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| Open AccessDissecting the mechanism of atlastin-mediated homotypic membrane fusion at the single-molecule level
The detailed process of membrane fusion mediated by dynamin-like GTPase atlastin (ATL) remains unclear. Here, authors reveal the conformational dynamics of ATL coupled with GTP hydrolysis cycle at the single molecule level.
- Lijun Shi
- , Chenguang Yang
- & Xin Bian
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Article
| Open AccessCyclic peptides discriminate BCL-2 and its clinical mutants from BCL-XL by engaging a single-residue discrepancy
Pro-survival B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) family proteins BCL-2 and BCL-XL are the targets of anti-tumour drugs, but resistance is emerging. The authors present cyclic peptides against BCL-2 and BCL-XL, with a distinct mechanism of targeting characterised.
- Fengwei Li
- , Junjie Liu
- & Dalei Wu
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Article
| Open AccessChemical modulation of cytosolic BAX homodimer potentiates BAX activation and apoptosis
Deregulation of BCL-2 proteins ensures resistance to apoptosis. Here, the authors describe cytosolic BAX dimers, which in cancer cells inhibit BAX activation and they develop a strategy to modulate BAX dimers to potentiate BAX-mediated apoptosis.
- Nadege Gitego
- , Bogos Agianian
- & Evripidis Gavathiotis
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Article
| Open AccessA biotin targeting chimera (BioTAC) system to map small molecule interactomes in situ
Unbiased chemical biology strategies for direct readout of small molecule protein interactomes provide advantages over target-focused approaches. Here, the authors describe the BioTAC system, a network-scale small molecule guided proximity labeling platform, to rapidly identify ligand-target interactomes.
- Andrew J. Tao
- , Jiewei Jiang
- & Fleur M. Ferguson
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis for calcium-stimulating pore formation of Vibrio α-hemolysin
Vibrio α-hemolysins (αHLs) are toxins crucial for certain bacterial infections. Here the authors reveal that calcium ions boost the activity of a specific toxin, Vibrio campbellii αHL, and uncover its calcium-dependent activation mechanism.
- Yu-Chuan Chiu
- , Min-Chi Yeh
- & Shih-Ming Lin
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Article
| Open AccessChemical-induced phase transition and global conformational reorganization of chromatin
The authors show that adriamycin induces global changes on chromatin conformation associated with phase transitions mediated through Histone H1.
- Tengfei Wang
- , Shuxiang Shi
- & Chao-Po Lin
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Article
| Open AccessQuantitative real-time in-cell imaging reveals heterogeneous clusters of proteins prior to condensation
The nucleation of biomolecular condensates is seldom quantified in living cells. Here, the authors show how protein clusters form before microscopically visible condensation and find a flat free-energy profile with active blocking of cluster growth.
- Chenyang Lan
- , Juhyeong Kim
- & Thorsten Hugel
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Article
| Open AccessConformational restriction shapes the inhibition of a multidrug efflux adaptor protein
Multidrug efflux protein pumps are key players in bacterial antimicrobial resistance. Here, the authors show how dynamics of a periplasmic pump component can be targeted for efflux inhibition.
- Benjamin Russell Lewis
- , Muhammad R. Uddin
- & Eamonn Reading
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Article
| Open AccessCryo-EM structures of full-length integrin αIIbβ3 in native lipids
The structural basis of integrin signaling in health and disease is not fully understood. Here, the authors determine the cryoEM structure of full-length platelet integrin αIIbβ3 in its apo and eptifibatide-bound conformations in a native membrane environment.
- Brian D. Adair
- , Jian-Ping Xiong
- & M. Amin Arnaout
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Article
| Open AccessLateral membrane organization as target of an antimicrobial peptidomimetic compound
The mechanism of action of the antibacterial tripeptide AMC-109 is unclear. Here, Melcrová et al. show that AMC-109 self-assembles into stable aggregates with a cationic surface, and then individual peptides insert into the bacterial membrane and disrupt membrane nanodomains, thus affecting membrane function without forming pores.
- Adéla Melcrová
- , Sourav Maity
- & Wouter H. Roos
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Article
| Open AccessMonoterpenoid aryl hydrocarbon receptor allosteric antagonists protect against ultraviolet skin damage in female mice
The aryl hydrocarbon receptor regulates the expression of genes involved in many cell processes and its dysregulation has been implicated in different diseases. Here, the authors identify dietary monoterpenoid carvone as an atypical non-competitive antagonist of human aryl hydrocarbon receptor and demonstrate that it can protect against ultraviolet skin damage in female mice.
- Karolína Ondrová
- , Iveta Zůvalová
- & Zdeněk Dvořák
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Article
| Open AccessRepurposing host-guest chemistry to sequester virulence and eradicate biofilms in multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii
Rapid antibiotic resistance in bacteria is putting pressure on both existing therapies as well as the development pipeline. Here, the authors present a dual-acting anti-virulence treatment that evades antibiotic resistance mechanisms and remains effective against Top Priority pathogens.
- Christopher Jonkergouw
- , Ngong Kodiah Beyeh
- & Markus B. Linder
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Article
| Open AccessInsights into membrane association of the SMP domain of extended synaptotagmin
The SMP domain of E-Syts is a newly identified lipid transfer module with unclear mechanisms. Here, authors show that it uses its tip region to associate with the extremely curved or negatively charged membranes to extract and unload lipids.
- Yunyun Wang
- , Zhenni Li
- & Xin Bian
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis of HIV-1 maturation inhibitor binding and activity
HIV maturation inhibitors such as bevirimat (BVM) interfering with Gag processing are emerging as alternative anti-retroviral drug candidates. Here, the authors report structures of assemblies of HIV-1 Gag fragments spanning the CA C-terminal domain and SP1 region bound to BVM.
- Sucharita Sarkar
- , Kaneil K. Zadrozny
- & Tatyana Polenova
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Article
| Open AccessHow Carvedilol activates β2-adrenoceptors
How carvedilol, a β1-blocker, activates β2-adrenoceptors, is unclear. Here, the authors resolve this enigma and show that carvedilol drives all of its detectable cellular β2-adrenoceptor signals by slow and low efficacy G protein activation.
- Tobias Benkel
- , Mirjam Zimmermann
- & Evi Kostenis
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Article
| Open AccessAtomic resolution protein allostery from the multi-state structure of a PDZ domain
In this manuscript the authors report accurate multi-state protein structures of the PDZ domain using biological NMR. By looking into protein structural states, the authors report an allosteric pathway at atomic resolution that validates previously reported low resolution findings and uncovered a structural hallmark of the allosteric ligand binding to the PDZ domain.
- Dzmitry Ashkinadze
- , Harindranath Kadavath
- & Roland Riek
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Article
| Open AccessA fungal tolerance trait and selective inhibitors proffer HMG-CoA reductase as a herbicide mode-of-action
Managing herbicide resistance problem needs the identification of new herbicidal modes of action. Here, the authors solve the crystal structures of Arabidopsis HMGR and show HMGR as a potential new herbicide target by identifying plant-specific HMGR inhibitors and engineering tolerant trait in Arabidopsis.
- Joel Haywood
- , Karen J. Breese
- & Joshua S. Mylne
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Article
| Open AccessSingle-atom nanozymes catalytically surpassing naturally occurring enzymes as sustained stitching for brain trauma
The catalytic activity of regenerable nanozymes is currently the bottle neck for their wider employment. Here, the authors report on single-atom nanozymes of RhN4, VN4, and Fe-Cu-N6 with higher catalytic activities than natural enzymes, and demonstrate the Rh/VN4 recyclability and scalp healing properties in bioactive sutures.
- Shaofang Zhang
- , Yonghui Li
- & Xiao-Dong Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessPro-oxidant response and accelerated ferroptosis caused by synergetic Au(I) release in hypercarbon-centered gold(I) cluster prodrugs
Several strategies have been developed in recent years for therapeutic induction of ferroptosis in cancer. Here the authors report the design of two hypercarbon-centered gold(I) cluster prodrugs that induce ferroptosis of cancer cells, showing anti-tumor activity in preclinical bladder cancer models.
- Kui Xiao
- , Niyuan Zhang
- & Liang Zhao
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Article
| Open AccessTargeting retinoic acid receptor alpha-corepressor interaction activates chaperone-mediated autophagy and protects against retinal degeneration
Gomez-Sintes et al. have developed small molecules that selectively activate chaperone-mediated autophagy by stabilizing the interaction between retinoic acid receptor alpha and its co-repressor N-CoR1. They demonstrate the protective effect of boosting chaperone-mediated autophagy against retinal degeneration.
- Raquel Gomez-Sintes
- , Qisheng Xin
- & Ana Maria Cuervo
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Article
| Open AccessPeripherally restricted transthyretin-based delivery system for probes and therapeutics avoiding opioid-related side effects
The current peripherally acting mu-opioid receptor antagonists present limited permeability and pharmacokinetic properties. Here, the authors develop a drug delivery approach based on AG10, which demonstrates the impact of mu-opioid receptors in the central nervous system in precipitating opioid-induced constipation.
- Md Tariqul Haque Tuhin
- , Dengpan Liang
- & Mamoun M. Alhamadsheh
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Article
| Open AccessPI(18:1/18:1) is a SCD1-derived lipokine that limits stress signaling
Fatty acid unsaturation by stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) protects against cellular stress through unclear mechanisms. Here the authors show 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1’-myo-inositol) is an SCD1-derived signaling lipid that regulates stress-adaption, protects against cell death and promotes proliferation.
- Maria Thürmer
- , André Gollowitzer
- & Andreas Koeberle
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Article
| Open AccessSignal transduction in light-oxygen-voltage receptors lacking the active-site glutamine
Light-oxygen-voltage (LOV) photoreceptors perceive blue light to elicit spatio-temporally defined cellular responses, and their signalling process has been extensively characterized. Here the authors report that the light signal is still transduced in the absence of a conserved Gln residue, thought to be key.
- Julia Dietler
- , Renate Gelfert
- & Andreas Möglich
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Article
| Open AccessIdentification of oleoylethanolamide as an endogenous ligand for HIF-3α
Whether hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) can be directly regulated by endogenous small molecules is a long-standing question. Here authors identified the metabolite oleoylethanolamide as a HIF-3α ligand and further revealed its mechanism of action.
- Xiaotong Diao
- , Fei Ye
- & Dalei Wu
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Article
| Open AccessPreclinical characterization and target validation of the antimalarial pantothenamide MMV693183
Here, de Vries et al. perform a pre-clinical characterization of the antimalarial compound MMV693183: the compound targets acetyl-CoA synthetase, has efficacy in humanized mice against Plasmodium falciparum infection, blocks transmission to mosquito vectors, is safe in rats, and pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling informs about a potential oral human dosing regimen.
- Laura E. de Vries
- , Patrick A. M. Jansen
- & Koen J. Dechering
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Article
| Open AccessIntegrative multi-omics and drug response profiling of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell lines
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia is characterised by a range of genetic aberrations. Here, the authors use multi-omics profiling of ALL cell lines to connect molecular phenotypes and drug responses to provide an interactive resource of drug sensitivity.
- Isabelle Rose Leo
- , Luay Aswad
- & Rozbeh Jafari
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Article
| Open AccessDefining molecular glues with a dual-nanobody cannabidiol sensor
Molecular glue has been used as a broad term describing a class of protein interaction-promoting compounds. Here, the authors outline two unifying thermodynamic features to formally define molecular glues and guide their prospective discovery.
- Shiyun Cao
- , Shoukai Kang
- & Ning Zheng
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Article
| Open AccessWdr1 and cofilin are necessary mediators of immune-cell-specific apoptosis triggered by Tecfidera
The mechanism-of-action of many electrohilic drugs remains poorly understood. Here, the authors use a redox-targeting approach to elucidate the basis for the innate immune cell toxicity of dimethyl fumarate, showing that it modifies Keap1 to trigger mitochondrial-targeted neutrophil/macrophage apoptosis.
- Jesse R. Poganik
- , Kuan-Ting Huang
- & Yimon Aye
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Article
| Open AccessTetrasubstituted imidazoles as incognito Toll-like receptor 8 a(nta)gonists
Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) plays essential roles in the innate immune response to viral single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), so small molecule modulators of TLR8 are of interest, however adverse effects limit their use. Here, the authors report a tetrasubstituted imidazole CU-CPD107 with dichotomous behaviour, which inhibits R848-induced TLR8 signaling, but shows synergistic activity in the presence of ssRNA, making it a potential antiviral agent.
- Yi Yang
- , Adam Csakai
- & Hang Yin
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Article
| Open AccessReduced efficacy of a Src kinase inhibitor in crowded protein solution
The intracellular compartment is a crowded environment. Here, the authors use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to assess inhibitor binding to c-Src kinase and show how ligand binding pathways differ in crowded and dilute protein solutions, highlighting the role of c-Src Tyr82 sidechain.
- Kento Kasahara
- , Suyong Re
- & Yuji Sugita
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Article
| Open AccessAllosteric modulation of ghrelin receptor signaling by lipids
The membrane is an integral component of the G protein-coupled receptor signaling machinery. Here authors demonstrate that lipids regulate the signaling efficacy and selectivity of the ghrelin receptor GHSR through specific interactions and bulk effects and observe PIP2 and GM3 induced shifts of the conformational equilibrium of GHSR away from its inactive state.
- Marjorie Damian
- , Maxime Louet
- & Jean-Louis Banères
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Article
| Open AccessCytoplasmic condensation induced by membrane damage is associated with antibiotic lethality
The detailed mechanisms of action of bactericidal antibiotics remain unclear. Here, Wong et al. show that these antibiotics induce cytoplasmic condensation through membrane damage and outflow of cytoplasmic contents, as well as accumulation of reactive metabolic by-products and lipid peroxidation, as part of their lethality.
- Felix Wong
- , Jonathan M. Stokes
- & James J. Collins
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Article
| Open AccessTranslation error clusters induced by aminoglycoside antibiotics
Aminoglycoside antibiotics target the ribosome and induce misreading, yet which translation errors induce bacterial cell death is unclear. Here authors use quantitative mass spectrometry and show that bactericidal aminoglycosides induce clusters of errors in full-length proteins in vivo with as many as four amino acid substitutions in a row.
- Ingo Wohlgemuth
- , Raffaella Garofalo
- & Marina V. Rodnina
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Article
| Open AccessInhibitory mechanism of reveromycin A at the tRNA binding site of a class I synthetase
Reveromycin A (RM-A) selectively inhibits eukaryotic cytoplasmic isoleucyltRNA synthetase (IleRS). Herein, the authors show that RM-A molecule occupies the tRNAIle binding site of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IleRS, and that RM-A cooperates with isoleucine or isoleucyl-adenylate for IleRS binding.
- Bingyi Chen
- , Siting Luo
- & Huihao Zhou
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Article
| Open AccessA conformation-selective monoclonal antibody against a small molecule-stabilised signalling-deficient form of TNF
TNF can be inhibited by small molecules that stabilize the TNF trimer in an asymmetric conformation. Here, the authors develop a monoclonal antibody that selectively binds this inactive form of TNF, enabling both target engagement assessment and structural characterization of TNF binding to TNF receptor 1.
- Daniel J. Lightwood
- , Rebecca J. Munro
- & Alastair D. G. Lawson
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Article
| Open AccessSelective inhibition of human translation termination by a drug-like compound
The drug-like compound PF846 and its derivatives inhibit the translation of specific mRNAs by the human ribosome. Here the authors show how PF846 arrests translation at the stop codon by slowing hydrolysis of the protein nascent chain at the ribosome P-site tRNA by eukaryotic release factor 1 (eRF1).
- Wenfei Li
- , Stacey Tsai-Lan Chang
- & Jamie H. D. Cate
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Article
| Open AccessStructural bases of IMiD selectivity that emerges by 5-hydroxythalidomide
5-hydroxythalidomide is a primary thalidomide metabolite generated by the cytochrome P450 isozymes. The reported data, including crystal structure of the 5-hydroxythalidomide-mediated complex of CRBN with SALL4, elucidate how additional hydroxy group of the metabolite enhances the interaction of CRBN with the neosubstrate SALL4.
- Hirotake Furihata
- , Satoshi Yamanaka
- & Takuya Miyakawa
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Article
| Open AccessEnhancing intracellular accumulation and target engagement of PROTACs with reversible covalent chemistry
PROTACs have emerged as promising therapeutic agents but their cellular uptake is often inefficient. Here, the authors show that reversible covalent warhead chemistry improves PROTAC intracellular accumulation and target engagement, and develop a dual inhibitor/degrader of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase
- Wen-Hao Guo
- , Xiaoli Qi
- & Jin Wang
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Article
| Open AccessMechanisms of drug interactions between translation-inhibiting antibiotics
Antibiotics targeting protein translation interact in hard-to-predict ways. Here, Kavčič et al. interpret these interactions in terms of translation bottlenecks, the kinetics of drug uptake and target binding, bacterial growth laws, and a model of queued traffic progression.
- Bor Kavčič
- , Gašper Tkačik
- & Tobias Bollenbach
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Article
| Open AccessStructure-based evolution of a promiscuous inhibitor to a selective stabilizer of protein–protein interactions
Small molecule stabilizers of protein–protein interactions hold great therapeutic potential. Based on virtual screening and molecular docking, the authors here develop a strategy to evolve weak, promiscuous inhibitors of 14-3-3 interactions into selective stabilizers of the 14-3-3/ChREBP complex.
- Eline Sijbesma
- , Emira Visser
- & Christian Ottmann
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Article
| Open AccessMechanism of ribosome shutdown by RsfS in Staphylococcus aureus revealed by integrative structural biology approach
Upon transition to stationary phase or upon stress, bacteria limit protein synthesis through small inhibitory proteins that bind the ribosome. Here the authors decipher the interaction mode of the bacterial ribosome silencing factor (RsfS) at atomic details to provide an in depth view of how it shutdowns ribosomes.
- Iskander Khusainov
- , Bulat Fatkhullin
- & Marat Yusupov
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Article
| Open AccessSerial femtosecond crystallography on in vivo-grown crystals drives elucidation of mosquitocidal Cyt1Aa bioactivation cascade
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) produces the naturally-crystalline proteinaceous toxin Cyt1Aa that is toxic to mosquito larvae. Here the authors grow recombinant nanocrystals of the Cyt1Aa protoxin in vivo and use serial femtosecond crystallography to determine its structure at different redox and pH conditions and by combining their structural data with further biochemical, toxicological and biophysical analyses provide mechanistic insights into the Cyt1Aa bioactivation cascade.
- Guillaume Tetreau
- , Anne-Sophie Banneville
- & Jacques-Philippe Colletier
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Article
| Open AccessStructure of formylpeptide receptor 2-Gi complex reveals insights into ligand recognition and signaling
Formylpeptide receptors (FPRs) are a class of chemotactic G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that recognize pathogen- and host-derived formylpeptides. Here the authors report the 3.17 Å cryo-EM structure of the human FPR2-Gi signaling complex with a bound peptide agonist and in combination with computational docking and MD simulations provide mechanistic insights into formylpeptide recognition by FPRs.
- Youwen Zhuang
- , Heng Liu
- & Cheng Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessThe epichaperome is a mediator of toxic hippocampal stress and leads to protein connectivity-based dysfunction
The biology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unknown. We propose AD is a protein connectivity-based dysfunction disorder whereby a switch of the chaperome into epichaperomes rewires proteome-wide connectivity, leading to brain circuitry malfunction that can be corrected by novel therapeutics.
- Maria Carmen Inda
- , Suhasini Joshi
- & Gabriela Chiosis
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Article
| Open AccessModulating multi-functional ERK complexes by covalent targeting of a recruitment site in vivo
The ERK signalling pathway is activated in many cancers, however ERK1 and ERK2 are difficult to target pharmacologically. Here, the authors identify a small molecule inhibitor that binds covalently to the D-recruitment site of ERK and induces cell death and reduces tumour growth in mice.
- Tamer S. Kaoud
- , William H. Johnson
- & Kevin N. Dalby
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Article
| Open AccessAn electrostatic switching mechanism to control the lipid transfer activity of Osh6p
Osh6p and Osh7p are yeast lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) that must transiently interact with membranes but how they escape from the electrostatic attraction of the plasma membrane is unclear. Here authors show that Osh6p reduces its avidity for anionic membranes once it captures PS or PI4P, due to a molecular lid closing its lipid-binding pocket.
- Nicolas-Frédéric Lipp
- , Romain Gautier
- & Guillaume Drin
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Article
| Open AccessHSP90 inhibitors stimulate DNAJB4 protein expression through a mechanism involving N6-methyladenosine
Cells respond to heat shock with transcriptional and translational adaptations but how HSP90 inhibition alters the heat shock proteome is largely unclear. Here, the authors analyze proteome changes upon HSP90 inhibition and show that an m6A-mediated mechanism contributes to the heat shock-induced upregulation of DNAJB4.
- Weili Miao
- , Lin Li
- & Yinsheng Wang
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Article
| Open AccessThe anti-cancer drugs curaxins target spatial genome organization
Curaxins are a recently discovered class of anti-cancer agents that disturbs DNA/histone interactions within. Here the authors provide evidence that curaxins affect the spatial genome organization and compromise enhancer-promoter communication necessary for expression of several oncogenes, including MYC.
- Omar L. Kantidze
- , Artem V. Luzhin
- & Sergey V. Razin
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Article
| Open AccessDifferential PROTAC substrate specificity dictated by orientation of recruited E3 ligase
PROTACs enable targeted protein degradation by recruiting an E3 ligase to a specific substrate but the determinants of selectivity are not fully understood. Here, the authors show that varying the linker between warhead and E3 ligand and the orientation of the E3 ligase allow tuning PROTAC selectivity toward different p38 isoforms.
- Blake E. Smith
- , Stephen L. Wang
- & Craig M. Crews