Proteins articles from across Nature Portfolio

Quinol-dependent nitric oxide reductases, unique to bacteria, are considered members of respiratory heme copper oxidases. A 2.2 Å cryoEM structure of qNOR is reported shedding light on key aspects of enzyme mechanism including quinol binding and pathways for electron, substrate, and proton transport.

Molecular mechanisms of MFSD2A-mediated lysolipid transport into the brain has been elusive. Here, using molecular dynamics, the authors uncover how initial stages of transport cycle are enabled by substrate-induced conformational changes in MFSD2A.

Zinc uptake and regulation are vital in all life forms. Here, authors describe a dimer of a ZIP-family zinc transporter in an inward-facing, inhibited conformation. A built-in zinc sensor is proposed to sense the intracellular zinc content to autoregulate zinc uptake across membranes.

The structure of the assembly-competent 5S RNP was elucidated by cryo-EM. These findings provide molecular insight into how this module incorporates into the nascent pre-60S ribosome and how it can affect the MDM2–p53 pathway in human cells.

A screen for clock mutants uncovered a conserved novel auxiliary NuA4 histone acetylase complex, containing orthologs of BRD-8 and BYE-1, needed for maintaining the timely Negative Element expression required for sustaining a normal circadian rhythm.

Metamorphic proteins can switch reversibly between two different native folds with entirely distinct functions, however, the triggers that induce the conformational switch remain largely underexplored. Here, the authors demonstrate the impact of a crowded environment on the switch of two metamorphic proteins KaiB and XCL1, and study the kinetics and thermodynamics of the switch using NMR spectroscopy.