Article
Plant Sciences
Jakob-Maximilian Keller, Maureen Julia Frieboes, Ludwig Joedecke, Sandrine Kappel, Natalia Wulff, Tobias Rindfleisch, Omar Sandoval-Ibanez, Ines Gerlach, Wolfram Thiele, Ralph Bock, Juergen Eirich, Iris Finkemeier, Danja Schuenemann, Reimo Zoschke, Mark Aurel Schoettler, Ute Armbruster
Summary: This study demonstrates the role of the DECREASED ELECTRON TRANSPORT AT PSII (DEAP2) assembly factor in the early assembly of photosystem II (PSII) in plants. It shows that DEAP2 works together with the PHOTOSYNTHESIS AFFECTED MUTANT 68 (PAM68) factor to facilitate the formation of the RC47 intermediate. The loss of both DEAP2 and PAM68 leads to a loss of functional PSII and the inability of plants to grow photoautotrophically.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tomasz W. Turowski, Magdalena Boguta
Summary: RNAPI and RNAPIII are multi-heterogenic protein complexes specialized in transcribing highly abundant non-coding RNAs, more complex than RNAPII synthesizing mRNAs. They share associated subcomplexes formed by specific subunits in yeast and establish an assembly platform co-translationally during the synthesis of the Rpb10 subunit.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Beata E. Jady, Amandine Ketele, Dylan Moulis, Tamas Kiss
Summary: This study demonstrates that at least four human H/ACA RNAs have dual pseudouridylation loops, supporting the synthesis of two consecutive pseudouridines in specific human RNAs. The dual guide loops form alternative base-pairing interactions with their target RNAs, allowing the positioning of two substrate Us for pseudouridylation. This structural flexibility provides versatility for RNA-directed pseudouridylation without compromising efficiency and accuracy.
GENES & DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Dominic P. Czekay, Ute Kothe
Summary: H/ACA sRNPs play crucial roles in ribosome synthesis in archaea and eukaryotes, with both shared general architecture and distinct differences in structure and function. Due to higher protein stability in archaea, there is more detailed information on archaeal H/ACA sRNPs compared to eukaryotes. Long-term studies in yeast have provided a better understanding of the biological role of H/ACA sRNPs in eukaryotes during ribosome biogenesis.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mariam Jaafar, Julia Contreras, Carine Dominique, Sara Martin-Villanueva, Regine Capeyrou, Patrice Vitali, Olga Rodriguez-Galan, Carmen Velasco, Odile Humbert, Nicholas J. Watkins, Eduardo Villalobo, Katherine E. Bohnsack, Markus T. Bohnsack, Yves Henry, Raghida Abou Merhi, Jesus de la Cruz, Anthony K. Henras
Summary: This study investigates the functions of box C/D snoRNP snR190 and helicase Dbp7 in eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis. The snR190 snoRNA acts as an RNA chaperone to assist in structuring 25S rRNA, while Dbp7 is crucial for facilitating remodeling events in the peptidyl transferase center region of 25S rRNAs. The molecular events underlying the assembly and maturation of early pre-60S particles during eukaryotic ribosome synthesis are complex and not well understood.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seunghyeon Kim, Katharina Landfester, Calum T. J. Ferguson
Summary: Substrate accessibility is a crucial factor that affects the efficiency of photoredox catalysis. Conjugated microporous polymer nanoparticles (CMP NPs) with a high photoactive surface area have shown promise in overcoming mass transfer limitations to achieve efficient photocatalysis. However, their limited dispersibility in many solvents, particularly in water, has hindered their practical application. In this study, we report a polymer grafting strategy that enhances the solvent-specific dispersibility of versatile hairy CMP NPs, while preserving their photocatalytic activity. The enhanced dispersibility of these nanoparticles in organic solvents or aqueous solutions enables high efficiency in various photocatalytic organic transformations.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Dora Judit Kiss, Julianna Olah, Gergely Toth, Mate Varga, Andras Stirling, Dora K. Menyhard, Gyorgy G. Ferenczy
Summary: The uridine to pseudouridine transformation is an important post-transcriptional modification of RNAs, and understanding the catalysis mechanism is crucial for potential therapeutic applications. This study reveals that destabilization of the target uridine in the active site is a key factor in the catalysis of pseudouridylation. The proposed dissociation-rebound mechanism and the use of designed guide RNAs for pseudouridylation have potential implications in RNA editing and gene lesion-related diseases.
Article
Cell Biology
Yihu Xie, Shengyan Gao, Ke Zhang, Prasanna Bhat, Bradley P. Clarke, Kimberly Batten, Menghan Mei, Matthew Gazzara, Jerry W. Shay, Kristen W. Lynch, Alexia E. Angelos, Pate S. Hill, Austin L. Ivey, Beatriz M. A. Fontoura, Yi Ren
Summary: This study reveals the importance of the high-order SARNP/Tho1 complex interacting with DDX39B/RNA in mRNP assembly and export.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta Barrientos-Moreno, Douglas Maya-Miles, Marina Murillo-Pineda, Sara Fontalva, Monica Perez-Alegre, Eloisa Andujar, Felix Prado
Summary: Genome duplication occurs through the coordinated action of DNA replication and nucleosome assembly. Defective nucleosome assembly causes DNA lesions and loss of chromatin integrity, which can be restored. The mechanism of chromatin restoration is unknown.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Hui-Min Zeng, Bo-Xing Jin, Wei-Hong Wu, Chao Wang, Zhan-Guo Jiang, Zhigang Jin, Cai-Hong Zhan
Summary: The controllable construction of pure inorganic polyoxometalate (POM) zite materials with well-defined secondary building units (SBUs) is challenging. In this work, three distinct POM porous framework compounds 1-3 based on specific SBUs and transition-metal Ag linkers were self-assembled, providing valuable experience for synthetic chemists to obtain more interesting materials. Compound 1-3 exhibit cell type-specific, dose-dependent, and pH-sensitive anticancer behavior, making them promising anticancer agents for lung cancer therapy.
CHEMISTRY OF MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jun Wu, Nikolaos Kaplaneris, Julia Poehlmann, Takuya Michiyuki, Binbin Yuan, Lutz Ackermann
Summary: The prevalence of C-aryl glycosides in biologically active natural products and approved drugs has motivated the development of efficient synthesis strategies. Palladium catalysts with prefunctionalized substrates have been commonly used, while ruthenium-catalyzed C-aryl glycoside synthesis has been challenging. In this study, a versatile ruthenium(II)-catalyzed meta-C-H glycosylation method was disclosed, allowing for the synthesis of meta-C-aryl glycosides from readily available glycosyl halide donors. The ruthenium catalysis exhibited mild reaction conditions, exceptional levels of anomeric selectivity, and exclusive meta-site-selectivity.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sayandeep Gupta, Mousam Roy, Dhritiman Dey, Koustav Bhakta, Arghya Bhowmick, Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, Abhrajyoti Ghosh
Summary: The study demonstrates the important role of archaeal 7S RNA in stabilizing the SRP54$FtsY targeting complex, with further assistance from SRP19. These results suggest that archaeal 7S RNA and SRP19 reinforce the targeting complex to execute protein translocation through modulation of its conformation.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Paula Andrade-Sampedro, Jon M. Matxain, Arkaitz Correa
Summary: The development of catalytic tools for the late-stage modification of amino acids within a peptide framework is challenging but important. The researchers reported a Ru-catalyzed C(sp(2))-H hydroxylation method for di- and tripeptides containing tyrosine, using a carbamate as a removable directing group and PhI(OCOCF3)(2) (PIFA) as an oxidant. This method is reliable, scalable, and enables the synthesis of L-DOPA peptidomimetics without racemization. Density Functional Theory calculations support the proposed catalytic cycle involving Ru(II)/Ru(IV).
ADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Xijing Qian, Bingan Wu, Chen Xu, Zhongtian Qi
Summary: The study identified dysregulated miRNAs in HCV-infected cells, with miR-4423-3p shown to promote HCV infection by suppressing the RIG-I/IFN pathway. The research provides insights into the miRNA regulatory networks in HCV infection and progression, offering promising avenues for novel therapeutic and diagnostic targets.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
C. Dominguez Conde, C. Xu, L. B. Jarvis, D. B. Rainbow, S. B. Wells, T. Gomes, S. K. Howlett, O. Suchanek, K. Polanski, H. W. King, L. Mamanova, N. Huang, P. A. Szabo, L. Richardson, L. Bolt, E. S. Fasouli, K. T. Mahbubani, M. Prete, L. Tuck, N. Richoz, Z. K. Tuong, L. Campos, H. S. Mousa, E. J. Needham, S. Pritchard, T. Li, R. Elmentaite, J. Park, E. Rahmani, D. Chen, D. K. Menon, O. A. Bayraktar, L. K. James, K. B. Meyer, N. Yosef, M. R. Clatworthy, P. A. Sims, D. L. Farber, K. Saeb-Parsy, J. L. Jones, S. A. Teichmann
Summary: This study investigated immune cells in 16 human tissues using single-cell RNA sequencing and VDJ sequencing, revealing the distribution of finely phenotyped immune cell types across tissues and uncovering tissue-specific features and clonal architecture of T and B cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nathalie Meiser, Nicole Mench, Martin Hengesbach
Summary: The study reveals that N-6-methyladenosine modification is the most abundant in mRNA, with the METTL3-METTL14 complex responsible for catalyzing this modification, which is dependent not only on sequence but also on the secondary structure of RNA. The zinc finger domains within the complex play a crucial role in RNA binding and methylation activity, while the N-terminal domain of METTL3 affects the dependence of methylation yield on secondary structure.
BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Sophie M. Korn, Roderick Lambertz, Boris Fuertig, Martin Hengesbach, Frank Loehr, Christian Richter, Harald Schwalbe, Julia E. Weigand, Jens Woehnert, Andreas Schlundt
Summary: The international biomedical research community is working together to find promising viral drug targets to combat the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. Scientists in the Covid19-NMR consortium are providing publicly available NMR data on viral proteins and RNAs to support drug development. The Nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2, with its conserved architecture comprising of N-terminal RNA-binding domain, SR-rich linker, and C-terminal dimerization domain, is a key focus for potential drug binding studies.
BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Nicola Salvi, Luiza Mamigonian Bessa, Serafima Guseva, Aldo Camacho-Zarco, Damien Maurin, Laura Marino Perez, Anas Malki, Martin Hengesbach, Sophie Marianne Korn, Andreas Schlundt, Harald Schwalbe, Martin Blackledge
Summary: This study reports the backbone resonance assignment of two domains of the non-structural protein nsp3a from SARS-CoV-2, aiming to provide a basis for identifying inhibitors and further functional and interaction studies of this crucial protein. The research is conducted within the international covid19-nmr consortium, which focuses on characterizing SARS-CoV-2 proteins and RNAs.
BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hironori Adachi, Martin Hengesbach, Yi-Tao Yu, Pedro Morais
Summary: Therapeutic oligonucleotides interact with target RNAs through various mechanisms to modulate RNA processing reactions, offering broad applications in gene-specific regulation and correction of splicing defects. The emerging field of epitranscriptomics and RNA modifications presents new possibilities for repairing genetic mutations with high specificity.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sridhar Sreeramulu, Christian Richter, Hannes Berg, Maria A. Wirtz Martin, Betul Ceylan, Tobias Matzel, Jennifer Adam, Nadide Altincekic, Kamal Azzaoui, Jasleen Kaur Bains, Marcel J. J. Blommers, Jan Ferner, Boris Fuertig, Michael Goebel, J. Tassilo Gruen, Martin Hengesbach, Katharina F. Hohmann, Daniel Hymon, Bozana Knezic, Jason N. Martins, Klara R. Mertinkus, Anna Niesteruk, Stephen A. Peter, Dennis J. Pyper, Nusrat S. Qureshi, Ute Scheffer, Andreas Schlundt, Robbin Schnieders, Elke Stirnal, Alexey Sudakov, Alix Troester, Jennifer Voegele, Anna Wacker, Julia E. Weigand, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Jens Woehnert, Harald Schwalbe
Summary: The study identified ligand-binding pockets in RNA elements of SARS-CoV-2 through NMR screening, selecting the most promising ones as potential drug targets. Key functional units and ligand groups for effective targeting of SARS-CoV-2 RNA were derived from the identified hits.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Christian Richter, Katharina F. Hohmann, Sabrina Toews, Daniel Mathieu, Nadide Altincekic, Jasleen Kaur Bains, Oliver Binas, Betul Ceylan, Elke Duchardt-Ferner, Jan Ferner, Boris Fuertig, J. Tassilo Gruen, Martin Hengesbach, Daniel Hymon, Hendrik R. A. Jonker, Bozana Knezic, Sophie M. Korn, Tom Landgraf, Frank Loehr, Stephen A. Peter, Dennis J. Pyper, Nusrat S. Qureshi, Andreas Schlundt, Robbin Schnieders, Elke Stirnal, Alexey Sudakov, Jennifer Voegele, Julia E. Weigand, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Kerstin Witt, Jens Woehnert, Harald Schwalbe, Anna Wacker
Summary: The stem-loop SL1 is a conserved structural element in the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome, present in both genomic and subgenomic mRNA species. It is a ubiquitous cis-regulatory RNA with potential functions throughout the viral life cycle. The chemical shift assignment of RNA construct 5_SL1 provides insight into the stability of the native SL1 structure.
BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS
(2021)
Correction
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anna Wacker, Julia E. Weigand, Sabine R. Akabayov, Nadide Altincekic, Jasleen Kaur Bains, Elnaz Banijamali, Oliver Binas, Jesus Castillo-Martinez, Erhan Cetiner, Betuel Ceylan, Liang-Yuan Chiu, Jesse Davila-Calderon, Karthikeyan Dhamotharan, Elke Duchardt-Ferner, Jan Ferner, Lucio Frydman, Boris Fuertig, Jose Gallego, J. Tassilo Gruen, Carolin Hacker, Christina Haddad, Martin Haehnke, Martin Hengesbach, Fabian Hiller, Katharina F. Hohmann, Daniel Hymon, Vanessa de Jesus, Henry Jonker, Heiko Keller, Bozana Knezic, Tom Landgraf, Frank Loehr, Le Luo, Klara R. Mertinkus, Christina Muhs, Mihajlo Novakovic, Andreas Oxenfarth, Martina Palomino-Schaetzlein, Katja Petzold, Stephen A. Peter, Dennis J. Pyper, Nusrat S. Qureshi, Magdalena Riad, Christian Richter, Krishna Saxena, Tatjana Schamber, Tali Scherf, Judith Schlagnitweit, Andreas Schlundt, Robbin Schnieders, Harald Schwalbe, Alvaro Simba-Lahuasi, Sridhar Sreeramulu, Elke Stirnal, Alexey Sudakov, Jan-Niklas Tants, Blanton S. Tolbert, Jennifer Voegele, Lena Weiss, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Maria A. Wirtz Martin, Jens Woehnert, Heidi Zetzsche
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biophysics
Klara R. Mertinkus, J. Tassilo Grun, Nadide Altincekic, Jasleen Kaur Bains, Betul Ceylan, Jan-Peter Ferner, Lucio Frydman, Boris Fuertig, Martin Hengesbach, Katharina F. Hohmann, Daniel Hymon, Jihyun Kim, Bozana Knezic, Mihajlo Novakovic, Andreas Oxenfarth, Stephen A. Peter, Nusrat S. Qureshi, Christian Richter, Tali Scherf, Andreas Schlundt, Robbin Schnieders, Harald Schwalbe, Elke Stirnal, Alexey Sudakov, Jennifer Voegele, Anna Wacker, Julia E. Weigand, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Maria A. Wirtz Martin, Jens Woehnert
Summary: The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which belongs to the Betacoronavirus genus. The genome of SCoV2 contains conserved RNA elements that are involved in viral replication and translation. Studying the structure of these elements can support the development of new therapeutics against COVID-19.
BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Patrizia Broft, Remus Rosenkranz, Enrico Schleiff, Martin Hengesbach, Harald Schwalbe
Summary: This study investigates the pre-mRNA structures at the splice sites of intron 2 of the HsfA2 gene in Solanum lycopersicum using spectroscopy and probing. The study reveals that the pre-mRNA undergoes conformational changes in a temperature-dependent manner and that three SNPs in intron 2 are linked to structural differences between tomato species.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Christin Fuks, Sebastian Falkner, Nadine Schwierz, Martin Hengesbach
Summary: Riboswitch RNAs regulate gene expression through conformational changes induced by environmental conditions and specific ligand binding, which is of great significance for understanding the mechanism of RNA regulation.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Hannes Berg, Maria A. Wirtz Martin, Nadide Altincekic, Islam Alshamleh, Jasleen Kaur Bains, Julius Blechar, Betul Ceylan, Vanessa de Jesus, Karthikeyan Dhamotharan, Christin Fuks, Santosh L. Gande, Bruno Hargittay, Katharina F. Hohmann, Marie T. Hutchison, Sophie Marianne Korn, Robin Krishnathas, Felicitas Kutz, Verena Linhard, Tobias Matzel, Nathalie Meiser, Anna Niesteruk, Dennis J. Pyper, Linda Schulte, Sven Trucks, Kamal Azzaoui, Marcel J. J. Blommers, Yojana Gadiya, Reagon Karki, Andrea Zaliani, Philip Gribbon, Marcius da Silva Almeida, Cristiane Dinis Anobom, Anna L. Bula, Matthias Butikofer, Icaro Putinhon Caruso, Isabella Caterina Felli, Andrea T. Da Poian, Gisele Cardoso de Amorim, Nikolaos K. Fourkiotis, Angelo Gallo, Dhiman Ghosh, Francisco Gomes-Neto, Oksana Gorbatyuk, Bing Hao, Vilius Kurauskas, Lauriane Lecoq, Yunfeng Li, Nathane Cunha Mebus-Antunes, Miguel Mompean, Thais Cristtina Neves-Martins, Marti Ninot-Pedrosa, Anderson S. Pinheiro, Letizia Pontoriero, Yulia Pustovalova, Roland Riek, Angus J. Robertson, Marie Jose Abi Saad, Miguel A. Trevino, Aikaterini C. Tsika, Fabio C. L. Almeida, Ad Bax, Katherine Henzler-Wildman, Jeffrey C. Hoch, Kristaps Jaudzems, Douglas Laurents, Julien Orts, Roberta Pierattelli, Georgios A. Spyroulias, Elke Duchardt-Ferner, Jan Ferner, Boris Furtig, Martin Hengesbach, Frank Lohr, Nusrat Qureshi, Christian Richter, Krishna Saxena, Andreas Schlundt, Sridhar Sreeramulu, Anna Wacker, Julia E. Weigand, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Jens Wohnert, Harald Schwalbe
Summary: This study explores novel drug design against SARS-CoV-2 through NMR screening and computational mapping. They identified multiple molecules that bind to SARS-CoV-2 proteins and studied their structural and chemical properties, providing new insights for drug development.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexey Sudakov, Bozana Knezic, Martin Hengesbach, Boris Fuertig, Elke Stirnal, Harald Schwalbe
Summary: More than 170 post-transcriptional modifications of RNAs have been identified. However, the detailed investigation of these modifications is limited due to the difficulty in producing large RNAs containing these modifications. This study reports the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of RNA modifications and fluorine-modified analogs, allowing the synthesis of large RNAs. The incorporation of labeled nucleotides in the riboswitch demonstrated the applicability of the modified large RNAs in characterizing RNA fold and dynamics.
CHEMISTRY-A EUROPEAN JOURNAL
(2023)
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Elke Duchardt-Ferner, Jan Ferner, Boris Fuertig, Martin Hengesbach, Christian Richter, Andreas Schlundt, Sridhar Sreeramulu, Anna Wacker, Julia E. Weigand, Julia Wirmer-Bartoschek, Harald Schwalbe
Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak in December 2019 led to the establishment of international collaborations to understand and combat the virus. The NMR community has come together to study the genome and proteome of SARS-CoV-2 and test their interaction with low-molecular-weight binders. Due to the global pandemic and extended lockdowns, research has shifted from local collaborations to digital formats, allowing immediate discussion of unpublished results, data analysis, sample sharing, and coordinated research between more than 50 groups from 18 countries. Key lessons and challenges for post-pandemic research are discussed.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas Schmidt, Gerd Hanspach, Martin Hengesbach
Summary: The study reconstructed site-specifically fluorophore labelled H/ACA complexes and analyzed their structural dynamics using single-molecule FRET spectroscopy. Distortion of the guide RNA into a substrate-binding competent conformation by specific protein interactions was observed, and a new model explaining the contribution of individual protein domains to catalysis was established through atomic mutagenesis. These results identify and characterize individual roles for all accessory proteins in the assembly and function of H/ACA RNPs.
Article
Biophysics
N. Kubatova, N. S. Qureshi, N. Altincekic, R. Abele, J. K. Bains, B. Ceylan, J. Ferner, C. Fuks, B. Hargittay, M. T. Hutchison, V. de Jesus, F. Kutz, M. A. Wirtz Martin, N. Meiser, V. Linhard, D. J. Pyper, S. Trucks, B. Furtig, M. Hengesbach, F. Lohr, C. Richter, K. Saxena, A. Schlundt, H. Schwalbe, S. Sreeramulu, A. Wacker, J. E. Weigand, J. Wirmer-Bartoschek, J. Woehnert
Summary: The international Covid19-NMR consortium aims to comprehensively characterize the spectroscopic properties of SARS-CoV-2's RNA elements and proteins, providing NMR chemical shift assignments for the virus's molecular components. This study reports near-complete NMR resonance assignments for the backbone chemical shifts of non-structural protein 10 (nsp10), which plays a vital role in viral replication.
BIOMOLECULAR NMR ASSIGNMENTS
(2021)