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Bioinorganic chemistry remains a vibrant discipline at the interface of chemistry and the biological sciences. Metal ions function in numerous metalloenzymes, are incorporated into pharmaceuticals and imaging agents, and inspire the synthesis of catalysts used to achieve many chemical transformations.
A histone deacetylase inhibitor seems to restore the transcriptional activity of a silenced gene by overcoming heterochromatin effects, thereby offering a potential treatment for the neurodegenerative disease Friedreich's ataxia.
D-Amino acids can be useful building blocks for pharmaceuticals, but synthesizing them at a low cost remains challenging. A good catalyst for generating unnatural D-amino acids has been created by expanding the substrate range of a highly specific dehydrogenase.
Successful science education requires a knowledgeable teacher, a challenging curriculum, and teaching methods that actively engage students in a learning process that evokes the scientific method.
Enzymatic cyclization of the linear polyketide chain to form a macrolactone is a key step in the biosynthesis of type I polyketide natural products. Structural biology and inhibitor design were used to gain insight into the mechanism and specificity of this enzymatic process.
Caspase-3 is a central player in the orchestration of apoptotic cell death. A newly identified compound selectively activates caspase-3, has proapoptotic activity against transformed cells and retards the growth of procaspase-3–rich tumors.
New advances in mass spectrometry allow researchers to determine the way multiple protein subunits are assembled spatially. This approach can reveal topology and provide information on the interacting proteins of the 19S proteasome.
Nitrite is an inorganic anion essential in cell signaling and vascular biology. A new study shows that the multicopper oxidase ceruloplasmin is critical for maintaining plasma nitrite, revealing a new link between copper and nitric oxide homeostasis.
Chemical biology graduate programs that are jointly organized by chemistry and life science departments can offer a stimulating 'bicultural' training environment for students from diverse backgrounds. However, communication, flexibility and responsiveness are crucial for effectively structuring such programs.
Differentiation-inducing factor 1 is a modified polyketide natural product involved in the differentiation of Dictyostelium discoideum cells. A new study shows that a type III polyketide synthase existing in an unusual association with type I fatty acid synthase domains is responsible for biosynthesis of this signaling compound.