Topic
Cell signalling research, explained
13 open-access cell signalling studies, each with a flashcard deck and a quiz.
- When does Wnt5a turn β-catenin signaling on or off?
Purified Wnt5a can activate or inhibit β-catenin–TCF signaling depending on which Frizzled/receptor context is present.
- Shared class A GPCR activation path
Class A GPCRs share a conserved residue-contact rearrangement pathway from ligand pocket to G-protein site.
- CPK3/6 mediate ABA guard-cell signaling
Calcium-dependent kinases CPK3 and CPK6 act in ABA control of guard-cell anion/Ca²⁺ channels and stomatal closure.
- What physical force actually opens Piezo1?
In HEK293t patches, Piezo1 opened to both convex and concave stretch but tracked lateral tension with T50 ≈ 1.4 mN/m; resting tension drove inactivation and thereby tuned apparent mechanical sensitivity.
- How specific are bacterial two-component pathways?
Caulobacter histidine kinases prefer their cognate response regulators in vitro; phosphotransfer profiling reveals conserved pathways controlling growth.
- Does chemical fixation squash the living cortex?
In adult mouse barrel cortex, aldehyde perfusion shrank tissue ~30% and left only 2.5% extracellular space versus 15.4% after high-pressure freezing; cryo tissue also had smaller astrocyte volume, looser glial coverage, and more docked vesicles.
- HSP90 family across kingdoms
Comparative genomics maps 103 HSP90-family genes across 32 genomes and deep phylogenetic diversity.
- LOX1 oxylipins close stomata in defense
Guard-cell LOX1 drives ABA-independent stomatal closure that limits Pseudomonas colonization.
- How does piriform cortex split odor identity from intensity?
In 459 piriform neurons from 5 awake mice, which cells fire encodes odor identity, while spike timing—not rate—encodes intensity.
- Can fixation fake phase separation?
Comparing the same U2OS cells live vs after PFA showed FET-family IDR puncta increase—and can appear where none existed—warning that fixed-cell LLPS can be artefactual.
- How does USP8 turn on Smoothened?
USP8 deubiquitinates Smoothened, promoting Hh-dependent cell-surface accumulation and signaling while limiting early-endosome localization.
- Which STAT partners dominate cancer signaling networks?
An IID-based interactome shows STAT3 as the busiest hub, STAT1 as a frequent antagonist, and points to cytoplasmic nodes for JAK/STAT-targeted therapy ideas.
- Can connexin43 work inside the nucleus?
Cx43 sits at the nuclear envelope, enters via Importin-β, forms active nuclear channels in HEK293 cells and cardiomyocytes, and can change gene expression during myogenic differentiation.