Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sheng Yang, Yubo Tang, Yijun Liu, Abbigale J. Brown, Matthias Schaks, Bojian Ding, Daniel A. Kramer, Magdalena Mietkowska, Li Ding, Olga Alekhina, Daniel D. Billadeau, Saikat Chowdhury, Junmei Wang, Klemens Rottner, Baoyu Chen
Summary: This study reveals a new mechanism for WRC sensing Arf signaling and provides a mechanistic foundation for understanding how WRC-mediated actin polymerization links Arf and Rac signaling in cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Francesco Manfrevola, Nicoletta Potenza, Teresa Chioccarelli, Armando Di Palo, Chiara Siniscalchi, Veronica Porreca, Arcangelo Scialla, Vincenza Grazia Mele, Giuseppe Petito, Aniello Russo, Antonia Lanni, Rosalba Senese, Giulia Ricci, Riccardo Pierantoni, Rosanna Chianese, Gilda Cobellis
Summary: The study highlights the role of cannabinoid receptor CB1 in regulating sperm circular RNA cargo, which influences sperm morphology and cellular maturation. Specifically, circLIMA1 is identified as a potential regulator of cytoskeletal actin and plays a role in sperm nuclear actin remodeling during epididymal maturation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bieke Decaesteker, Amber Louwagie, Siebe Loontiens, Fanny De Vloed, Sarah-Lee Bekaert, Juliette Roels, Suzanne Vanhauwaert, Sara De Brouwer, Ellen Sanders, Alla Berezovskaya, Geertrui Denecker, Eva D'haene, Stephane Van Haver, Wouter Van Loocke, Jo Van Dorpe, David Creytens, Nadine Van Roy, Tim Pieters, Christophe Van Neste, Matthias Fischer, Pieter Van Vlierberghe, Stephen S. Roberts, Johannes Schulte, Sara Ek, Rogier Versteeg, Jan Koster, Johan van Nes, Mark Zimmerman, Katleen De Preter, Frank Speleman
Summary: SOX11 is identified as a potential epigenetic master regulator upstream of the core regulatory circuitry in adrenergic high-risk neuroblastoma.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Micaela Boiero Sanders, Christopher P. Toret, Audrey Guillotin, Adrien Antkowiak, Thomas Vannier, Robert C. Robinson, Alphee Michelot
Summary: The use of different actin isoforms in eukaryotic cells and the molecular mechanisms of their segregation into distinct networks are poorly understood. By using yeast as a model, researchers found that the expression of heterologous actin causes significant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, can rescue cytoskeletal organization and increase resistance to external perturbation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kirill D. Nadezhdin, Irina A. Talyzina, Aravind Parthasarathy, Arthur Neuberger, David X. Zhang, Alexander I. Sobolevsky
Summary: Nadezhdin et al. present structures of human TRPV4 in complex with the GTPase RhoA, revealing the mechanisms of channel activation, inhibition, and disease-causing mutations. TRPV4 is a polymodal cellular sensor involved in various physiological processes and diseases. The study demonstrates the interaction between TRPV4 and RhoA, identifies the binding sites of agonist 4α-PDD and inhibitor HC-067047, and provides insights into the activation and inhibition of TRPV4, laying the foundation for the development of therapeutics for TRPV4-related diseases.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Qian Ma, Minyi Zhao, Bing Long, Haixia Li
Summary: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common type of acute leukemia in adults, but refractory and drug resistance remains a challenge in its clinical treatment. Abnormal gene expression and epigenetic changes are important factors in the development of AML. This study identified the super-enhancer-associated gene CAPG, which is associated with poor prognosis in AML. Through proteomic and epigenomic analysis, it was found that CAPG regulates the NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Knockdown of Capg in an AML mouse model resulted in exhausted AML cells and improved survival. In conclusion, CAPG plays a role in AML progression through NF-kappa B signaling.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Farah Anjum, Md Nayab Sulaimani, Alaa Shafie, Taj Mohammad, Ghulam Md Ashraf, Anwar L. Bilgrami, Fahad A. Alhumaydhi, Suliman A. Alsagaby, Dharmendra Kumar Yadav, Md Imtaiyaz Hassan
Summary: The study identified two phytoconstituents, stylopine and dehydroevodiamines, as potential inhibitors of CK2 through virtual screening and further molecular dynamics simulation and free energy landscape analysis. These compounds may have the potential to be developed into anticancer and antiviral therapeutics.
Article
Cell Biology
Andrew M. M. Cobb, Shanelle A. A. De Silva, Robert Hayward, Karolina Sek, Svenja Ulferts, Robert Grosse, Catherine M. M. Shanahan
Summary: Nuclear actin plays a crucial role in maintaining genomic integrity and repairing DNA damage, while abnormal accumulation of lamin A precursor affects the function of nuclear actin and impairs DNA damage repair.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katerina Zabrady, Matej Zabrady, Peter Kolesar, Arthur W. H. Li, Aidan J. Doherty
Summary: CRISPR-Cas pathways provide acquired immunity against foreign genetic elements for prokaryotes. A family of CRISPR-Associated Primase-Polymerases (CAPPs) has been identified and characterized in prokaryotes, showing genetic and physical association with Cas1 and Cas2, as well as DNA-dependent DNA priming and polymerization activities. CAPPs may play key roles in CRISPR-Cas adaptation by forming bespoke complexes with Cas proteins.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Donghoon Ahn, Donghee Ham, Ka Young Chung
Summary: In recent years, deeper insights into the stepwise conformational changes during GPCR-G protein coupling have been obtained using various techniques such as hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry, hydroxyl radical footprinting-mass spectrometry, X-ray crystallography, cryoelectron microscopy, and molecular dynamics simulation.
CURRENT OPINION IN STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alejandra Herrera-Morande, Gabriel Vallejos-Baccelliere, Pablo A. Cea, Ricardo A. Zamora, Dixon Cid, Pablo Maturana, Felipe Gonzalez-Ordenes, Victor Castro-Fernandez, Victoria Guixe
Summary: Although ADP-dependent sugar kinases were first described in archaea, there is also an ADP-dependent glucokinase (ADP-GK) in mammals. This study characterized the human ADP-dependent glucokinase (hADP-GK) and found that a truncated form had little impact on its kinetic parameters. It was also found that hADP-GK has an ordered sequential kinetic mechanism and substrate inhibition by glucose. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ADP-GK is present in various eukaryotic organisms, but not ubiquitous. Mutagenesis experiments suggested a role for a conserved cysteine residue in the catalytic process.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Elena A. Morachevskaya, Anastasia V. Sudarikova
Summary: This article provides an overview of the role of ion channels in plasma membrane in physiological processes and the importance of submembranous actin dynamics in regulating ion channel activity. Special focus is placed on the involvement of actin assembly/disassembly and actin-binding proteins in controlling specific ion channels, with growing evidence suggesting actin elements of the cytoskeleton as a convergence point for multiple signaling pathways modulating ion transport proteins.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-CELL PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Monika Gonczi, Joao M. C. Teixeira, Susana Barrera-Vilarmau, Laura Mediani, Francesco Antoniani, Tamas Milan Nagy, Krisztina Feher, Zsolt Raduly, Viktor Ambrus, Jozsef Tozser, Endre Barta, Katalin E. Kover, Laszlo Csernoch, Serena Carra, Monika Fuxreiter
Summary: The context-dependent higher-order assembly of Mef2D controls muscle lineage development by simultaneously interacting with the basal machinery and myogenic factors. The study found that the alternatively spliced acidic beta-domain enhances the transcription of Mef2D. The beta-domain can serve as an interaction element for higher-order assembly, forming nuclear condensates and solid-like aggregates. These findings suggest that the beta-domain fine-tunes Mef2D assembly and provides a platform for myogenic regulatory factors and transcriptional apparatus during muscle development.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mutsuko Kukimoto-Niino, Kazushige Katsura, Rahul Kaushik, Haruhiko Ehara, Takeshi Yokoyama, Tomomi Uchikubo-Kamo, Reiko Nakagawa, Chiemi Mishima-Tsumagari, Mayumi Yonemochi, Mariko Ikeda, Kazuharu Hanada, Kam Y. J. Zhang, Mikako Shirouzu
Summary: This study presents the cryo-electron microscopy structure of the active ELMO1-DOCK5 complex bound to Rac1, revealing that the PH domain of ELMO1 enhances the GEF activity of DOCK5 through specific interactions with Rac1. The complex alpha-helical scaffold between ELMO1 and DOCK5 stabilizes the binding of Rac1, providing insights into how ELMO modulates the biochemical activity of DOCK and achieves Rac selectivity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuning Zhang, Tiffany D. Ho, Nicolas E. Buchler, Raluca Gordan
Summary: Competition for DNA binding sites between paralogous transcription factors is a major determinant of their genomic binding patterns. The competition is influenced by expression levels, DNA-binding specificity, and affinity, and plays a critical role in the specific activation of target genes. Both in vitro and in vivo analyses support the importance of direct TF-TF competition for genomic binding and gene regulation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Habiba Zorgati, Marten Larsson, Weitong Ren, Adelene Y. L. Sim, Jan Gettemans, Jonathan M. Grimes, Wenfei Li, Robert C. Robinson
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2019)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jinxiu Li, Yiqing Hu, Li Li, Yuzhe Wang, Qinghe Li, Chungang Feng, He Lan, Xiaorong Gu, Yiqiang Zhao, Marten Larsson, Xiaoxiang Hu, Ning Li
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2019)
Review
Cell Biology
Makoto Miyata, Robert C. Robinson, Taro Q. P. Uyeda, Yoshihiro Fukumori, Shun-ichi Fukushima, Shin Haruta, Michio Homma, Kazuo Inaba, Masahiro Ito, Chikara Kaito, Kentaro Kato, Tsuyoshi Kenri, Yoshiaki Kinosita, Seiji Kojima, Tohru Minamino, Hiroyuki Mori, Shuichi Nakamura, Daisuke Nakane, Koji Nakayama, Masayoshi Nishiyama, Satoshi Shibata, Katsuya Shimabukuro, Masatada Tamakoshi, Azuma Taoka, Yosuke Tashiro, Isil Tulum, Hirofumi Wada, Ken-ichi Wakabayashi
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Eleanor R. Martin, Alessandro Barbieri, Robert C. Ford, Robert C. Robinson
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shady Younis, Rakan Naboulsi, Xuan Wang, Xiaofang Cao, Marten Larsson, Ernest Sargsyan, Peter Bergsten, Nils Welsh, Leif Andersson
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nima Rafati, Junfeng Chen, Amaury Herpin, Mats E. Pettersson, Fan Han, Chungang Feng, Ola Wallerman, Carl-Johan Rubin, Sandrine Peron, Arianna Cocco, Marten Larsson, Christian Troetschel, Ansgar Poetsch, Kai Korsching, Wolfgang Boenigk, Heinz G. Koerschen, Florian Berg, Arild Folkvord, U. Benjamin Kaupp, Manfred Schartl, Leif Andersson
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yoshihito Kitaoku, Tamo Fukamizo, Sawitree Kumsaoad, Prakayfun Ubonbal, Robert C. Robinson, Wipa Suginta
Summary: VhCBP is a protein responsible for the translocation of chitooligosaccharides in marine bacteria, displaying highest affinity towards (GlcNAc)(2). Mutation of specific residues can drastically reduce the binding affinity towards the preferred substrate. The structure of VhCBP in complex with (GlcNAc)(2) reveals an intermediary step in the translocation process.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Micaela Boiero Sanders, Christopher P. Toret, Audrey Guillotin, Adrien Antkowiak, Thomas Vannier, Robert C. Robinson, Alphee Michelot
Summary: The use of different actin isoforms in eukaryotic cells and the molecular mechanisms of their segregation into distinct networks are poorly understood. By using yeast as a model, researchers found that the expression of heterologous actin causes significant reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. However, the expression of two heterologous actin variants, each specialized in assembling a different network, can rescue cytoskeletal organization and increase resistance to external perturbation.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Darwesh Mohideen Kaderbatcha Aladin, Yeh Shiu Chu, Shuo Shen, Robert Charles Robinson, Sylvie Dufour, Virgile Viasnoff, Nicolas Borghi, Jean Paul Thiery
Summary: This study reveals that different EC repeats in cadherins' extracellular regions can modulate epithelial sheet integrity, cell-cell separation forces, and cell cortical tension, which further affect epithelial tensile strength, ductility, and collective migration. Interestingly, dissipative processes rather than static adhesion energy play a dominant role in cell-cell separation forces. This framework provides insights into how epithelial phenotypes emerge from cell mechanical properties dependent on EC outside-in signaling.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rakan Naboulsi, Marten Larsson, Leif Andersson, Shady Younis
Summary: The ZBED6-Igf2 interaction plays a crucial role in regulating Igf2 expression, with disruption leading to up-regulation postnatally. Additionally, miR483 encoded by another Igf2 intron is involved in a feedback loop with Igf2 promoter activity, impacting how ZBED6 controls Igf2 expression in various cell types. Knock-out of miR483 results in down-regulation of Igf2 expression and reduced proliferation rate, highlighting the intricate regulatory mechanisms at play.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Khongpon Ponlachantra, Wipa Suginta, Robert C. C. Robinson, Yoshihito Kitaoku
Summary: The release of AlphaFold2 (AF2) has revolutionized the field of molecular biology by providing an accurate and open-source protein structure prediction program. This advancement has allowed researchers to gain insights into the functions of uncultured Asgard archaea, an important organism in evolutionary biology. This review focuses on profilin, a protein involved in regulating actin dynamics, and evaluates the predicted structures by AF2 for their potential participation in various activities. The findings demonstrate that AF2 is a powerful tool for understanding the emergence of biological functional traits in evolution.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yong Zhou, Suttipong Wannapaiboon, Methinee Prongjit, Soraya Pornsuwan, Jeerus Sucharitakul, Nuntaporn Kamonsutthipaijit, Robert C. Robinson, Wipa Suginta
Summary: This study reports the crystal structures of a chitin-active AA10 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase from Vibrio campbellii. The enzyme contains four domains, with the active site located on the Catalytic domain. It was found to be a copper-dependent enzyme, and the presence of ascorbic acid is necessary for H2O2 production. This new chitin-active AA10 enzyme could be a powerful biocatalyst for biofuel production.
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Rawiporn Amornloetwattana, Robert C. Robinson, Hannadige Sasimali Madusanka Soysa, Bert van den Berg, Wipa Suginta
ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caner Akil, Linh T. Tran, Magali Orhant-Prioux, Yohendran Baskaran, Edward Manser, Laurent Blanchoin, Robert C. Robinson
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dennis M. Mwangangi, Edward Manser, Robert C. Robinson
Summary: The mechanism by which twinfilin uncaps actin filaments involves inducing a conformational change in G-actin and disrupting critical actin-capping protein interactions. Twinfilin plays an essential role in promoting filament uncapping by interfering with the stable capping of actin filaments.