Measurement of glucose exclusion from the fully hydrated DOPE inverse hexagonal phase

The degree of exclusion of glucose from the inverse hexagonal HII phase of fully hydrated DOPE is determined using contrast variation small angle neutron scattering and small angle X-ray scattering. The presence of glucose is found to favour the formation of the non-lamellar HII phase over the fluid lamellar phase, over a wide range of temperatures, while having no significant effect on the structure of the HII phase. Glucose is preferentially excluded from the lipid-water interface resulting in a glucose concentration in the HII phase of less than half that in the coexisting aqueous phase. The degree of exclusion is quantified and the results are consistent with a hydration layer of pure water adjacent to the lipid head groups from which glucose is excluded. The osmotic gradient created by the difference in glucose concentration is determined and the influence of glucose on the phase behaviour of non-lamellar phase forming lipid systems is discussed

The Interplay between Chemistry and Mechanics in the Transduction of a Mechanical Signal into a Biochemical Function

There are many processes in biology in which mechanical forces are generated. Force-bearing networks can transduce locally developed mechanical signals very extensively over different parts of the cell or tissues. In this article we conduct an overview of this kind of mechanical transduction, focusing in particular on the multiple layers of complexity displayed by the mechanisms that control and trigger the conversion of a mechanical signal into a biochemical function. Single molecule methodologies, through their capability to introduce the force in studies of biological processes in which mechanical stresses are developed, are unveiling subtle intertwining mechanisms between chemistry and mechanics and in particular are revealing how chemistry can control mechanics. The possibility that chemistry interplays with mechanics should be always considered in biochemical studies.Comment: 50 pages, 18 figure

Cell surface mechanics and the control of cell shape, tissue patterns and morphogenesis.

International audienc

Planar polarized actomyosin contractile flows control epithelial junction remodelling

International audienc

Force generation, transmission, and integration during cell and tissue morphogenesis

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A two-tiered mechanism for stabilization and immobilization of E-cadherin

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Advances on Stochastic Local Search Algorithms for the Genomic Median Problem

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Advances on Stochastic Local Search Algorithms for the Genomic Median Problem

International audienceThe genomic median problem aims at finding the organization of the chromosome of a common ancestor to multiple living species. The problem is often formulated as searching for a genome that minimizes some distance measure among given genomes. In our previous research, we have proposed a new stochastic local search algorithm for this problem that combined elements of tabu search, iterated local search, and a reactive search mechanism for adapting crucial parameters while solving an instance. In this talk, we will report on several improvements upon the initial algorithm and additional computational results including comparisons to current state-of-the-art algorithms for the genomic median problem

A two-tiered mechanism for stabilization and immobilization of E-cadherin

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