Reviews & Analysis

Notch signaling is an essential cell–cell communication pathway that influences numerous cell fate decisions during development. Structural and biochemical studies of a Notch–Jagged complex dramatically advance current understanding of ligand recognition, and reveal evidence of catch-bond behavior in the complex.

Multiple optogenetic technologies are required to control biological activity simultaneously with different colors of light. Optimizing a near-infrared-induced heterodimerization system, which can be combined with blue-light-controlled domains, enables precise spatiotemporal control of target molecules in live mammalian cells.

Enzymology and structural and functional characterization of some FAD-dependent monooxygenases provide insights into degradation of tetracycline antibiotics, but also show unexpected features of substrate recognition, reaction mechanism, and competitive inhibition.

Chemical control of protein homeostasis and induction of protein destabilization are emerging therapeutic strategies. Two recent studies identify a set of sulfonamides that can modulate the CRL4^DCAF15 E3 ligase complex to target the splicing factor RBM39 for proteasomal degradation.

Biologic drugs that modulate the immune system have revolutionized the therapeutic landscape for several selected cancer types. A new study reports an image-based assay system to monitor cell–cell interactions, identifying small-molecule compounds with immunomodulatory capacity.

Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTACs) are synthetic molecules that recruit neo-substrate proteins to a ubiquitin ligase for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Structural insight into the VHL–MZ1–BRD4 complex reveals how the rationally designed MZ1–PROTAC molecule mediates degradation of an unnatural protein substrate.

A new signal–receptor pair involved in regulating biofilm formation and virulence was detected in Vibrio cholerae. Both the signal and the transcription factor belong to common classes of natural products and receptor proteins, suggesting widespread importance of related systems in nature.

A highlight of the knowledge derived in large part from structural work on physical motions and chemical interactions involved in voltage sensing, pore opening, ion conductance and selectivity, and voltage-dependent inactivation mechanisms of the voltage-gated channels Na_V and Ca_V.

In early-stage developing neurons, the cAMP–PKA (protein kinase A) signaling pathway is strongly inhibited. This negative control is later removed, unleashing cAMP–PKA signaling, particularly in distal axonal parts, thus allowing for axonal growth.

Pharmacological chaperones are small drugs that stabilize a protein's fold and are being developed to treat diseases arising from protein misfolding. A mathematical framework to model their activity in cells enables insight into their mechanism and capacity to rescue protein foldedness.

Systematically modifying biological assembly lines for the synthesis of novel products remains a challenge. Structural insights and computational modeling have now paved the way for efficient redesigns of giant fatty acid synthases.

A review of the roles of cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) in signaling systems including transcription, ion transport, bacterial secretion and eukaryotic immune responses, highlighting the diverse binding modes of CDNs by target proteins and functional insights gained from structural studies.

A new mechanism of functional crosstalk between two distinct G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs)—the parathyroid hormone receptor (PTHR) and β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂ Ar)—that occurs at the level of G protein βγ subunits and a specific adenylyl cyclase isoform is identified. This crosstalk augments cAMP signaling by the PTHR from endosomes, and thus promotes the actions of PTH ligands in bone target cells.

Bioengineers have endowed a consortium of human cells with an artificial sense of smell, enabling the cells to detect, quantify, and remember the presence of gaseous volatile compounds in their environment.

Recent advances in metabolic engineering provide possible new approaches for the production of advanced intermediates as tractable semisynthetic starting materials for alkaloid-derived pharmaceuticals and potential new drugs.

New small-molecule inhibitors of the histone methyltransferase PRC2 interfere with the allosteric activation of enzymatic activity. These compounds are effective against PRC2-dependent tumors that are resistant to catalytic inhibitors and provide important new tools for altering chromatin regulation.

Differential redox regulation of kinase isoforms serves to provide intricate control of cellular signaling events. In a new study, a single isoform of Akt, Akt3, is shown to be preferentially modified by lipid-derived electrophiles to modulate downstream signaling events in mammalian cells and zebrafish.