Cover Image Tulipa pumila. This photo was taken by Sandro Pratesi at Doccino at the municipality of Riparbella, province of Pisa, Tuscany, Italy (DOI: 10.1111/1442-1984.12267 ).
Probing amyloid formation of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) in aqueous solutions with ionic liquids (ILs) could help identify the IL–IDP interactions causing the process in this media. Takekiyo et al. report that ethylammonium nitrate (EAN) initiates the formation of intermolecular β-sheet structure – amyloid-like aggregates – of α-synuclein. The cations and anions of EAN function as charges to mask side chains, leading to the formation of a polyproline II helix that assists the formation of α-synuclein aggregates. The present results could help develop promoting agents for amyloid aggregates in biomaterials science. (DOI: 10.1002/bip.23352)
A Orobanche boninsimae and its visitors, Japanese white-eyes (Zosterops japonicus). Photo by Akihiro Nishimura at Chichijima Island, the Bonin Islands, Japan. Nishimura & Takayama (2023) “First record of potential bird pollination in the holoparasitic genus Orobanche L.” Plant Species Biology, 6–17 https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12389
Human calcitonin (hCT) is a 32-residue peptide hormone that is produced in the thyroid where it regulates blood calcium levels and promotes bone formation. While hCT was previously used to treat bone disorders, this has ceased because hCT has been shown to aggregate when elevated levels of the peptide are either produced naturally or injected, and the resulting amyloid fibrils toxic. Deguo Du and his team report the effects of cholesterol, cholesterol sulfate and 3β-[N- (dimethylaminoethane) carbamoyl]- cholesterol (DC-cholesterol) on oxidised hCT, revealing an inhibitory effect of DC-cholesterol on amyloidogenesis. The results provide mechanistic information on the interactions at play and may aid the design of steroid-based structures for inhibiting hCT aggregation. (DOI: 10.1002/bip.23343)
CRISPR-Cas9 system with PEG-mediated transfection was efficient for genome editing in Ulva prolifera. U. prolifera (left) and male gametes (middle). Wild type (upper right) and the genome-edited strain (lower right) cultured in 2-FA selection medium, and each mutation site on the APT gene. See Ichihara et al. in this issue.
An optical fan was demonstrated to screen leukemia cells from the blood sample at the single‐cell level in a noninvasive and noncontact manner. Further details can be found in the article by Xiaoshuai Liu, Yuchao Li, Xiaohao Xu, Yao Zhang, Baojun Li ( e201900155 ).
Immunofluorescence image of Plasmodium berghei sporozoites (red) in HeLa cells 1.5 hours post infection. The parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) that surrounds the parasites was stained with antibodies against the PVM‐resident protein UIS4 (grey). DNA was stained with DAPI (blue). Imaging was performed on a Leica SP8 confocal microscope. For further details, readers are referred to the article by Bindschedler et al. on p. e13271 of this issue.
Top-left: Viburnum opulus in Iwaya, Aomori, Japan. Top-center: Viburnum plicatum in Kibune, Kyoto, Japan. Top-right: Viburnum dilatatum in Iwakura, Kyoto, Japan. Bottom-left: Viburnum sieboldii in Mt. Nabejiri, Shiga, Japan. Bottom-center: Viburnum erosum in Kurama, Kyoto, Japan. Bottom-right: Viburnum phlebotrichum in Aburazaka, Fukui, Japan. Photos by Akira Armando Wong Sato Wong Sato & Kato (2021) Decorative sterile flowers in nine Japanese species of Viburnum (Adoxaceae) and their infl uence on pollinator visits. https://doi.org/10.1111/1442-1984.12347
Photographs of Kulikovskiyia triundulata gen. et sp. nov. along with holotypic locality. Upper left: Photograph of the holotypic locality (lateritic rocky plateau of Maharashtra, India). Upper middle: Live cell showing chloroplast structure in valve view. Upper right: DIC image of a frustule in valve view. Lower: SEM image of the external valve showing peripheral and apical spines, siliceous slats and tri‐undulate valve shape. See Roy et al. in this issue. Cover picture from: Article link here
The cover image is based on the Original Article Regulatory role of human fibrocartilage stem cells in condyle osteochondroma by Qing Yin et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/cpr.13342 .
Cover Image Cyrtopodium paludicolum. This photo was taken by Dr. João C. F. Cardoso, on the Panga Ecological Station, Uberlândia City, Minas-Gerais state, Brazil.
This work studied two-photon collagen crosslinking (CXL) in human corneal lenticules induced by near infrared femtosecond laser, possessing the advantages of multiphoton absorption and near-infrared light. The corneal stiffness can be enhanced by up to 296% without significantly reducing corneal transparency (<3%), paving the way to treat ophthalmic disorders such as keratoconus by 3D CXL of in vivo human cornea with higher safety, precision and efficacy. Further details can be found in the article by Zhenzhou Cheng, Nan Zhang, Le Chang, Pengfei Qi, Lin Zhang, Lie Lin, Yan Wang, and Weiwei Liu ( e202200160 ).
A dual‐raster‐scanned photoacoustic microscope (DRS‐PAM) was reported, which integrates a two‐dimensional motorized translation stage for large field‐of‐view imaging and a two‐axis fast galvanometer scanner for real‐time imaging. The DRS‐PAM provides a flexible transition from wide‐field monitoring the vasculature of organs to real‐time imaging of local dynamics. Further details can be found in the article by Fei Yang, Zhiyang Wang, Wuyu Zhang, et al. ( e202000022 ).
This work addresses an unmet clinical need, that of glaucoma monitoring through intraocular pressure (IOP) interrogation in patients with artificial corneas (keratoprost hesis). We demonstrate direct integration of a low‐drift, fiber‐optic Fabry‐Perot pressure sensor embedded in the keratoprosthesis via rapid, non‐contact micromagnetic fiber alignment. IOP interrogation is achieved by using white‐light interferometry, which provides sub‐mmHg IOP sensitivity. Further details can be found in the article by Pui‐Chuen Hui, Katia Shtyrkova, Chengxin Zhou, et al. ( e202000031 ).
Cover Image The pistillate-phase flowers of Artabotrys (Annonaceae): A. blumei (left) and A. brachypetalus (right). Photos by Junhao Chen, taken in Hong Kong and South Africa, respectively (DOI: 10.1111/1442-1984.12273 ).
Intraoperative neurosurgical diagnosis of brain tumor determines the success rate of patients' prognoses. We firstly proposed a novel approach based on an optical method to distinguish the site of the tumor functionally. The promoted technique is non‐invasive, non‐radioactive, dye‐free, and potential of real‐time monitoring, which is still not available nowadays by using other techniques. The method could be applied to neuroimage guiding system for precision surgery of brain. Further details can be found in the article by Xin‐Rui Liu, Tien‐Yu Hsiao, Yun‐Qian, et al. ( e201900200 ).
Beautiful underwater view of an edible brown alga, Sargassum fusiforme (Fucales, Phaeophyceae) at the rocky shore in Sakurajima, Kagoshima, Japan (Photo by Ryuta Terada). Characteristic responses of the PSII photochemical efficiency on desiccation and salinity gradients in S. fusiforme are reported by Yonemori et al. in this issue.
