Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
A new biosynthetic core-forming enzyme, arginine cyclodipeptide synthase (RCDPS), was found to produce cyclo-arginine-Xaa dipeptides via a tRNA-dependent mechanism, and further genome mining using RCDPS as a beacon uncovered new natural products.
The multistep incorporation process of the catalytic NiFe(CN)2(CO) cofactor into [NiFe]-hydrogenase was deciphered by isolating key maturation intermediates, which were characterized by biochemical and a variety of spectroscopic techniques.
A bifunctional amino acid, photo-ANA, equipped with a bio-orthogonal handle and a photoreactive warhead, specifically labels Salmonella spp. during infection and enables the profiling of proteome dynamics and host–pathogen protein–protein interactions.
The F420-dependent sulfite reductase protects some methanogenic archaea by converting toxic sulfite. Structural analysis reveals how the two active centers are electro-connected and provides a plausible picture of a primitive sulfite reductase.
Development of two bright light-up RNA systems with strong aptamer–dye interaction, high fluorogenicity, and remarkable photostability, enable single-molecule mRNA tracking in live cells.
GPCRs are selective for specific G-protein subtypes, thereby ensuring signaling fidelity. A new report finds that that empty-like G-protein mutants are promiscuously recognized by GPCRs, suggesting that receptors select cognate over non-cognate G proteins at steps preceding nucleotide release.
Modern drug discovery relies upon intelligent exploration of ‘in stock’ and ‘on demand’ virtual libraries of compounds. A comparative analysis highlights the explosive expansion of accessible chemical space and also reveals challenges and opportunities arising for computational drug discovery.
The authors present a framework for multiplexed optimization of metabolic pathways based on CRISPR–dCas12a-mediated genetic circuits, which can be generally applied in the construction of microbial cell factories for sustainable bioproduction.
A near-atomic resolution strain-specific cryo-EM structure of infectious prion fibrils from mice was determined, revealing a structural definition for intra-species prion strain-specific conformations.
Coupling selectivity was found to be partly lost with G proteins that bypass conformations that exist before GDP release, suggesting that selectivity is closely linked to the process of nucleotide release.
Docking virtual libraries against protein structures has identified potent ligands for multiple targets. A comprehensive analysis reveals that the increased size of virtual libraries improves receptor fit but diverges from bio-like molecules.
Analysis of cell–cell communication between embryonic stem cells using a combination of experiments and modeling shows that cells can communicate important messages over much larger distances than previously known, exhibiting quorum-sensing-like behavior.
Development of a chemoproteomic platform to globally interrogate Fe–S cluster incorporation in a native proteome enables the elucidation of Fe–S biogenesis components and the identification of unannotated Fe–S proteins.
Development of a quantitative approach to determine how far a signal from a cell travels as a diffusible molecule reveals a millimeter-scale quorum sensing mechanism that determines collective growth of differentiating embryonic stem cells.
DNA damage results in the acetylation of the cell-cycle checkpoint kinase WEE1 at Lys177 enabling activation. The deacetylase SIRT1 directly associates with and modifies WEE1 to inactivate it enabling resistance to WEE1 inhibition in cancer cells.
Guo et al. report a small molecule agonist of mitochondrial fusion that activates MFN1, an outer mitochondrial membrane protein, and protects cells from mitochondrial damage and ischemia/reperfusion injury in a mouse model.
Tryptophan C-mannosyltransferase (CMT) enzymes append a mannose to the first tryptophan of select sequences, which is important for the trafficking, folding and function of secretory and transmembrane proteins involved in cellular communication processes. A study reveals the structure, mode of peptide recognition and catalytic mechanism for the eukaryotic C-mannosyltransferase DPY19.
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are extended disaccharide co-polymers containing decorations of sulfation and epimerization linked to cell surface and extracellular matrix proteins that contribute to cell signaling and tissue homeostasis. This structural and mutagenic study on the EXT1–2 complex explains molecular details of the backbone co-polymer synthesis.
A machine-learning method called MetalNet was developed to systematically predict metal-binding sites in proteomes using sequence co-evolution, which enabled the identification of new metalloproteins.
Small-molecule-mediated targeted protein degradation (TPD) relies on the recruitment of a target protein of interest to an E3 ligase. A new study indicates how direct target recruitment to the 26S proteasome can bypass this requirement.
