Featured
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Article
| Open AccessChemical manipulation of an activation/inhibition switch in the nuclear receptor PXR
PXR is a receptor activated by diverse compounds that triggers detoxification pathways in the cell, and blocking this receptor may increase the effectiveness of certain drugs. Here, the authors present the structural basis of PXR inhibition.
- Efren Garcia-Maldonado
- , Andrew D. Huber
- & Taosheng Chen
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Article
| Open AccessDysfunctional adipocytes promote tumor progression through YAP/TAZ-dependent cancer-associated adipocyte transformation
The impact of obesity on cancer remains insufficiently explored. Here the authors show that in mouse models, dysfunctional adipocytes exhibit low levels of BECN1 which induce YAP/TAZ activity to promote breast and colorectal tumor progression.
- Yaechan Song
- , Heeju Na
- & Han-Woong Lee
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Article
| Open AccessAlpha-glucans from bacterial necromass indicate an intra-population loop within the marine carbon cycle
Phytoplankton blooms provoke bacterioplankton blooms, from which bacterial biomass (necromass) is released via zooplankton grazing and viral lysis. Here, Beidler et al. show that the bacterial biomass, including alpha-glucan polysaccharides generated from the consumption of algal organic matter, is reused by microbes in vitro and during a diatom-dominated bloom.
- Irena Beidler
- , Nicola Steinke
- & Thomas Schweder
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Article
| Open AccessAnalysis of early intermediate states of the nitrogenase reaction by regularization of EPR spectra
Here, the authors characterize selenium and sulphur incorporated FeMo cofactors of the catalytic MoFe protein component from Azotobacter vinelandii under turnover conditions using EPR.
- Lorenz Heidinger
- , Kathryn Perez
- & Erik Schleicher
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Article
| Open AccessOxidative photocatalysis on membranes triggers non-canonical pyroptosis
Oxidative damage to intracellular membrane proteins is critical to cells. Here, the authors use a water-oxidizing photocatalyst, generating ∙OH even under hypoxia, to show that membrane-specific protein oxidation triggers pyroptosis via non-canonical inflammasomes.
- Chaiheon Lee
- , Mingyu Park
- & Tae-Hyuk Kwon
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Article
| Open AccessMicrofibril-associated glycoprotein 4 forms octamers that mediate interactions with elastogenic proteins and cells
Microfibrillar-associated protein 4 (MFAP4) is involved in fibrotic and cardiovascular diseases. Wozny et al. reveal structural aspects mediating MFAP4 octamer formation critical for its interaction with elastogenic proteins and cells.
- Michael R. Wozny
- , Valentin Nelea
- & Dieter P. Reinhardt
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Article
| Open AccessStructural and dynamic insights into the activation of the μ-opioid receptor by an allosteric modulator
Here, the authors utilise NMR and cryo-EM to characterise the binding of an allosteric modulator to μ-opioid receptor (MOR), revealing modulator binding can potentiate receptor activation by altering the conformational dynamics in the core region of MOR.
- Shun Kaneko
- , Shunsuke Imai
- & Ichio Shimada
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Article
| Open AccessDeep mutational scanning reveals a correlation between degradation and toxicity of thousands of aspartoacylase variants
The details of how the protein folding and degradation systems collaborate to combat potentially toxic non-native proteins are unknown. Here the authors perform systematic studies of missense and nonsense variants of the cytosolic aspartoacylase, ASPA, where loss-of-function variants are linked to Canavan disease.
- Martin Grønbæk-Thygesen
- , Vasileios Voutsinos
- & Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen
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Article
| Open AccessTargeting bacterial nickel transport with aspergillomarasmine A suppresses virulence-associated Ni-dependent enzymes
Aspergillomarasmine A (AMA) chelates metal ions such as Zn2+ and Ni2+, which are essential for the activity of enzymes that are important for virulence of several pathogens. Here, Sychantha et al. show that AMA inhibits bacterial Ni2+ uptake and Ni-dependent enzymes, and reduces bacterial virulence in an animal infection model.
- David Sychantha
- , Xuefei Chen
- & Gerard D. Wright
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Article
| Open AccessThe structural basis for 2′−5′/3′−5′-cGAMP synthesis by cGAS
Here, the authors provide structural and biochemical data describing the mechanism through which cGAS synthesizes 2′−5′/3′−5′-cGAMP.
- Shuai Wu
- , Sandra B. Gabelli
- & Jungsan Sohn
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis of human NOX5 activation
NADPH oxidase 5 (NOX5) is activated by Ca2+ signaling, catalyzing superoxide production by transferring electrons from intracellular NADPH to extracellular oxygen. Here the authors uncover the molecular basis of NOX5 activation and electron transfer.
- Chenxi Cui
- , Meiqin Jiang
- & Ji Sun
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Article
| Open AccessStructural insights into drug transport by an aquaglyceroporin
Pentamidine and melarsoprol are drugs used to treat sleeping sickness caused by Trypanosoma brucei. Here, authors present cryo-EM structures of TbAQP2 with molecular dynamic simulations, revealing mechanisms shaping substrate specificity and drug permeation.
- Wanbiao Chen
- , Rongfeng Zou
- & Chongyuan Wang
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Article
| Open AccessMutational dissection of a hole hopping route in a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO)
Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are mono copper enzymes with outstanding industrial applicability. Here, the authors investigate the “hole hopping” mechanism in a bacterial LPMO and show that a strictly conserved tryptophan is critical for radical formation and hole transference, as well as reveal a correlation between the efficiency of hole transference and enzyme performance under oxidative stress.
- Iván Ayuso-Fernández
- , Tom Z. Emrich-Mills
- & Vincent G. H. Eijsink
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Article
| Open AccessGenetic and functional diversity of β-N-acetylgalactosamine-targeting glycosidases expanded by deep-sea metagenome analysis
Four β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase gene families were identified via deep-sea metagenome analysis. The biochemical and structural characterization of the aforementioned enzymes revealed their functional diversity and monophyletic evolutionary history.
- Tomomi Sumida
- , Satoshi Hiraoka
- & Takuro Nunoura
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Article
| Open AccessMultimodal binding and inhibition of bacterial ribosomes by the antimicrobial peptides Api137 and Api88
Proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (PrAMPs) inhibit bacterial protein biosynthesis. Here, the authors show that the honey-bee derived PrAMPs Api137 and Api88 inhibit bacterial ribosomes through multiple mechanisms, promising for drug development.
- Simon M. Lauer
- , Maren Reepmeyer
- & Ralf Hoffmann
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Article
| Open AccessA nascent riboswitch helix orchestrates robust transcriptional regulation through signal integration
Here the authors unveil an intermediate state during the folding of the manganese riboswitch from L. lactis. This transient state allows the integration of multiple cellular signals including RNA polymerase pausing and transcription factor NusA.
- Adrien Chauvier
- , Shiba S. Dandpat
- & Nils G. Walter
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Article
| Open AccessMolecular basis of bacterial DSR2 anti-phage defense and viral immune evasion
The defense-associated sirtuin 2 (DSR2) system protects bacteria from phages by depleting NAD+. Here, authors elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying DSR2 assembly, activation, and inhibition, providing important insights into bacterial anti-phage defense.
- Jiafeng Huang
- , Keli Zhu
- & Ang Gao
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Article
| Open AccessFragment ion intensity prediction improves the identification rate of non-tryptic peptides in timsTOF
Immunopeptidomics is crucial for the discovery of potential immunotherapy and vaccine candidates. Here, the authors generate a ground truth timsTOF dataset to fine-tune the deep learning model Prosit, improving peptide-spectrum match rescoring by up to 3-fold during immunopeptide identification.
- Charlotte Adams
- , Wassim Gabriel
- & Kurt Boonen
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Article
| Open AccessUnveiling the A-to-I mRNA editing machinery and its regulation and evolution in fungi
A-to-I editing in animals is catalyzed by enzymes of the Adenosine Deaminase Acting on RNA family, orthologues of which do not exist in fungi. Here, Feng et al. characterise the enzymes involved in A-to-I mRNA editing in Fusarium graminearum.
- Chanjing Feng
- , Kaiyun Xin
- & Huiquan Liu
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Article
| Open Access5′UTR G-quadruplex structure enhances translation in size dependent manner
In eukaryotes, G-quadruplex in mRNA (RG4) 5′ UTR inhibit translation initiation. Here the authors employ single molecule assay to show that RG4 in E. coli reporter increases translation efficiency by preventing ribosome dislodging.
- Chun-Ying Lee
- , Meera Joshi
- & Sua Myong
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Article
| Open AccessOptimizing differential expression analysis for proteomics data via high-performing rules and ensemble inference
In proteomics, identifying differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) is critical for uncovering biomarkers and drug targets. However, constructing optimal workflows to achieve maximal identification of DEPs is challenging. Here, the authors performed 34,576 combinatorial experiments on 24 gold standard spike-in datasets to discern optimal workflows.
- Hui Peng
- , He Wang
- & Wilson Wen Bin Goh
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Article
| Open AccessPrediction of m6A and m5C at single-molecule resolution reveals a transcriptome-wide co-occurrence of RNA modifications
The epitranscriptome holds many unexplored RNA functions, but detecting multiple modifications from one sample remains challenging. Here, authors devise a strategy combining AI and nanopore sequencing to uncover a transcriptome-wide co-occurrence of two modification types in individual RNA molecules.
- P Acera Mateos
- , A J Sethi
- & E Eyras
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Article
| Open AccessInterplay of structural preorganization and conformational sampling in UDP-glucuronic acid 4-epimerase catalysis
Enzymes involve structural flexibility in their function, but understanding enzyme catalysis as connected to protein motions is a major challenge. Here, the authors obtain energetic description of C-H activation in nicotinamide coenzyme-dependent UDP-glucuronic acid C4 epimerase based on temperature kinetic studies and isotope effect measurements.
- Christian Rapp
- , Annika Borg
- & Bernd Nidetzky
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Article
| Open AccessIntramolecular autoinhibition regulates the selectivity of PRPF40A tandem WW domains for proline-rich motifs
The specific recognition of a proline-rich motif in the intrinsically disordered region of SF1 by the PRPF40A tandem WW domains is modulated by an intramolecular autoinhibition, suggesting a general mechanism to enhance WW binding selectivity.
- Santiago Martínez-Lumbreras
- , Lena K. Träger
- & Michael Sattler
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Article
| Open AccessIdentification and characterization of small molecule inhibitors of the LINE-1 retrotransposon endonuclease
The LINE-1 retrotransposon is a target for the development of therapies to treat age-associated disease. Here the AUs describes the characterization of small molecule inhibitors of the endonuclease domain of LINE-1.
- Alexandra M. D’Ordine
- , Gerwald Jogl
- & John M. Sedivy
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Article
| Open AccessCadmium binding by the F-box domain induces p97-mediated SCF complex disassembly to activate stress response programs
The F-box domain is a conserved structural motif in ubiquitin ligases known only to bind Skp1. Here, the authors show the F-box domain is also an environmental cadmium sensor that changes conformation upon binding to disassemble the active ligase, protecting the cell from cadmium stress.
- Linda Lauinger
- , Anna Andronicos
- & Peter Kaiser
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis and synergism of ATP and Na+ activation in bacterial K+ uptake system KtrAB
KtrAB complex is essential in K+ uptake for bacteria. Here authors illustrate the synergism of ATP and Na+ in activating K+ uptake of KtrAB from Bacillus subtilis and its gating mechanism, which may also shed light on other Na+-activated K+ channels.
- Wesley Tien Chiang
- , Yao-Kai Chang
- & Nien-Jen Hu
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Article
| Open AccessMechanistic basis of the dynamic response of TWIK1 ionic selectivity to pH
Using computer simulations authors identify the dynamic molecular motions controlling the structural conformation of the TWIK1 ion channel, showing that its ability to transport sodium upon acidification result from the evolution of the classical potassium-selective pore.
- Franck C. Chatelain
- , Nicolas Gilbert
- & Olivier Bignucolo
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Article
| Open AccessNative N-glycome profiling of single cells and ng-level blood isolates using label-free capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry
Single-cell manipulation and processing techniques and improvements in mass spectrometry sensitivity make single-cell proteomic profiling feasible. This study presents a label-free approach for the characterisation of native N-glycans of single mammalian cells and ng-level blood isolates, demonstrating the potential to detect cell surface glycome changes at the single-cell level in health or disease.
- Anne-Lise Marie
- , Yunfan Gao
- & Alexander R. Ivanov
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Article
| Open AccessAn interphase actin wave promotes mitochondrial content mixing and organelle homeostasis
A mitochondrial actin wave fragments mitochondria. Here, the authors find that the wave produces force that is resisted by mitochondrial tethering, inducing fission, with subsequent fusion promoting mitochondrial content mixing and mitochondrial homeostasis.
- Stephen M. Coscia
- , Andrew S. Moore
- & Erika L. F. Holzbaur
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Article
| Open AccessStructural basis for the intracellular regulation of ferritin degradation
Ferritin, the cellular iron storage complex, binds NCOA4 and is trafficked to the lysosome for degradation and iron release. Here, authors present the cryo-EM structure of the NCOA4-Ferritin complex with biophysical and cellular characterization.
- Fabian Hoelzgen
- , Thuy T. P. Nguyen
- & Gabriel A. Frank
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Article
| Open AccessPharmacological inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation within liquid condensates
Aggregated forms of α-synuclein are characteristic of Parkinson’s disease. Here the authors show that the condensation-driven aggregation pathway of α-synuclein can be inhibited using small molecules: the aminosterol claramine stabilizes α-synuclein condensates and inhibits α-synuclein primary nucleation in the aggregation process.
- Samuel T. Dada
- , Zenon Toprakcioglu
- & Michele Vendruscolo
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Article
| Open AccessSARS-CoV-2 Mpro responds to oxidation by forming disulfide and NOS/SONOS bonds
The main protease, a key enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, can protect itself from oxidative damage. Here, Reinke, Schubert, and colleagues used XFEL radiation to image the enzyme, revealing the disulfide and NOS/SONOS bonds that form in response to oxygen.
- Patrick Y. A. Reinke
- , Robin Schubert
- & Thomas J. Lane
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Article
| Open AccessImpact of distinct FG nucleoporin repeats on Nup98 self-association
Here, the authors demonstrate that mutations in the FG repeats of Nup98 significantly reduce its self-association capabilities and present a cryoEM structure exhibiting higher stability per residue then previously observed, suggesting spatial variations in self-association.
- Alain Ibáñez de Opakua
- , Christian F. Pantoja
- & Markus Zweckstetter
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Article
| Open AccessMetabolic phenotyping reveals an emerging role of ammonia abnormality in Alzheimer’s disease
Metabolic implications in AD are unclear. Here, authors found significant correlations between cognitive impairment and metabolic features in a Chinese aging cohort (n = 1397). The study highlights ammonia disturbance as a potential therapeutic target for AD.
- Tianlu Chen
- , Fengfeng Pan
- & Wei Jia
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Article
| Open AccessA conserved N-terminal motif of CUL3 contributes to assembly and E3 ligase activity of CRL3KLHL22
The assembly integrity of dimeric CRL3 E3 ligases are important in various physiological and pathological processes. Here, the authors show that an evolutionarily conserved CUL3 N-terminal motif contributes to both the assembly and activity of dimeric CRL3 E3 ligases.
- Weize Wang
- , Ling Liang
- & Yuxin Yin
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Article
| Open AccessDeciphering DED assembly mechanisms in FADD-procaspase-8-cFLIP complexes regulating apoptosis
Here the authors structurally and mechanistically characterize the assembly of FADD, procaspase-8, and cFLIP through their death-effector domains (DEDs), providing insights into the regulation of apoptotic and necroptotic signalling.
- Chao-Yu Yang
- , Chia-I Lien
- & Su-Chang Lin
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Article
| Open AccessActive site remodeling in tumor-relevant IDH1 mutants drives distinct kinetic features and potential resistance mechanisms
Here the authors show mutants of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1), an enzyme implicated in various cancers, have distinct catalytic and structural features that drive their ability to generate an oncometabolite.
- Matthew Mealka
- , Nicole A. Sierra
- & Christal D. Sohl
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Article
| Open AccessPlatform-directed allostery and quaternary structure dynamics of SAMHD1 catalysis
SAMHD1 is a regulator of dNTP homeostasis and an HIV restriction factor. The authors use time-resolved cryo-EM to visualise dynamic conformational changes that drive the catalytic cycle and allosteric regulation of this multi-subunit enzyme.
- Oliver J. Acton
- , Devon Sheppard
- & Ian A. Taylor
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Article
| Open AccessA Toxoplasma gondii O-glycosyltransferase that modulates bradyzoite cyst wall rigidity is distinct from host homologues
A Toxoplasma gondii mucin-type O-glycosyltransferase uses a unique catalytic mechanism to modify bradyzoite cyst wall proteins. A second metal coupled to substrate binding is required for catalysis, while an active site glutamate suggests a double-displacement mechanism.
- Pranav Kumar
- , Tadakimi Tomita
- & Nadine L. Samara
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Article
| Open AccessBiosynthetic production of anticoagulant heparin polysaccharides through metabolic and sulfotransferases engineering strategies
Microbial heparin bioproduction is hampered by the difficulty of recombinant expression of active heparan sulfate N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase. Here, the authors solve the problem by developing a cellular system-based semisynthetic strategy and achieve the production of active heparin by engineered E. coli.
- Jian-Qun Deng
- , Yi Li
- & Ju-Zheng Sheng
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Article
| Open AccessThe complete assembly of human LAT1-4F2hc complex provides insights into its regulation, function and localisation
The amino acid transporter complex LAT1-4F2hc is considered a major drug target for many cancers. Here, the authors apply native mass spectrometry-based approaches to decode a complete LAT1-4F2hc assembly. To do this, they connect post-translational modification and endogenous phospholipid binding to super-dimerization, function and localisation of LAT1-4F2hc.
- Di Wu
- , Renhong Yan
- & Carol V. Robinson
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Article
| Open AccessSynthetic intrinsically disordered protein fusion tags that enhance protein solubility
Insoluble protein expression continues to be a bottleneck for biotechnology. Here, Chilkoti and colleagues report a method for generating and identifying hypersoluble intrinsically disordered protein fusion tags to improve soluble protein expression and rescue protein function.
- Nicholas C. Tang
- , Jonathan C. Su
- & Ashutosh Chilkoti
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Article
| Open AccessHPK1 citron homology domain regulates phosphorylation of SLP76 and modulates kinase domain interaction dynamics
In this work, the authors unveil a mechanism where the Citron homology domain regulates HPK1’s kinase domain, shedding light on the relationship between HPK1’s structure and function. This enhances our understanding of HPK1, an intracellular target for cancer immunotherapy and provides a direction for immuno-oncology drug discovery.
- Avantika S. Chitre
- , Ping Wu
- & Weiru Wang
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Article
| Open AccessTiming the evolution of phosphorus-cycling enzymes through geological time using phylogenomics
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient which may have influenced Earth’s early biosphere. This study interrogates genomic records, finding potentially phosphate depleted conditions toward the end of the Archean when enzymes for scavenging reduced phosphorus compounds spread throughout the tree of life.
- Joanne S. Boden
- , Juntao Zhong
- & Eva E. Stüeken
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Article
| Open AccessStructural mechanism of voltage-gated sodium channel slow inactivation
Inactivation is an intrinsic property of NaV channel, but the mechanism for slow inactivation is not fully understood. Here, authors show a NaVEh structure in a potential slow-inactivated state, elucidating structural basis for slow inactivation.
- Huiwen Chen
- , Zhanyi Xia
- & Daohua Jiang
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Article
| Open AccessDevelopment of Aptamer-DNAzyme based metal-nucleic acid frameworks for gastric cancer therapy
The development of metal-nucleic acid nanocomposites for therapeutic is limited by poor stability and synthesis efficiency. Here, the authors develop a multi-fragmented aptamer DNAzyme metal-nucleic acid frameworks (MNFs) under milder conditions and demonstrate its preclinical efficacy in gastric cancer.
- Jiaqi Yan
- , Rajendra Bhadane
- & Hongbo Zhang
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Article
| Open AccessGalectin-3 impairs calcium transients and β-cell function
Galectin-3, mainly produced and secreted by macrophages, is elevated in diabetes. Here, the authors show that galectin-3 directly interacts with voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 1 (CACNG1) and blocks calcium transients and subsequent insulin secretion.
- Qian Jiang
- , Qijin Zhao
- & Pingping Li
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Article
| Open AccessMetaboAnalystR 4.0: a unified LC-MS workflow for global metabolomics
Several bottlenecks exist in metabolomics data analysis. Here, the authors present MetaboAnalystR 4.0 as a unified workflow for LC-MS untargeted metabolomics. It highlights significant improvements in LC-MS2 spectral processing and functional analysis, providing an end-to-end computational pipeline.
- Zhiqiang Pang
- , Lei Xu
- & Jianguo Xia
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