Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
H. Jane Dyson
Summary: Viruses infect all kingdoms of life and employ disordered proteins to accomplish various functions. Disordered proteins have been discovered in almost all viruses studied, regardless of the viral genome composition or the viral capsid configuration. This review presents a collection of stories illustrating the diverse functions of disordered proteins in viruses, providing a survey of the field's expansion.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samuel R. Witus, Lisa M. Tuttle, Wenjing Li, Alex Zelter, Meiling Wang, Klaiten E. Kermoade, Damien B. Wilburn, Trisha N. Davis, Peter S. Brzovic, Weixing Zhao, Rachel E. Klevit
Summary: BRCA1/BARD1 is a tumor suppressor gene with functions in DNA damage repair and transcriptional regulation. It interacts with nucleosomes and facilitates ubiquitylation of histone H2A. Our study reveals novel interactions involving an intrinsically disordered DNA-binding region of BARD1 that support H2A ubiquitylation and recruitment to chromatin and DNA damage sites. These interactions contribute to cell survival and identify a network of BARD1-nucleosome interactions on chromatin.
Article
Cell Biology
Meghan T. Harris, Michael T. Marr II
Summary: Cells activate stress response pathways to survive adverse conditions by inhibiting global translation and utilizing alternative methods of translation initiation, such as IRES. Cellular IRESs have been identified in many stress response transcripts. eIF5B promotes IRES activity through its N-terminal region via a non-canonical mechanism.
Article
Pathology
Melissa Krystel-Whittemore, May P. Chan, Sara C. Shalin, Kenan J. Sauder, Amy Hudson, Ruth K. Foreman, Mai P. Hoang, Jeoffry B. Brennick, Shaofeng Yan, Rosalynn M. Nazarian
Summary: This study presents the first known report of herpes virus infecting deep stromal cells of the dermis, highlighting the importance of considering cutaneous stromal herpes in patients with atypical clinical lesions, especially when immunocompromised. Establishing the correct diagnosis is crucial for initiating therapy.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SURGICAL PATHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Dermatology
Deepthi Konda, Laxmisha Chandrashekar, Rahul Dhodapkar, Rajesh Nachiappa Ganesh, Devinder Mohan Thappa
Summary: This study characterized the clinical markers of herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection among patients with pemphigus vulgaris. It was found that male sex, presence of fissures, hemorrhagic crusts, erosions with angulated margins, linear erosions, and raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate were significantly associated with HSV infection. Hemorrhagic crusts and linear erosions were identified as independent predictors of HSV infection.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Xiao Han, Zixin Hu, Wahyu Surya, Qianqian Ma, Feng Zhou, Lars Nordenskiold, Jaume Torres, Lanyuan Lu, Yansong Miao
Summary: The IDR region in the coronin family plays a critical role in optimizing the biochemical activities of coronins, both in vivo and in vitro, by fine-tuning oligomerization and maintaining proper protein structure.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emilie Aponte, Marie Lafitte, Audrey Sirvent, Valerie Simon, Maud Barbery, Elise Fourgous, Mariano Maffei, Florence Armand, Romain Hamelin, Julie Pannequin, Philippe Fort, Miquel Pons, Serge Roche, Yvan Boublik
Summary: This study reveals the important role of the unique domain ULBR in Src tyrosine kinase in malignant cell transformation. The ULBR is involved in membrane anchoring, MAPK signaling, and phosphorylation of specific membrane-localized tyrosine kinases needed for Src oncogenic signaling.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Isabel M. Martin, Camilo Aponte-Santamaria, Lisa Schmidt, Marius Hedtfeld, Adel Iusupov, Andrea Musacchio, Frauke Graeter
Summary: The central intrinsically disordered region (IDR) of the inner centromere protein (INCENP) undergoes conformational changes upon phosphorylation, leading to expansion of the IDR. The transition between globule and coil conformations of the IDR is non-monotonic and dependent on the degree of phosphorylation. Phosphorylation regulates the cohesiveness and phase behavior of INCENP IDR assemblies, influencing the function of INCENP in chromosome segregation.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Malgorzata Krzyzowska, Anders Jarneborn, Karolina Thorn, Kristina Eriksson, Tao Jin
Summary: This study provides evidence that treatment with tofacitinib may increase the risk of disease aggravation and severe encephalitis in primary herpes simplex infection by impairing antiviral response induced by monocytes and microglia.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Cooper K. Hayes, Christopher K. Villota, Fiona B. McEnany, Stacey Ceron, Sita Awasthi, Moriah L. Szpara, Harvey M. Friedman, David A. Leib, Richard Longnecker, Matthew D. Weitzman, Lisa N. Akhtar
Summary: Clinical HSV-2 isolates collected from neonates with encephalitis are more neurovirulent in human neuronal cell culture and murine models as compared to isolates from neonates with skin-limited disease, suggesting that viral factors contribute to neurologic outcome following human neonatal infection.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Goro Kato
Summary: This review discusses the structural and functional aspects of Src protein and its regulatory mechanism. By reviewing nuclear magnetic resonance analyses and recent studies, the authors explore new characteristics and regulatory roles of Src protein. Finally, the new regulatory roles are integrated with the canonical model to elucidate the functions of full-length Src.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Katarzyna Soltys, Andrzej Ozyhar
Summary: RXR beta is a subtype of human retinoid X receptor (RXR) that is expressed in almost all tissues. It has a unique and longest N-terminal sequence called the AB region, which exhibits ligand-independent activation function. The molecular properties of the AB region of RXR beta (AB_hRXRB) have been characterized through biochemical and biophysical analysis, along with in silico examinations. AB_hRXRB displays characteristics of a coil-like intrinsically disordered region and can undergo liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), similar to another subtype of RXR - RXR gamma (AB_hRXRG).
CELL COMMUNICATION AND SIGNALING
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Mao Zhang, Cheng Zhu, Yuanyuan Duan, Tongbao Liu, Haoping Liu, Chang Su, Yang Lu
Summary: A unique group of PP2C phosphatases from fungi and plants have been found to sense CO2, but not HCO3-, to control diverse cellular programmes. They have intrinsically disordered regions (IDR) that form reversible liquid-like droplets through phase separation and are activated in response to elevated environmental CO2 in an IDR-dependent manner.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Virology
Bangxing Hong, Upasana Sahu, Matthew P. Mullarkey, Balveen Kaur
Summary: Oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) shows promise as a treatment for solid tumors, but there are still barriers that limit its efficacy. This review focuses on the essential viral genes that allow for virus replication and spread, with the aim of enhancing oHSV infection and replication among tumor cells.
Article
Microbiology
Kevin Danastas, Gerry Guo, Jessica Merjane, Nathan Hong, Ava Larsen, Monica Miranda-Saksena, Anthony L. Cunningham
Summary: This study explores the effects of interferons (IFNs) on herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and reveals that IFNs have the potential to block virus release from nerve endings, thereby preventing transmission into the skin. The study also highlights the potential wider antiviral effects of IFN-γ in neurons, suggesting its role in HSV-1 reactivation. These findings identify new targets for the development of immunotherapies to impede HSV-1 spread from nerves to the skin.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Emily R. Ebel, Fatima Reis, Dmitri A. Petrov, Sandra Beleza
Summary: Based on a study of antimalarial drug resistance in Angola, genetic markers of resistance to chloroquine are likely declining while markers of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) resistance remain high, suggesting continued use of SP. Monitoring of multiple genetic markers will be important for understanding changing drug efficacy and supporting effective drug policy decisions in Angola.
Article
Biology
Carly Weiss, Lana Harshman, Fumitaka Inoue, Hunter B. Fraser, Dmitri A. Petrov, Nadav Ahituv, David Gokhman
Summary: The study utilized massively parallel reporter assays to investigate the regulatory effects of modern human-specific variants, revealing that a portion of these variants drove differential gene expression between human populations, particularly in genes related to vocal tract and brain anatomy and function.
Article
Microbiology
Minji Kim, Ki-Eun Lee, In-Tae Cha, Eui Tae Kim, Soo-Je Park
Summary: Strain G2-b(T) is a rod-shaped bacterium isolated from marine sediment around Jeju Island, South Korea, with unique characteristics and identified as a new species Salinimonas marina sp. nov. based on genomic analyses.
CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biology
Joy Bergelson, Martin Kreitman, Dmitri A. Petrov, Alvaro Sanchez, Mikhail Tikhonov
Summary: The complexity present at every level of biological organization poses a challenge for understanding biological function. It is important to consider the risks of simplifying this complexity and pursue a path towards achieving emergent simplicity of understanding, while still embracing the ever-changing complexity of biotic interactions in nature.
Article
Biology
Emily R. Ebel, Frans A. Kuypers, Carrie Lin, Dmitri A. Petrov, Elizabeth S. Egan
Summary: The study on 121 healthy donors of African ancestry found that various genes and phenotypes related to red blood cell variation were closely associated with the adaptability of Plasmodium falciparum within red blood cells, indicating globally widespread variations play a role in modulating parasite fitness.
Review
Parasitology
Emily R. Ebel, Lawrence H. Uricchio, Dmitri A. Petrov, Elizabeth S. Egan
Summary: The malaria hypothesis suggests local, balancing selection of deleterious alleles. Though protective variants are more common in African populations, the heritability of severe malaria is largely attributed to multiple genome-wide loci. Furthermore, most functional polygenic variation is pleiotropic for multiple traits, indicating that genetic variation impacting malaria risk does not show specific enrichment in African populations.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Virology
Eui Tae Kim, Matthew D. Weitzman
Summary: The Schlafen gene family encodes proteins involved in various cellular functions and immunity, playing a role in antiviral defense and host restriction against viral infection. Further research can provide insights into their mechanisms in host immunity.
Article
Microbiology
Katherine A. DiScipio, Savithri Weerasooriya, Renata Szczepaniak, Akram Hazeen, Lee R. Wright, Dennis L. Wright, Sandra K. Weller
Summary: Most drug discovery efforts against herpesviruses have focused on nucleoside analogs, but this study proposes a new strategy targeting two-metal ion-dependent viral enzymes. The results showed weak activity of integrase inhibitors and inhibition of HSV-1 and CMV by 8-hydroxyquinolines. The compounds exhibited antiviral activity through different mechanisms, providing an opportunity for the development of dual-targeting agents against herpesviruses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Seth M. Rudman, Sharon Greenblum, Subhash Rajpurohit, Nicolas J. Betancourt, Jinjoo Hanna, Susanne Tilk, Tuya Yokoyama, Dmitri A. Petrov, Paul Schmidt
Summary: Studying the evolution of fruit fly populations in response to natural environmental changes revealed rapid and dynamic adaptations over different generations, demonstrating the temporally dynamic nature of adaptation.
Article
Microbiology
Eui Tae Kim, Young Suk Kim, Soo-Je Park
Summary: This study isolated and analyzed commensal microorganisms related to genus Neisseria from the oral cavity of a patient with head and neck cancer. The isolated strain MA1-1 was closely related to Neisseria mucosa and shared genes with other Neisseria species, including pathogens Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. The findings suggest evolutionary conservation and stability of gene content within the genus Neisseria.
ARCHIVES OF MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Ellie E. Armstrong, Michael G. Campana, Katherine A. Solari, Simon R. Morgan, Oliver A. Ryder, Vincent N. Naude, Gustaf Samelius, Koustubh Sharma, Elizabeth A. Hadly, Dmitri A. Petrov
Summary: This study assembled the genomes of three species within the Panthera genus, providing important data for genomic research. This contributes to a better understanding and conservation of this iconic group of mammals.
G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biology
Susanne Tilk, Svyatoslav Tkachenko, Christina Curtis, Dmitri A. Petrov, Christopher D. McFarland
Summary: The lack of observed negative selection in most tumors is not due to relaxed selective pressures, but rather the inability of selection to remove deleterious mutations in the presence of genome-wide linkage.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeong Rae Yoo, Sang Taek Heo, Misun Kim, Miyeon Kim, Myeong Jin Kang, Eui Tae Kim, Su Yeon Kang, Keun Hwa Lee
Summary: This study revealed the co-infection of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) and Coxiella burnetii in ticks on Jeju Island, South Korea. The results demonstrated a high prevalence of SFTSV in ticks, with Haemaphysalis longicornis being the most commonly infected species. Co-infection with C. burnetii was primarily observed in nymphs of H. longicornis. These findings are crucial for understanding the risk of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome and Q fever in the population of South Korea.
JOURNAL OF KOREAN MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eui Tae Kim, Kyoung-Dong Kim
Summary: This mini review summarizes the current knowledge of the tethering sites of viral episomes, such as EBV, KSHV, and HBV, on host chromosomes analyzed by three-dimensional genomic tools.
Article
Microbiology
Katherine A. DiScipio, Savithri Weerasooriya, Renata Szczepaniak, Akram Hazeen, Lee R. Wright, Dennis L. Wright, Sandra K. Weller
Summary: The research focused on targeting viral enzymes based on two-metal ion-dependent strategy. It was found that integrase inhibitors exhibited weak activity against HSV-1, while 8-hydroxyquinolines could inhibit both HSV-1 and cytomegalovirus, providing an opportunity for the development of dual-targeting agents against herpesviruses.
