Journal: bioRxiv

Article Title: AI-discovered protein fragments as generalizable regulators of biomolecular condensates

doi: 10.64898/2026.05.08.723928

Figure Lengend Snippet: ( A ) Mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) were co-transfected with plasmids for expression of FAK 379-408 -2A-DsRed and FAK-GFP. After 24 hours the cells were seeded onto poly-D-Lysine plates and imaged for DNA (Hoechst), DsRed, and GFP fluorescence. ( B ) DNA, FAK 379-408 , and FAK imaging. Cells expressing significant FAK-GFP but not FAK 379-408 form condensates; cells expressing both FAK-GFP and FAK 379-408 exhibit drastic reduction of FAK condensates. ( C ) Representative cell expressing FAK-GFP only vs. cell expressing FAK-GFP + FAK 379-408 -2A-DsRed, at the same FAK transfection level (GFP intensity of ∼250 a.u.; Methods ). ( D ) Quantification of microscopy results. Number of FAK condensate puncta ( N condensates ) per cell as a function of the fragment:FAK (DsRed:GFP) intensity ratio in co-transfected cells. The number of puncta is negatively correlated with the intensity ratio (Spearman ρ = −0.54, P < 10 −10 ). ( E ) Bar plot from data in (D), comparing number of condensates per cell for fragment:FAK intensity ratios of ≤ 0.5 and ≥ 1. Bar height, mean value; error bars, standard deviation. *, difference is significant at p < 0.05, Student’s t-test.

Article Snippet: Mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF ATCC CRL-2645) cells were maintained in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM; high glucose, Invitrogen) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS, Thermo Scientific), 1% penicillin–streptomycin, and 2 mM Glutamax at 37°C in a humidified incubator with 5% CO2.

Techniques: Transfection, Expressing, Fluorescence, Imaging, Microscopy, Standard Deviation

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Pre-priming cell sheet therapy enabled by dynamic wrinkled electroactive substrate for muscle reconstruction

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.01.046

Figure Lengend Snippet: Immunofluorescence staining of focal adhesion-related markers and cytoskeleton in cells under control and mechanical stimulation conditions. Left (Control group): Immunofluorescence staining shows focal adhesion-associated proteins (green channels). These correspond to integrin β1(A), talin (B), pFAK/FAK (C), paxillin (D), YAP (E), and TAZ (F) in each row. F-actin and FAK are shown in the red channel. The rightmost column of each row displays merged images. These integrate focal adhesion marker signals (green), F-actin (red), and DAPI-stained nuclei (blue). Yellow indicates co-localization of focal adhesion markers and F-actin. Right (After mechanical stimulation group): Immunofluorescence staining displays the same set of focal adhesion-related proteins and F-actin in cells after mechanical stimulation. Merged images are presented in the same format as the control group.

Article Snippet: FAK Antibody (sc-271126), pFAK(Y3978556s), talin (sc: 4021s), paxillin (sc: 365379), integrin β1 (sc: 374429), and YAP (cst: 14074s), TAZ (cst: 83669s) were ordered from Santa Cruz Biotechnology.

Techniques: Immunofluorescence, Staining, Control, Marker

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: From disease model to therapeutic insight: An engineered hydrogel reveals the role of matrix viscous dissipation in intervertebral disc degeneration

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.021

Figure Lengend Snippet: ITGB1/FAK/YAP mechanotransduction axis mediates the regulation of ECM viscous dissipation on YAP. a, GSEA revealed that “Reactome integrin signaling”, “Gobo focal adhesion assembly”, “Gobo regulation of cytoskeleton” and “Kegg regulation of actin cytoskeleton” were upregulated in the NPCs cultured on V-gel compared with the NPCs cultured on E-gel. b, Heatmap of the series of DEGs related to mechanotransduction. c, Representative IF images of ITGB1 and YAP in NPCs with corresponding quantitative analysis, Scale bars = 50 μm d, Representative immunofluorescence images of p-FAK, Vinculin, YAP, and F-actin with quantitative analysis of cell areas, p-FAK expression and the ratio of nuclear YAP. Relative cell areas and nuclear YAP ratios were quantified across 50 cells from three independent biological replicates (n = 50). Relative fluorescent intensity of p-FAK was quantified from three independent biological replicates (n = 3). e, Western blotting analysis of YAP and p-YAP. All data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple-comparisons test. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The symbol “∗” represents a statistical difference.

Article Snippet: Agonists in cell culture were used at the following concertation: 1.5 μM PY-60 to activate YAP (MCE, China, HY-141644), 0.8 μM Pyrintegrin to activate ITGB1 (MCE, China, HY-13306) and 10 nM ZINC40099027 to activate FAK (MCE, China, HY-134570).

Techniques: Cell Culture, Immunofluorescence, Expressing, Western Blot

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: From disease model to therapeutic insight: An engineered hydrogel reveals the role of matrix viscous dissipation in intervertebral disc degeneration

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.021

Figure Lengend Snippet: ITGB1/FAK/YAP mechanotransduction axis mediates the regulation of ECM viscous dissipation on YAP. a, GSEA revealed that “Reactome integrin signaling”, “Gobo focal adhesion assembly”, “Gobo regulation of cytoskeleton” and “Kegg regulation of actin cytoskeleton” were upregulated in the NPCs cultured on V-gel compared with the NPCs cultured on E-gel. b, Heatmap of the series of DEGs related to mechanotransduction. c, Representative IF images of ITGB1 and YAP in NPCs with corresponding quantitative analysis, Scale bars = 50 μm d, Representative immunofluorescence images of p-FAK, Vinculin, YAP, and F-actin with quantitative analysis of cell areas, p-FAK expression and the ratio of nuclear YAP. Relative cell areas and nuclear YAP ratios were quantified across 50 cells from three independent biological replicates (n = 50). Relative fluorescent intensity of p-FAK was quantified from three independent biological replicates (n = 3). e, Western blotting analysis of YAP and p-YAP. All data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple-comparisons test. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The symbol “∗” represents a statistical difference.

Article Snippet: During this period, in accordance with a previous study, 10 μL of FAK agonist (ZINC40099027, 10 μM, MCE, HY-134570) or YAP agonist (PY-60, 10 μM, MCE, HY-141644) were injected into the compressed IVDs every other day using a 31G needle.

Techniques: Cell Culture, Immunofluorescence, Expressing, Western Blot

Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: From disease model to therapeutic insight: An engineered hydrogel reveals the role of matrix viscous dissipation in intervertebral disc degeneration

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.021

Figure Lengend Snippet: Pharmacological activating of YAP alleviates NPCs senescence and IVDD progression. a, Schematic illustration of the in vivo experiments design. Rats received a FAK agonist or a YAP agonist every other day to indirectly or directly activate YAP. b, Images of rats IVDD model c, Representative MRI and X-ray images of the IVDs after injection of FAK agonist and YAP agonist with the corresponding quantitative analysis (n = 5). d, Representative H&E and S. O. staining of IVDs. Scale bars = 1 mm. e, Representative IF images of ACAN and COL II. Scale bars = 100 μm. f, Representative IF images of p16INK4a and YAP. g, Representative IHC images of cGAS with the corresponding quantitative analysis. Scale bars = 100 μm (n = 5). All data are presented as means ± SD. Statistical significance was determined by one-way ANOVA with Tukey's multiple-comparisons test. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The symbol “∗” represents a statistical difference compared to the control group, and the symbol “#” represents a statistical difference compared to the compression group.

Article Snippet: During this period, in accordance with a previous study, 10 μL of FAK agonist (ZINC40099027, 10 μM, MCE, HY-134570) or YAP agonist (PY-60, 10 μM, MCE, HY-141644) were injected into the compressed IVDs every other day using a 31G needle.

Techniques: In Vivo, Injection, Staining, Control