Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Baohua Chen, Zheng Liu, Kay Perry, Rongsheng Jin
Summary: The study reveals the mechanism of how toxin A from Clostridioides difficile causes diarrhea by glucosylating and inactivating Rho and Ras family small GTPases, providing insights into substrate recognition.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Gabriele Sansalone, Antonio Profico, Stephen Wroe, Kari Allen, Justin Ledogar, Sarah Ledogar, Dave Rex Mitchell, Alessandro Mondanaro, Marina Melchionna, Silvia Castiglione, Carmela Serio, Pasquale Raia
Summary: There is controversy regarding the mechanisms behind the changes in brain shape during the evolution of modern humans. Recent studies suggest that high levels of covariation between brain cortical areas in modern humans and Neanderthals evolved under distinctly higher evolutionary rates than in any other primate, indicating that the highly integrated brain played a critical role in the evolution of unique cognitive capacities and complex behaviors.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gyanendra Kumar, Maxime Cuypers, Richard R. Webby, Thomas R. Webb, Stephen W. White
Summary: The endonuclease activity within the influenza virus cap-snatching process is a proven therapeutic target. Baloxavir, an anti-influenza drug, is effective but linked to resistance mutations. By studying complexes of PA(N) with RNA and DNA oligonucleotides, insights are gained on specificity and structural basis of baloxavir resistance mutations.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anand Chopra, William G. Willmore, Kyle K. Biggar
Summary: JmjC KDMs are a type of demethylase that not only are associated with histone demethylation, but also with non-histone demethylation. Recent findings have highlighted the importance of KDM3A in promoting cancerous phenotypes, which can provide insights into the mechanisms through which it exerts its oncogenic functions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iona Wallace, Kheewoong Baek, J. Rajan Prabu, Ronnald Vollrath, Susanne von Gronau, Brenda A. Schulman, Kirby N. Swatek
Summary: This study presents a Cryo-EM structure of the ISG15 complex with its E1 and E2 enzymes, providing insights into the specificity determinants of this pathway.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Sangwoo Kang, Gyuhee Kim, Minhyeong Choi, Minwoo Jeong, Gerbrand J. van der Heden van Noort, Soung-Hun Roh, Donghyuk Shin
Summary: This study describes the molecular characteristics of the Lot DUBs protein family in Legionella bacteria and reveals their unique structure and mechanism of action.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Shang Wang, Yan Xu, Xiao-Wei Yu
Summary: In this study, the mechanism of a propeptide in fungal lipases was explored using Rhizopus chinensis lipase as a research model. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the propeptide inhibited the lid movement of the lipase and identified a key region on the propeptide. Subsequent mutation experiments confirmed the important role of this region in catalytic efficiency and substrate specificity of the lipase.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Benjamin A. Ford, Katharine A. Michie, Ian T. Paulsen, Bridget C. Mabbutt, Bhumika S. Shah
Summary: Recent studies have challenged the metabolic strategies employed by photoautotrophic marine picocyanobacteria. The functional characterisation of a modified sugar-binding protein, MsBP, from a marine Synechococcus strain, MITS9220, revealed specific affinities for zinc and phosphate-modified sugars. Crystal structures of apo MsBP and Zn-MsBP showed structural differences induced by zinc, with the latter sequestering sulphate ions and highlighting novel molecular variations on the sugar-binding SBP scaffold. These findings lend further evidence to a proposed sugar acquisition mechanism in picocyanobacteria, suggesting a mixotrophic strategy within these ubiquitous photosynthetic bacteria.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zeyuan Guan, Qunxia Zhang, Zhifei Zhang, Jiaqi Zuo, Juan Chen, Ruiwen Liu, Julie Savarin, Larissa Broger, Peng Cheng, Qiang Wang, Kai Pei, Delin Zhang, Tingting Zou, Junjie Yan, Ping Yin, Michael Hothorn, Zhu Liu
Summary: In this study, the authors investigate the regulation of PHR2 by SPX2 based on crystal structure analysis. They propose that SPX2 prevents the DNA binding and oligomerisation of PHR2 to inactivate it. These findings provide insights into how PP-InsPs activate SPX receptor proteins to target PHR family transcription factors.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kazumasa Funabashi, Mizuki Sawata, Anna Nagai, Megumi Akimoto, Ryutaro Mashimo, Hidenari Takahara, Kenji Kizawa, Paul R. Thompson, Kenji Ite, Kenichi Kitanishi, Masaki Unno
Summary: PAD3, a member of the PAD enzyme family, converts arginine within proteins to citrulline residues. The X-ray crystal structures of PAD3 in six states were determined, revealing a potential space for developing novel PAD3-selective inhibitors. Comparisons with PAD4 suggest similarities but also differences in substrate selectivity and active site flexibility among these isozymes.
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Dorota Kubacka, Mateusz Kozarski, Marek R. Baranowski, Radoslaw Wojcik, Joanna Panecka-Hofman, Dominika Strzelecka, Jerome Basquin, Jacek Jemielity, Joanna Kowalska
Summary: This study aimed to develop molecular tools for advanced studies on the cellular role of cytosolic nucleotidase cN-IIIB. Through substrate and inhibitor property profiling of a library of 41 substrate analogs, several 7-benzylguanosine 5'-monophosphate derivatives were identified as potent, unhydrolyzable inhibitors of cN-IIIB. The inhibitory mechanism was elucidated using X-ray crystallography and molecular docking, and it was demonstrated that these compounds can inhibit m(7)GMP decay in cell lysates.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guifa Zhai, Yan Zhu, Guo Sun, Fan Zhou, Yangning Sun, Zhou Hong, Chuan Dong, Peter F. Leadlay, Kui Hong, Zixin Deng, Fuling Zhou, Yuhui Sun
Summary: Revealed the intermodular recognition mechanism in modular polyketide synthase, providing insights into the biosynthetic process and guidance for engineering. Demonstrated that KS4 in module 4 acts as a gatekeeper for cross-module enoylreduction. Discovered the evolutionary homology between module 3 and module 6 in AZL PKS, enabling evolution-oriented engineering.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Cell Biology
Yeqiu Xu, Yuanzhuang Zhang, Yinzhou Luo, Guanzhen Qiu, Jie Lu, Ming He, Yong Wang
Summary: N6-methyladenosine (m(6)A) modification, catalyzed by methyltransferase complexes (MTCs), plays important roles in diverse biological activities. The METTL3-METTL14 complex, as the most crucial subunit of MTCs, has been reported as the initial factor for adenosine methylation. Recent evidence suggests that the METTL3-METTL14 complex plays a pivotal role in musculoskeletal diseases in an m(6)A-dependent or -independent manner. However, the specific roles of the METTL3-METTL14 complex in certain musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteosarcoma, remain to be systematically revealed. This review categorizes and summarizes the structure, mechanisms, and functions of the METTL3-METTL14 complex, as well as the mechanisms and functions of its downstream pathways in the aforementioned musculoskeletal diseases.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria-Soledad Orellana, Gonzalo A. Jana, Maximiliano Figueroa, Jose Martinez-Oyanedel, Fabiola E. Medina, Estefania Tarifeno-Saldivia, Marcell Gatica, Maria Angeles Garcia-Robles, Nelson Carvajal, Elena Uribe
Summary: Arginase and agmatinase have similarities, but show different specificities for their substrates, with loop A and loop B playing crucial roles in the specificity of arginase.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emily R. Liman
Summary: Insects use odorant receptor proteins to form membrane ion channels that open when binding to an odorant molecule, allowing them to detect and distinguish between smells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christopher M. Nealon, Travis P. Welsh, Chang Sup Kim, Robert S. Phillips
ARCHIVES OF BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS
(2016)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sunil Kumar, Melissa Birol, Andrew D. Miranker
CHEMICAL COMMUNICATIONS
(2016)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Robert S. Phillips, Andrew Vita, J. Blaine Spivey, Alexander P. Rudloff, Max D. Driscoll, Sam Hay
Article
Engineering, Civil
Prabodh Panindre, N. S. Susan Mousavi, Sunil Kumar
FIRE SAFETY JOURNAL
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Prabodh Panindre, N. S. Susan Mousavi, Sunil Kumar
FIRE SAFETY JOURNAL
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sunil Kumar, Anja Henning-Knechtel, Ibrahim Chehade, Mazin Magzoub, Andrew D. Hamilton
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2017)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sunil Kumar, Andrew D. Hamilton
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Aerospace
Hamideh Pourhashem, Iraj M. Kalkhoran, Sunil Kumar
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sunil Kumar, Anja Henning-Knechtel, Mazin Magzoub, Andrew D. Hamilton
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2018)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chul-Hwan Lee, Jia-Ray Yu, Sunil Kumar, Ying Jin, Gary Leroy, Natarajan Bhanu, Syuzo Kaneko, Benjamin A. Garcia, Andrew D. Hamilton, Danny Reinberg
Article
Chemistry, Organic
Sunil Kumar, Maria C. Vogel, Andrew D. Hamilton
ORGANIC & BIOMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY
(2018)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Melissa Birol, Sunil Kumar, Elizabeth Rhoades, Andrew D. Miranker
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2018)
Proceedings Paper
Optics
Prabodh Panindre, N. S. Susan Mousavi, Sunil Kumar
BIOMEDICAL IMAGING AND SENSING CONFERENCE
(2018)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Prabodh Panindre, N. S. Susan Mousavi, Sunil Kumar
PHYSICS AND SIMULATION OF OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES XXVI
(2018)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Robert S. Phillips, Andrew D. Anderson, Harvey G. Gentry, Osman F. Guner, J. Phillip Bowen
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2017)