English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Cubic membranes are soft three-dimensional crystals found within cell organelles in a variety of living systems, despite the aphorism of Fedorov: 'crystallization is death'. They consist of multi-bilayer lipid-protein stacks, folded onto anticlastic surfaces that resemble triply periodic minimal surfaces, forming highly swollen crystalline sponges. Although cubic membranes have been observed in numerous cell types and under different pathophysiological conditions, knowledge about the formation and potential function(s) of non-lamellar, cubic structures in biological systems is scarce. We report that mitochondria with this cubic membrane organization isolated from starved amoeba Chaos carolinense interact sufficiently with short segments of phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS-ODNs) to give significant ODNs uptake. ODNs condensed within the convoluted channels of cubic membrane by an unknown passive targeting mechanism. Moreover, the interaction between ODNs and cubic membrane is sufficient to retard electrophoretic mobility of the ODN component in the gel matrix. These ODN-cubic membrane complexes are readily internalized within the cytoplasm of cultured mammalian cells. Transmission electron microscopic analysis confirms ODNs uptake by cubic membranes and internalization of ODN-cubic membrane complexes into the culture cells. Cubic membranes thus may offer a new, potentially benign medium for gene transfection.

Cubic membranes: a structure-based design for DNA uptake