Journal: Bioactive Materials

Article Title: Cell type-specific response to curvature controls tissue growth dynamics in biomaterial pores

doi: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2026.02.005

Figure Lengend Snippet: Cell-substrate adhesion characteristics control cell spanning. (a) Representative microscopy images for fibroblasts adhered to a soft substrate, stimulated with CN03 (RhoA activator), Y27632 (ROCK inhibitor), PF228 (Focal adhesion kinase inhibitor), and MMC (DNA crosslinking). (b) Cell length for the distinct modulators and (c) FSD compared to the fibroblasts (dash-dotted reference line indicates the median value). (d) Relationship between probability of spanning cells and cylinder diameter for the selected cell types. (e) Correlation between cell length and probability of cells spanning. (f) Correlation between FSD and probability of cells spanning. In red, allometric fit, given by y = a x b . (g, left) Schematic representation of the boundary conditions ( U, UR indicating translational and rotational degrees of freedom respectively) and material properties of the FE model representing an individual cell with two adhesion morphologies (C1 = fully adherent, circular morphology, C2 = large FSD, polar morphology) attached to cylindrical surfaces with Ø = 100 and 1000 μm. (g, middle) Resulting cell displacement according to the cell adhesion morphology (C1, C2) on a cylinder with Ø = 100 μm and (g, right) on a cylinder with Ø = 1000 μm in isometric view (top row) and front view (bottom row). Vector plot is combined with deformed shape to better visualize the direction and magnitude of the displacement. Statistical significance via Mann-Whitney test (two sided) with Bonferroni correction, ∗p < 0.05. N ≥ 60 cells/cell type for FA and morphological analysis. N ≥ 3 GeoChips/cell type for a total of N ≥ 12 half-cylinders/condition. 1 donor/cell type. Scale bar 50 μm.

Article Snippet: Y27632 (13624, Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.) was supplemented to the medium at a concentration of 10 μM, CN03 (Rho Activator II, Cytoskeleton, Inc.) was used at a concentration of 5 μg/ml, and PF228 (PZ0117, Sigma-Aldrich) was supplemented at a concentration of 100 μM.

Techniques: Control, Microscopy, Plasmid Preparation, MANN-WHITNEY

Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Article Title: Mitofusins are required for specialized mitochondrial morphology and function of rod photoreceptor cells

doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1724328

Figure Lengend Snippet: Abnormal mitochondrial morphologies in rod photoreceptor inner segments and synapses due to ablation of Mfn1 and Mfn2 at 1 month of age. (A) Representative electron micrographs of rod photoreceptor inner segments. Magnification = ×8,800. Scale bar = 1 micron. (B) Higher-magnification images of the regions outlined by red rectangles in panel (A) . (C) Representative electron micrographs of rod photoreceptor synapses. Magnification = ×8,800. (D) Quantification of the number of mitochondria in rod photoreceptor inner segments. (E) Quantification of the number of mitochondria in the rod photoreceptor synapse. (F) Quantification of the size of mitochondria in the rod photoreceptor synapse. Dots represent individual data points. Number in the parenthesis denotes the number of mice used in the experiment. Data is presented as mean±SD. *P < 0.05, ****P < 0.0001 by one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test. (G,H) Photoreceptor cell degeneration in mice with rod-specific ablation of Mfn1 and Mfn2. Representative images of H&E-stained retinal sections of 1-, 2- and 3-month-old mice. Magnification = ×40. Scale bar = 20 microns (G) . Outer nuclear layer thickness (ONLT) ratios (H) . Note that Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice exhibit significant reduction of ONLT at 2 and 3 months of age. Number in the parenthesis denotes the number of mice used in the study. Data is presented as mean±SD. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001 by two-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey’s test.

Article Snippet: Rho-Cre mice (B6.Cg- Pde6b + Tg [Rho-icre]1Ck/Boc [JAX stock #015850, RRID: IMSR_JAX:015850]) , Mfn1 floxed mice ( Mfn1 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn1 tm2Dcc /J [JAX stock #026401, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026401]) , and Mfn2 floxed mice ( Mfn2 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn2 tm3Dcc /J [JAX stock #026525, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026525]) ( ) were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory.

Techniques: Staining

Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Article Title: Mitofusins are required for specialized mitochondrial morphology and function of rod photoreceptor cells

doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1724328

Figure Lengend Snippet: ERG analysis of Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice and age-matched WT controls. (A,B) Representative scotopic (rod-driven) ERG traces showing a- and b-waves (A) and c-waves (B) from 1-month-old WT (black) and Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx (blue) mice, and 2-month-old WT (yellow) and Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx (green) mice. (C–E) Quantification of scotopic ERG responses. Compared to WT controls, Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice exhibit a reduction in a-wave amplitude as early as 1 month of age (C) followed by a significant reduction in both a-wave and b-wave amplitude by 2 months (D) , and an age-dependent decline in c-wave amplitude (E) , consistent with progressive impairment of rod photoreceptor function and photoreceptor–RPE coupling. Number in the parenthesis denotes the number of mice used in the study. Data are presented as mean ± SEM, and statistical significance (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001) was determined using two-tailed Student’s t -tests.

Article Snippet: Rho-Cre mice (B6.Cg- Pde6b + Tg [Rho-icre]1Ck/Boc [JAX stock #015850, RRID: IMSR_JAX:015850]) , Mfn1 floxed mice ( Mfn1 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn1 tm2Dcc /J [JAX stock #026401, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026401]) , and Mfn2 floxed mice ( Mfn2 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn2 tm3Dcc /J [JAX stock #026525, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026525]) ( ) were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory.

Techniques: Two Tailed Test

Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Article Title: Mitofusins are required for specialized mitochondrial morphology and function of rod photoreceptor cells

doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1724328

Figure Lengend Snippet: Metabolic changes in the neural retina resulting from rod-specific ablation of Mfn1 and Mfn2 . (A) Volcano plot showing differentially changed metabolites in the neural retina of Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice versus WT mice. (B) Heatmap showing significantly changed metabolites in the neural retina of Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice versus WT mice (P < 0.05). (C) Schematic diagram of pyrimidine and purine synthesis, and relative metabolite levels associated with nucleotide synthesis in Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx neural retina compared to WT neural retina. (D) Schematic diagram of glycolysis and TCA cycle, and relative metabolite levels associated with these pathways in Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx neural retina compared to WT neural retina. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Asterisks (*) indicate P < 0.05 significance by t-test. Five mice were used for each group in the study. Dots represent individual data points.

Article Snippet: Rho-Cre mice (B6.Cg- Pde6b + Tg [Rho-icre]1Ck/Boc [JAX stock #015850, RRID: IMSR_JAX:015850]) , Mfn1 floxed mice ( Mfn1 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn1 tm2Dcc /J [JAX stock #026401, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026401]) , and Mfn2 floxed mice ( Mfn2 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn2 tm3Dcc /J [JAX stock #026525, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026525]) ( ) were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory.

Techniques:

Journal: Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

Article Title: Mitofusins are required for specialized mitochondrial morphology and function of rod photoreceptor cells

doi: 10.3389/fcell.2026.1724328

Figure Lengend Snippet: Identified changes in protein levels associated with pathways presumed to respond to mitochondrial fusion defects. (A) Schematic diagram of the glycolysis pathway of lactate synthesis from glucose through pyruvate in the cytosol of cells. (B) Western blot analysis of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), which are related to glycolysis pathway in the neural retina of Rho-Cre/Mfn1 flx/flx /Mfn2 flx/flx mice versus WT mice. (C) Western blot analysis of each subunit comprising the complexes (Complex I (CI): NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 beta subcomplex subunit 8 (NDUFB8), Complex II (CII): succinate dehydrogenase B (SDHB), Complex III (CIII): ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase core protein 2 (UQCRC2), Complex IV (CIV): mitochondrially encoded cytochrome c oxidase I (MTCO1), Complex V (CV): ATP synthase F1 subunit alpha (ATP5A)) responsible for oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). (D) Western blot analysis of another CII subunit, succinate dehydrogenase A (SDHA). (E) Schematic diagram of the substrate uptake and pathway toward mitochondrial β-oxidation. (F) Western blot analysis of carnitine-acylcarnitine translocase (CACT) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase II (CPT2), involved in mitochondrial β-oxidation. (G) Western blot analysis of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphorylated-mTOR-S2448 (p-mTOR). Protein levels of p-mTOR were normalized by that of mTOR. Alpha-tubulin (TUB) served as the loading control for this Western blot experiments except for the result of p-mTOR. Data are presented as mean ± SD. Asterisks (*) indicates P < 0.05 significance following a significant difference detected by t-test. Six one-month-old mice were used in both groups in study. Dots represent individual data points. The protein size next to the immunoblot images denotes the size of the immunobands measured for this analysis.

Article Snippet: Rho-Cre mice (B6.Cg- Pde6b + Tg [Rho-icre]1Ck/Boc [JAX stock #015850, RRID: IMSR_JAX:015850]) , Mfn1 floxed mice ( Mfn1 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn1 tm2Dcc /J [JAX stock #026401, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026401]) , and Mfn2 floxed mice ( Mfn2 flx/flx ; B6.129 [Cg]- Mfn2 tm3Dcc /J [JAX stock #026525, RRID: IMSR_JAX:026525]) ( ) were purchased from The Jackson Laboratory.

Techniques: Western Blot, Phospho-proteomics, Control

Journal: ACS Omega

Article Title: Polystyrene Microplastics Activate Noncanonical TGF‑β Signaling and Metabolomic Reprogramming to Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Fibrosis in the Kidney

doi: 10.1021/acsomega.5c10834

Figure Lengend Snippet: Cellular uptake of PS-MPs by normal rat kidney (NRK-52E) cells after 24 h. (A) Treatment of NRK-52E cells with Nile-red tagged PS-MPs. Scale bar 50 μm. Control: NRK-52E cells were treated with Nile-red only (5 mg/L working solution). (B) Measurement of uptake of PS-MPs by NRK-52E cells using flow cytometry. (C) Treatment of NRK-52E cells with rhodamine-B (Rho-B)-tagged PS-MPs. Scale bar 50 μm. Control: NRK-52E cells were treated with Rho-B only (5 mg/L working solution).

Article Snippet: JC1 dye, Nile-red (NR), and rhodamine-B (Rho-B) dye were obtained from Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Techniques: Control, Flow Cytometry