Across ecosystems and trophic levels, predators are usually larger than their prey, and when trophic morphology converges, predators typically avoid predation on intraguild competitors unless the prey is notably smaller in size. However, a currently unexplained exception occurs in kingsnakes in the genus Lampropeltis Kingsnakes are able to capture, constrict and consume other snakes that are no...

We investigate the mechanical unfolding of the tenth type III domain from fibronectin (FnIII(10)) both at constant force and at constant pulling velocity, by all-atom Monte Carlo simulations. We observe both apparent two-state unfolding and several unfolding pathways involving one of three major, mutually exclusive intermediate states. All three major intermediates lack two of seven native beta...

Introduction Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) is an operating technique using long instruments inserted via small incisions in the skin. During open surgery, surgeons have natural view on the operation area and they can use their hands to feel the properties of the tissue. There is not much known about the exact role of haptic feedback during minimally invasive surgery. The surgeon has no direc...

We investigate the dynamics of an intruder pulled by a constant force in a dense two-dimensional granular fluid by means of event-driven molecular dynamics simulations. In a first step, we show how a propagating momentum front develops and compactifies the system when reflected by the boundaries. To be closer to recent experiments (Candelier and Dauchot in Phys Rev 81(1):011304, 2010; Phys Rev ...

To gain insight into the relationship between protein structure and mechanical stability, single molecule force spectroscopy experiments on proteins with diverse structure and topology are needed. Here, we measured the mechanical stability of extender domains of two bacterial adhesins MpAFP and MhLap, in an atomic force microscope. We find that both proteins are remarkably stable to pulling for...

Double-stranded DNA "overstretches" at a pulling force of about 65 pN, increasing in length by a factor of 1.7. The nature of the overstretched state is unknown, despite its considerable importance for DNA's biological function and technological application. Overstretching is thought by some to be a force-induced denaturation and by others to consist of a transition to an elongated, hybridized ...

When a ligand that is bound to an integral membrane receptor is pulled, the membrane and the underlying cytoskeleton can deform before either the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton or the ligand detaches from the receptor. If the membrane delaminates from the cytoskeleton, it may be further extruded and form a membrane tether. We develop a phenomenological model for these processes by a...

Using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze mechanically induced dissociation and unfolding of the protein complex CD48-2B4. This heterodimer is an indispensable component of the immunological system: 2B4 is a receptor on natural killer cells whereas CD48 is expressed on surfaces of various immune cells. So far, its mechanostability has not been assessed either experimentall...

In mitosis, kinetochores are initially captured by the lateral sides of single microtubules and are subsequently transported toward spindle poles. Mechanisms for kinetochore transport are not yet known. We present two mechanisms involved in microtubule-dependent poleward kinetochore transport in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. First, kinetochores slide along the microtubule lateral surface, which is ...