COVER: Dynamic localization of αB-crystallin in beating heart cells αB-crystallin (αB) belongs to the small heat-shock protein family that functions as a molecular chaperone, which is constitutively expressed at high levels in constitutively active striated muscle, such as the beating heart and the slow soleus supported human bipedal walking that is stretched periodically at a rate of 1 second. We used beating cardiomyocytes as a model for studying constitutive expression of molecular chaperone αB in physiological condition. In this study, we hypothesized that “1 second pulsation” itself is a mild essential mechanical stress that induces αB in beating cardiomyocytes. Cover figure represents that αB dynamically interacted with Z- and I-band proteins within one second, especially focusing tubulin/microtubules intrinsic dynamic instability in this study. Bar, 10 mm.

Ohto-Fujita E., Hayasaki S., Atomi A., Fujiki S., Watanabe T., Boelens W.C., Shimizu M., Atomi Y. (2020) Dynamic localization of αB-crystallin at the microtubule cytoskeleton network in beating heart cells. J. Biochem. 168, 125–137