doi = {10.1016/j.ymthe.2025.10.008}, year = {2025}, } @article{20859, abstract = {Effective immune responses rely on the efficient migration of leukocytes. Yet, how temperature regulates migration dynamics at the single-cell level has remained poorly understood. Using zebrafish embryos and mouse tissue explants, we found that temperature positively regulates leukocyte migration speed, exploration, and arrival frequencies to wounds and lymph vessels. Complementary 2D and 3D cultures revealed that this thermokinetic control of cell migration is conserved across immune cell types, independently of the 3D tissue environment. By applying precise (sub-)cellular temperature modulation, we identified a rapid and reversible thermo-response that depends on myosin II activity. Small physiological increases in temperature (1°C –2°C), as present during fever-like conditions, profoundly increased immune responses by accelerating arrival times at lymphatic vessels and tissue wounds. These findings identify myosin-II-dependent actomyosin contractility as a critical mechanical structure regulating single-cell thermo-adaptability, with physiological implications for tuning the speed of immune responses in vivo.}, author = {Company-Garrido, Iván and Zurita Carpio, Alberto and Colomer-Rosell, Mariona and Ciraulo, Bernard and Molkenbur, Ronja and Lanzerstorfer, Peter and Pezzano, Fabio and Agazzi, Costanza and Hauschild, Robert and Jain, Saumey and Jacques, Jeroen M. and Venturini, Valeria and Knapp, Christian and Xie, Yufei and Merrin, Jack and Weghuber, Julian and Schaaf, Marcel and Quidant, Romain and Kiermaier, Eva and Ortega Arroyo, Jaime and Ruprecht, Verena and Wieser, Stefan}, issn = {1878-1551}, journal = {Developmental Cell}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Myosin II regulates cellular thermo-adaptability and the efficiency of immune responses}}, doi = {10.1016/j.devcel.2025.10.006}, year = {2025}, } @inbook{20870, abstract = {RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) methodologies have evolved rapidly, offering powerful tools to study gene expression, transcriptome dynamics, and molecular mechanisms in various biological contexts. However, the complexity of these approaches poses challenges in data interpretation, sensitivity, and applicability. This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of RNA-seq methodologies, highlighting their advantages, limitations, and applications, particularly in cardiovascular research. Bulk RNA sequencing enables high-throughput gene expression profiling but lacks the resolution to capture cellular heterogeneity and spatial context. Direct RNA sequencing preserves native RNA modifications, offering insights into post-transcriptional regulation, though it remains technically challenging. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and spatial transcriptomics (ST) bridge these gaps by resolving transcriptomic complexity at the cellular level and within tissue architecture, providing crucial insights into disease mechanisms such as atherosclerosis. By summarizing the strengths and limitations of these methodologies, this chapter aims to guide researchers in selecting the most suitable transcriptomic approach for their studies, ultimately advancing precision medicine and biomarker discovery in cardiovascular disease.}, author = {Stopa, Victoria and Sopić, Miron and Li, Guanliang and Sluimer, Judith and Basílio, José and van der Laan, Sander W. and Kreil, David P. and Devaux, Yvan and Hochreiter, Bernhard}, booktitle = {Transcriptomics in Atherosclerosis}, editor = {Devaux, Yvan and Sopic, Miron}, isbn = {9780443330643}, pages = {131--172}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Essentials of transcriptomic methods: Navigating through RNA sequencing and beyond}}, doi = {10.1016/b978-0-443-33064-3.00016-5}, year = {2025}, } @unpublished{21427, abstract = {While tumor malignancy has been extensively studied under the prism of genetic and epigenetic heterogeneity, tumor cell states also critically depend on reciprocal interactions with the microenvironment. This raises the hitherto untested possibility that heterogeneity of the untransformed tumor stroma can actively fuel malignant progression. As biological heterogeneity is inherently difficult to control, we adopted a reductionist approach and let tumor cells invade micro-engineered environments harboring obstacles with precision-controlled geometry. We find that not only the presence of obstacles, but more surprisingly their spatial disorder, causes a drastic shift from a collective to a single-cell mode of invasion – comparable in strength to cadherin loss. Combining live-imaging and perturbation experiments with minimal biophysical modeling, we demonstrate that cell detachments result both from local geometrical constraints and a global integration of spatial disorder over time. We show that different types of microenvironments map onto different universality classes of invasion dynamics - homogeneous substrates follow Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) scaling, while disordered ones exhibit exponents consistent with KPZ with quenched disorder (KPZq). Our findings highlight generic physical principles for how the mode of cancer cell invasion depends on environmental heterogeneity, with potential implications to understand tumor evolution in vivo.}, author = {Dunajova, Zuzana and Tasciyan, Saren and Majek, Juraj and Merrin, Jack and Sahai, Erik and Sixt, Michael K and Hannezo, Edouard B}, publisher = {bioRxiv}, title = {{Substrate heterogeneity promotes cancer cell dissemination through interface roughening}}, doi = {10.1101/2025.05.20.655037}, year = {2025}, } @article{19795, abstract = {Super-resolution microscopy often entails long acquisition times of minutes to hours. Since drifts during the acquisition adversely affect data quality, active sample stabilization is commonly used for some of these techniques to reach their full potential. Although drifts in the lateral plane can often be corrected after acquisition, this is not always possible or may come with drawbacks. Therefore, it is appealing to stabilize sample position in three dimensions (3D) during acquisition. Various schemes for active sample stabilization have been demonstrated previously, with some reaching sub-nanometer stability in 3D. Here, we present a scheme for active drift correction that delivers the nanometer-scale 3D stability demanded by state-of-the-art super-resolution techniques and is straightforward to implement compared to previous schemes capable of reaching this level of stabilization precision. Using a refined algorithm that can handle various types of reference structure, without sparse signal peaks being mandatory, we stabilized sample position to ∼1 nm in 3D using objective lenses both with high and low numerical aperture. Our implementation requires only the addition of a simple widefield imaging path and we provide an open-source control software with graphical user interface to facilitate easy adoption of the module. Finally, we demonstrate how this has the potential to enhance data collection for diffraction-limited and super-resolution imaging techniques using single-molecule localization microscopy and cryo-confocal imaging as showcases.}, author = {Vorlaufer, Jakob and Semenov, Nikolai and Kreuzinger, Caroline and Javoor, Manjunath and Zens, Bettina and Agudelo Duenas, Nathalie and Tavakoli, Mojtaba and Suplata, Marek and Jahr, Wiebke and Lyudchik, Julia and Wartak, Andreas and Schur, Florian Km and Danzl, Johann G}, issn = {2667-0747}, journal = {Biophysical Reports}, number = {2}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Image-based 3D active sample stabilization on the nanometer scale for optical microscopy}}, doi = {10.1016/j.bpr.2025.100211}, volume = {5}, year = {2025}, } @article{17468, abstract = {Oxygen redox chemistry is central to life1 and many human-made technologies, such as in energy storage2,3,4. The large energy gain from oxygen redox reactions is often connected with the occurrence of harmful reactive oxygen species3,5,6. Key species are superoxide and the highly reactive singlet oxygen3,4,5,6,7, which may evolve from superoxide. However, the factors determining the formation of singlet oxygen, rather than the relatively unreactive triplet oxygen, are unknown. Here we report that the release of triplet or singlet oxygen is governed by individual Marcus normal and inverted region behaviour. We found that as the driving force for the reaction increases, the initially dominant evolution of triplet oxygen slows down, and singlet oxygen evolution becomes predominant with higher maximum kinetics. This behaviour also applies to the widely observed superoxide disproportionation, in which one superoxide is oxidized by another, in both non-aqueous and aqueous systems, with Lewis and Brønsted acidity controlling the driving forces. Singlet oxygen yields governed by these conditions are relevant, for example, in batteries or cellular organelles in which superoxide forms. Our findings suggest ways to understand and control spin states and kinetics in oxygen redox chemistry, with implications for fields, including life sciences, pure chemistry and energy storage.}, author = {Mondal, Soumyadip and Nguyen, Huyen T.K. and Hauschild, Robert and Freunberger, Stefan Alexander}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, number = {8085}, pages = {601–605}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Marcus kinetics control singlet and triplet oxygen evolving from superoxide}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-025-09587-7}, volume = {646}, year = {2025}, } @article{20082, abstract = {Efficient immune responses rely on the capacity of leukocytes to traverse diverse and complex tissues. To meet such changing environmental conditions, leukocytes usually adopt an ameboid configuration, using their forward-positioned nucleus as a probe to identify and follow the path of least resistance among pre-existing pores. We show that, in dense environments where even the largest pores preclude free passage, leukocytes position their nucleus behind the centrosome and organelles. The local compression imposed on the cell body by its surroundings triggers assembly of a central F-actin pool, located between cell front and nucleus. Central actin pushes outward to transiently dilate a path for organelles and nucleus. Pools of central and front actin are tightly coupled and experimental depletion of the central pool enhances actin accumulation and protrusion formation at the cell front. Although this shifted balance speeds up cells in permissive environments, migration in restrictive environments is impaired, as the unleashed leading edge dissociates from the trapped cell body. Our findings establish an actin regulatory loop that balances path dilation with advancement of the leading edge to maintain cellular coherence.}, author = {Dos Reis Rodrigues, Patricia and Avellaneda Sarrió, Mario and Canigova, Nikola and Gärtner, Florian R and Vaahtomeri, Kari and Riedl, Michael and De Vries, Ingrid and Merrin, Jack and Hauschild, Robert and Fukui, Yoshinori and Juanes Garcia, Alba and Sixt, Michael K}, issn = {1529-2916}, journal = {Nature Immunology}, pages = {1258–1266}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Migrating immune cells globally coordinate protrusive forces}}, doi = {10.1038/s41590-025-02211-w}, volume = {26}, year = {2025}, } @article{19704, abstract = {The information-processing capability of the brain’s cellular network depends on the physical wiring pattern between neurons and their molecular and functional characteristics. Mapping neurons and resolving their individual synaptic connections can be achieved by volumetric imaging at nanoscale resolution1,2 with dense cellular labelling. Light microscopy is uniquely positioned to visualize specific molecules, but dense, synapse-level circuit reconstruction by light microscopy has been out of reach, owing to limitations in resolution, contrast and volumetric imaging capability. Here we describe light-microscopy-based connectomics (LICONN). We integrated specifically engineered hydrogel embedding and expansion with comprehensive deep-learning-based segmentation and analysis of connectivity, thereby directly incorporating molecular information into synapse-level reconstructions of brain tissue. LICONN will allow synapse-level phenotyping of brain tissue in biological experiments in a readily adoptable manner.}, author = {Tavakoli, Mojtaba and Lyudchik, Julia and Januszewski, Michał and Vistunou, Vitali and Agudelo Duenas, Nathalie and Vorlaufer, Jakob and Sommer, Christoph M and Kreuzinger, Caroline and Oliveira, Bárbara and Cenameri, Alban and Novarino, Gaia and Jain, Viren and Danzl, Johann G}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, pages = {398--410}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Light-microscopy-based connectomic reconstruction of mammalian brain tissue}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-025-08985-1}, volume = {642}, year = {2025}, } @article{19278, abstract = {When two insulating, neutral materials are contacted and separated, they exchange electrical charge1. Experiments have long suggested that this ‘contact electrification’ is transitive, with different materials ordering into ‘triboelectric series’ based on the sign of charge acquired2. At the same time, the effect is plagued by unpredictability, preventing consensus on the mechanism and casting doubt on the rhyme and reason that series imply3. Here we expose an unanticipated connection between the unpredictability and order in contact electrification: nominally identical materials initially exchange charge randomly and intransitively, but—over repeated experiments—order into triboelectric series. We find that this evolution is driven by the act of contact itself—samples with more contacts in their history charge negatively to ones with fewer contacts. Capturing this ‘contact bias’ in a minimal model, we recreate both the initial randomness and ultimate order in numerical simulations and use it experimentally to force the appearance of a triboelectric series of our choosing. With a set of surface-sensitive techniques to search for the underlying alterations contact creates, we only find evidence of nanoscale morphological changes, pointing to a mechanism strongly coupled with mechanics. Our results highlight the centrality of contact history in contact electrification and suggest that focusing on the unpredictability that has long plagued the effect may hold the key to understanding it.}, author = {Sobarzo Ponce, Juan Carlos A and Pertl, Felix and Balazs, Daniel and Costanzo, Tommaso and Sauer, Markus and Foelske, Annette and Ostermann, Markus and Pichler, Christian M. and Wang, Yongkang and Nagata, Yuki and Bonn, Mischa and Waitukaitis, Scott R}, issn = {1476-4687}, journal = {Nature}, number = {8051}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Spontaneous ordering of identical materials into a triboelectric series}}, doi = {10.1038/s41586-024-08530-6}, volume = {638}, year = {2025}, } @article{18807, abstract = {Developing tissues interpret dynamic changes in morphogen activity to generate cell type diversity. To quantitatively study bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling dynamics in the mouse neural tube, we developed an embryonic stem cell differentiation system tailored for growing tissues. Differentiating cells form striking self-organized patterns of dorsal neural tube cell types driven by sequential phases of BMP signaling that are observed both in vitro and in vivo. Data-driven biophysical modeling showed that these dynamics result from coupling fast negative feedback with slow positive regulation of signaling by the specification of an endogenous BMP source. Thus, in contrast to relays that propagate morphogen signaling in space, we identify a BMP signaling relay that operates in time. This mechanism allows for a rapid initial concentration-sensitive response that is robustly terminated, thereby regulating balanced sequential cell type generation. Our study provides an experimental and theoretical framework to understand how signaling dynamics are exploited in developing tissues.}, author = {Rus, Stefanie and Brückner, David and Minchington, Thomas and Greunz, Martina and Merrin, Jack and Hannezo, Edouard B and Kicheva, Anna}, issn = {1534-5807}, journal = {Developmental Cell}, number = {4}, pages = {567--580}, publisher = {Elsevier}, title = {{Self-organized pattern formation in the developing mouse neural tube by a temporal relay of BMP signaling}}, doi = {10.1016/j.devcel.2024.10.024}, volume = {60}, year = {2025}, } @article{19401, abstract = {High kinetic inductance superconductors are gaining increasing interest for the realisation of qubits, amplifiers and detectors. Moreover, thanks to their high impedance, quantum buses made of such materials enable large zero-point fluctuations of the voltage, boosting the coupling rates to spin and charge qubits. However, fully exploiting the potential of disordered or granular superconductors is challenging, as their inductance and, therefore, impedance at high values are difficult to control. Here, we report a reproducible fabrication of granular aluminium resonators by developing a wireless ohmmeter, which allows in situ measurements during film deposition and, therefore, control of the kinetic inductance of granular aluminium films. Reproducible fabrication of circuits with impedances (inductances) exceeding 13 kΩ (1 nH per square) is now possible. By integrating a 7.9 kΩ resonator with a germanium double quantum dot, we demonstrate strong charge-photon coupling with a rate of gc/2π = 566 ± 2 MHz. This broadly applicable method opens the path for novel qubits and high-fidelity, long-distance two-qubit gates.}, author = {Janik, Marian and Roux, Kevin Etienne Robert and Borja Espinosa, Carla N and Sagi, Oliver and Baghdadi, Abdulhamid and Adletzberger, Thomas and Calcaterra, Stefano and Botifoll, Marc and Garzón Manjón, Alba and Arbiol, Jordi and Chrastina, Daniel and Isella, Giovanni and Pop, Ioan M. and Katsaros, Georgios}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Strong charge-photon coupling in planar germanium enabled by granular aluminium superinductors}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-025-57252-4}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, } @article{18892, abstract = {Sick individuals often conceal their disease status to group members, thereby preventing social exclusion or aggression. Here we show by behavioural, chemical, immunological and infection load analyses that sick ant pupae instead actively emit a chemical signal that in itself is sufficient to trigger their own destruction by colony members. In our experiments, this altruistic disease-signalling was performed only by worker but not queen pupae. The lack of signalling by queen pupae did not constitute cheating behaviour, but reflected their superior immune capabilities. Worker pupae suffered from extensive pathogen replication whereas queen pupae were able to restrain their infection. Our data suggest the evolution of a finely-tuned signalling system in which it is not the induction of an individual’s immune response, but rather its failure to overcome the infection, that triggers pupal signalling for sacrifice. This demonstrates a balanced interplay between individual and social immunity that efficiently achieves whole-colony health.}, author = {Dawson, Erika and Hönigsberger, Michaela and Kampleitner, Niklas and Grasse, Anna V and Lindorfer, Lukas and Robb, Jennifer and Beikzadeh Abbasi, Farnaz and Strahodinsky, Florian and Leitner, Hanna and Rajendran, Harikrishnan and Schmitt, Thomas and Cremer, Sylvia}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{Altruistic disease signalling in ant colonies}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-025-66175-z}, volume = {16}, year = {2025}, } @article{19626, abstract = {Active regulation of gene expression, orchestrated by complex interactions of activators and repressors at promoters, controls the fate of organisms. In contrast, basal expression at uninduced promoters is considered to be a dynamically inert mode of nonfunctional “promoter leakiness,” merely a byproduct of transcriptional regulation. Here, we investigate the basal expression mode of the mar operon, the main regulator of intrinsic multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli, and link its dynamic properties to the noncanonical, yet highly conserved start codon of marR across Enterobacteriaceae. Real-time, single-cell measurements across tens of generations reveal that basal expression consists of rare stochastic gene expression pulses, which maximize variability in wildtype and, surprisingly, transiently accelerate cellular elongation rates. Competition experiments show that basal expression confers fitness advantages to wildtype across several transitions between exponential and stationary growth by shortening lag times. The dynamically rich basal expression of the mar operon has likely been evolutionarily maintained for its role in growth homeostasis of Enterobacteria within the gut environment, thereby allowing other ancillary gene regulatory roles to evolve, e.g., control of costly-to-induce multidrug efflux pumps. Understanding the complex selection forces governing genetic systems involved in intrinsic multidrug resistance is crucial for effective public health measures.}, author = {Jain, Kirti and Hauschild, Robert and Bochkareva, Olga and Römhild, Roderich and Tkačik, Gašper and Guet, Calin C}, issn = {1091-6490}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, number = {15}, publisher = {National Academy of Sciences}, title = {{Pulsatile basal gene expression as a fitness determinant in bacteria}}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.2413709122}, volume = {122}, year = {2025}, } @misc{19294, abstract = {Active regulation of gene expression, orchestrated by complex interactions of activators and repressors at promoters, controls the fate of organisms. In contrast, basal expression at uninduced promoters is considered to be a dynamically inert mode of non-functional “promoter leakiness”, merely a byproduct of transcriptional regulation. Here, we investigate the basal expression mode of the mar operon, the main regulator of intrinsic multiple antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli, and link its dynamic properties to the non-canonical, yet highly conserved start codon of marR across Enterobacteriaceae. Real-time, single-cell measurements across tens of generations reveal that basal expression consists of rare stochastic gene expression pulses, which maximize variability in wildtype and, surprisingly, transiently accelerate cellular elongation rates. Competition experiments show that basal expression confers fitness advantages to wildtype across several transitions between exponential and stationary growth by shortening lag times. The dynamically rich basal expression of the mar operon has likely been evolutionarily maintained for its role in growth homeostasis of Enterobacteria within the gut environment, thereby allowing other ancillary gene regulatory roles to evolve, e.g. control of costly-to-induce multi-drug efflux pumps. Understanding the complex selection forces governing genetic systems involved in intrinsic multi-drug resistance is crucial for effective public health measures.}, author = {Jain, Kirti and Hauschild, Robert and Bochkareva, Olga and Römhild, Roderich and Tkačik, Gašper and Guet, Calin C}, publisher = {Institute of Science and Technology Austria}, title = {{Data for "Pulsatile basal gene expression as a fitness determinant in bacteria"}}, doi = {10.15479/AT:ISTA:19294}, year = {2025}, } @article{17885, abstract = {The formation of new ribosomes is tightly coordinated with cell growth and proliferation. In eukaryotes, the correct assembly of all ribosomal proteins and RNAs follows an intricate scheme of maturation and rearrangement steps across three cellular compartments: the nucleolus, nucleoplasm, and cytoplasm. We demonstrate that usnic acid, a lichen secondary metabolite, inhibits the maturation of the large ribosomal subunit in yeast. We combine biochemical characterization of pre-ribosomal particles with a quantitative single-particle cryo-EM approach to monitor changes in nucleolar particle populations upon drug treatment. Usnic acid rapidly blocks the transition from nucleolar state B to C of Nsa1-associated pre-ribosomes, depleting key maturation factors such as Dbp10 and hindering pre-rRNA processing. This primary nucleolar block rapidly rebounds on earlier stages of the pathway which highlights the regulatory linkages between different steps. In summary, we provide an in-depth characterization of the effect of usnic acid on ribosome biogenesis, which may have implications for its reported anti-cancer activities.}, author = {Kofler, Lisa and Grundmann, Lorenz and Gerhalter, Magdalena and Prattes, Michael and Merl-Pham, Juliane and Zisser, Gertrude and Grishkovskaya, Irina and Hodirnau, Victor-Valentin and Vareka, Martin and Breinbauer, Rolf and Hauck, Stefanie M. and Haselbach, David and Bergler, Helmut}, issn = {2041-1723}, journal = {Nature Communications}, publisher = {Springer Nature}, title = {{The novel ribosome biogenesis inhibitor usnic acid blocks nucleolar pre-60S maturation}}, doi = {10.1038/s41467-024-51754-3}, volume = {15}, year = {2024}, }