In this issue - pv

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-v

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Forging synergies in drug discovery - p83

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-83

The pharmaceutical industry faces major challenges in delivering the next generation of therapeutic agents. The shared interests of pharmaceutical researchers and chemical biologists provide impetus for new drug discovery innovations.

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Copper shares a piece of the - pp85 - 86

Katherine J Franz

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-85

Recent crystal structures of a bacterial copper tolerance protein reveal an intriguing copper binding site that includes tryptophan. Its close proximity coupled with spectroscopic data suggests an unusual cation- interaction between Cu(I) and the aromatic ring of tryptophan.

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See also: Brief Communication by Xue et al.

Small molecule versus DNA repair nanomachine - pp86 - 88

James T Stivers

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-86

The MRN protein megacomplex mediates repair of double-stranded DNA breaks (DSBs) by tethering together broken ends of chromosomes and signaling a cascade of events required for DNA repair. The first small-molecule inhibitor that disrupts MRN function provides a valuable new tool for functional studies of DSB repair in cells.

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See also: Article by Dupré et al.

Worming our way to the fountain of youth - pp88 - 89

Peter John Roy

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-88

Extending the time animals spend in the vigorous phase of their lives would have enormous economical and social consequences. A new study reveals that antidepressants commonly used in humans can significantly prolong the life of nematodes by antagonizing conserved G protein–coupled receptors.

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Unexpected tails of a Ca²⁺ sensor - pp90 - 91

Lee P Haynes & Robert D Burgoyne

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-90

Myristoylation is an important post-translational modification that targets many signaling proteins to membranes. Now the crystal structure of calcium-bound myristoylated GCAP-1 demonstrates a new structural role for protein myristoylation.

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Losing inhibition with ketamine - pp91 - 93

Jeremy Seamans

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-91

Schizophrenia is thought to involve a dysfunction of glutamatergic and GABAergic signaling in the prefrontal cortex, but how these systems interact in the disease has been unclear. Now ketamine, a glutamatergic NMDA receptor antagonist, may provide a mechanism that could link these pathways.

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Research highlights - p95

doi:10.1038/nchembio0208-95

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