Themed collection Multimolecular Crowding in Biosystems

Fluorescent molecules for monitoring endoplasmic reticulum and chemical probes for the detection of ER cellular processes and analytes.

The major developments of fluorescent and chemiluminescent formaldehyde probes have been summarized in this highlight.

In the last decade, small-molecule fluorescent probes brightened the bacteria and infections.

The study of multimolecular crowding has opened up the possibility of developing new devices for cancer diagnosis and analysis.

This feature article introduces some regulators of biomolecular condensates formed through liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS), especially post-translational modifications (PTMs).

This article highlights the unique features of enzymatic noncovalent synthesis (ENS) for generating multimolecular crowding in cells and the relevant applications for biomedicines.

In this review, we describe chemogenetics of cell surface receptors. This approach using designer ligands allows for rapid and selective control of the designer receptor function without affecting the endogenous systems.

Specific post-translational modification (PTM) states of a protein affect its property and function; understanding their dynamics in cells would provide deep insight into diverse signaling pathways and biological processes.

We describe a fluorogenic probe BocLys(Ac)-AB-FC targeting both histone deacetylases (HDACs) and cathepsin L, which are overexpressed in spatially separated subcellular organelles of cancer cells.

In this article, we report coumarin derivative 1 bearing cyanoacrylamide and ifenprodil moieties as the first reversible fluorescent probe that can monitor GSH near NMDA receptors.

Intracellular photocatalytic-proximity labeling (iPPL) was developed to profile protein–protein interactions in the microenvironment of living cells.

We report the installation of 1,8-naphthalimide dyes in live cell imaging of plants. The structure of the chloroplasts or vacuole was rapidly and clearly visualized by 1,8-naphthalimide dyes.

An unconventional environment-responsive molecular crowding via specific binding between small molecule peptide inhibitor derivatives and overexpressed tumour enzyme has been developed.

Capturing proteins on anion-exchange discs facilitates concentration of diluted samples and removal of contaminants, allowing more efficient sample pretreatment for bottom-up/cross-linking mass spectrometry than in-solution and in-gel.

We developed a prodrug (DE-CPT) that efficiently decreases the cancer stem cell population and kills the cancer cells by ROS activation.

We identified cytosine-rich regions adjacent to guanine-rich regions in the TMPRSS2 gene, which showed structural competition between a G-quadruplex and a hairpin loop. Furthermore, this competition significantly affected transcription efficiency.

Novel polynorbornene-based probes for fluorescence sensing of ATP at nanomolar levels via the indicator displacement assay (IDA) method are reported.

Small-molecule enhancers of cellular stress granules were identified by observing molecular crowding of proteins and RNAs in a time-dependent manner. Hit molecules inhibited the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by inducing stress granule formation.

We report a series of calix[n]triazoliums showing excellent selectivity for AMP. The unique supramolecular ensemble exhibits a selective turn-on fluorescence response towards AMP over various anions, including adenosine polyphosphates.

A cocktail [1 + 2] dual-fluorescent probe system could realize the real-time visualization of dynamic iron state changes between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺.

Modifications of mAβ and hAβ by glycation can differentiate their aggregation and cytotoxicity profiles.

We demonstrated the nongenetic temporal control of cell signaling using a DNA-based synthetic surrogate of growth factor.

We developed a new molecular design for NIR fluorescent probes that target exopeptidase by utilizing the >110 nm blueshift of unsymmetrical Si–rhodamines.

We demonstrate the embedding membrane protein, Cx43, on the enveloped artificial viral capsid using a cell-free expression system. The embedding of Cx43 on the envelope was evaluated by detection with anti-Cx43 antibody using FCS and TEM.

New naphthalimide tetrazine probes permit fluorescent imaging of biomolecules in vitro and in living cells. They can be modified to provide previously unknown information about health and disease in biological systems.

Succinylated HMGN2, prepared by a ‘thiol–ene reaction’, disrupted the association of HMGN2 with the nucleosome and increased nucleosomal DNA accessibility.