Research Topic: actin cytoskeleton

Deciphering the role of CAPZA2 in neurodevelopmental disorders: insights from mouse models

Scientists studied a gene called CAPZA2 that helps control how brain cells connect to each other. When this gene doesn’t work properly, mice had trouble learning, remembering things, and interacting socially, similar to intellectual disability in humans. The researchers found that the problem happens because the connections between brain cells become abnormal and don’t mature properly. This research helps explain why some people with mutations in this gene have developmental difficulties and could lead to new treatments.

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A genetic strategy to allow detection of F-actin by phalloidin staining in diverse fungi

Scientists discovered that many fungi cannot be stained with phalloidin, a widely-used fluorescent dye that helps visualize actin filaments in cells. They traced this problem to a single amino acid difference in fungal actin proteins. By changing this one amino acid back to its original form using genetic engineering, they successfully enabled phalloidin staining in previously incompatible fungi, providing researchers with better tools to study fungal cell biology.

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