A combination of single-molecule imaging and an in vitro model of the cell cortex has allowed the interactions between actin filaments and filaments made of myosin II to be studied in detail.

Building on previous work (Vogel et al., 2013b), it is shown that myosin-driven actin filament rearrangements actively move, split or fuse individual lipid domains and change their overall shape.

The Frank–Starling law of the heart and its underlying mechanism of length-dependent activation involve distinctive structural changes in both the thin and thick filaments of cardiac muscle cells.

Genetically altering the size of the molecular spring element in the giant protein titin established that titin determines the stiffness of skeletal muscle and the number of sarcomeres in series.

Eprhin B1 in the cardiomyocyte regulates the maturation of the adult surface crest architecture and of the diastolic function during a late postnatal stage in rodents.

Mitochondrial-targeted SS-31 peptide ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction and rescues pre-existing cardiac dysfunction in old mice, supporting the translational potential of mitochondrial protective interventions to treat age-related diseases.

Analytical techniques and computational models reveal novel post-translational modifications on β-myosin heavy chain in the human hearts and highlight their potential as therapeutic targets.

Quantitative FRET imaging in moving C. elegans shows that stretch-unfolding of twitchin kinase occurs in the active muscle, whereby mechanical activity titrates the signaling pathway of this cytoskeletal kinase.

Molecular profiling of annelid myocytes reveals that the last common protostome-deuterostome ancestor already possessed a dual musculature, with visceral smooth muscles ensuring digestion and somatic striated muscles ensuring locomotion.

Pleasant touch perception in humans is unaffected by spinothalamic disruption indicating integrated spinal processing of hedonic and discriminative tactile inputs rather than privileged C-tactile-lamina I-spinothalamic projections.